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Shipping Percussion Handgun from USA internationally?

725 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  hama 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi folks, hope this is the right place to ask this, but a relative of mine in the USA is planning to ship me an Allen & Thurber percussion-cap pepperbox handgun, and as I live in Ireland I was wondering if anyone here has experience with shipping antique guns from the USA to the EU and what all is involved in doing so?

Neither of us holds a firearms license, but as the gun is classified as an antique in both countries I was told this wouldn't be an issue (it meets the pre-1898 requirement for the USA and the pre-unitary cartridge rule for Ireland).

I am applying for an import license from the Department of Justice in Ireland and a permission letter for possession from the Garda (Irish police), but apart from that I'm not sure if we'd need anything else to have it legally shipped, especially on my relative's side in the USA?

I've already checked the websites of a few shipping companies (e.g. UPS) and I'm having trouble finding ones that are willing to ship handguns (even antiques) internationally. I'd really appreciate any advice on what would be the best way to ship the gun in question from the USA to Ireland.

Cheers.
 
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#3 ·
I've already done a google search and as I mentioned checked out a few shipping agents, but the ones I found did not look like they ship firearms of any kind outside the USA. I did hear about USPS, but because they're a US group it seems that once the package arrived in my country it'd have to be shipped within Ireland to my address by An Post, and as far as I know they refuse to send firearms of any kind.

That's why I'm asking here, if there's anyone who has experience with this kind of thing and could lend some advice?
 
#4 ·
You may want to send a PM to a fellow member here: tacfoley2 He is in the UK, and while the rules in the UK are likely different, he may know some of the rules for Ireland (or at least point you in the right direction to find out).
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll try messaging him. That username looks like one I've seen on an Irish forum, so if it's the same guy he might well know something about our rules here...

As far as the US side goes, does anyone here know any shipping agents/exporters (other than USPS mentioned above) who might be willing to handle antique handguns for international shipping?
 
#6 ·
USPS will not ship "Arms and weapons" to Ireland (check http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/il_006.htm), just because Ireland will not allow arms and weapons in.
But they don't forbid arms parts, as Germany does for example (http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/fh_011.htm).
So if your relative disassembles the pepperbox and sends the parts in 2 or 3 differents parcels, as spare parts, it should be OK with the Irish postal service.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for that link Woodlander. That's interesting what you say about Ireland not allowing firearms in, when I talked to someone at the Department of Justice here they said firearms are allowed to be shipped to this country as long as I got the import license...

Part of the problem I think is that the laws in Ireland (especially concerning antique guns) are so bloody vague, from people I've talked to a lot of it seems ultimately down to the individual discretion of both your Garda superintendent (for allowing possession) and whoever's processing your application at the Dept. of Justice. Really need to find someone who's actually done something like this before to see what their experiences are and how they went about it.

Interesting suggestion about shipping the gun in parts, hadn't thought of that actually. Cheers!
 
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