How can I get a gun across the planet?

May 17, 2014 4:18 PM

I want to get an air rifle from the UK ( where the police don't care about it ) to Australia ( where its a gun that needs a licence )? How...?

When my brother left for Australia on a temporary secondment, he left his air rifle at my house. Ten years later, he's an Australian citizen with a gun licence and a fiancée.

For his wedding, I'd quite like to get his gun to him since it was a gift from now deceased family members. ( Which sounds much darker than its intended to do ;-) ).

So, I can transport the gun around the UK and I'm sure that an airline can be convinced to book it as hold luggage, but what happens then? As soon as I land in Aus, its illegal for me to touch, I think. I can get my brother to meet me at the airport, but how would I get him close enough to it to get it through customs without me touching it?

Or does the answer involve a legally registered carrier somewhere?

Or just involve waiting for him to return to the UK at some point, and letting him pick up his own damned gun...?

posted by sodium lights the horizon to Law & Government (4 answers total)

Were I determined to do this despite the fact it is probably totally illegal, I would break the gun into the maxinum number of pieces it will strip down into, and mail them. One by one by one by one by one.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:21 PM on May 17, 2014 [2 favorites]

You need to get permission from the relevant government agency to import a firearm into Australia. Info here.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:28 PM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'd contact a firearms dealer in his state and pay them to arrange the import. Then he can pick it up from them.
posted by atrazine at 5:35 PM on May 17, 2014 [3 favorites]

Best answer: atrazine: "I'd contact a firearms dealer in his state and pay them to arrange the import. Then he can pick it up from them."

^ This ^

The exact process may vary a bit from state-to-state, but is basically:

1. Your brother applies for an import permit. To do this, he has to nominate a licenced firearms dealer.
2. You arrange to have the firearm sent to the nominated dealer.
3. Customs will hold the firearm, and will only release it to the nominated dealer on presentation of the import permit.
4. The dealer receives the firearm, and can only release it to the holder of the import permit.

Most dealers should be aware of the process and be able to organise the whole thing.

Also know that it depends on the exact type/model/features of the air rifle e.g. if it can be fired with the stock detached, is capable of or easily modified for fully-automatic fire, or even looks like a fully-automatic weapon, it'll be damn near impossible to import.
posted by Pinback at 8:10 PM on May 17, 2014 [1 favorite]