Exporting 'bits' downunder

A

AussiFlyer

Guest
:confused: Hi to all. I'm a rimfire benchrest shooter from Sydney, Australia and have been frustrated of late in that several intended purchases from the U.S. have been stopped by recently changed export rules that suddenly prohibit the export of gun related items to terrorist destinations such as Sydney. Recent such dangerous items include a Harrel tuner for my new Anschutz 2013, a Leupold lens filter kit, a Wheeler scope mounting kit and the most dangerous of all - an Anschutz torque wrench. Could someone please explain why the U.S. Government have lost their marbles?. What's going on ???
 
AussiFlyer said:
:confused: Could someone please explain why the U.S. Government have lost their marbles?. What's going on ???
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AussiFlyer:
At this time, I doubt if there is a good and clear answer to your question. However, if anyone can or could figure out what our government is doing, or does, I have several very high paying job openings to be filled. :D
Applications should be submitted in person on K Street, NW, Washington, DC.
BTW: Aussies always get lots of bonus points when applying. :)
Good luck with your quest.
 
Since the original 9-11 attack, the U.S. government has been really coming down on exporting anything firearm related. They do not want to 'Supply the Enemy'. Most everything that we would use, is OK to export, but you have to do all of the paperwork and pay for the export permit.
My problem is figuring out who to contact about exporting. I contacted the ATF and they do not control exporting. So I talk to the State Department, they control some part of it but you also need to talk with the Commerce Department. You go through all of their information and then have to interpret their language. I found everything pertaining to scopes and it appeared to me that I could ship out a scope without a permit as long as it was not attached to a firearm. But I received a call and a $200 fine from the U.S. Customs for shipping it to Canada. I do more research and get a request for a McMillan Fiberglass stock to be shipped to France. I look everywhere and I talk to the folks at McMillan. They tell me they export stocks all the time without any trouble. So, I ship the stock and then receive a call from the Dept of Homeland Security. I am still waiting to find out the fine on that shipment.
No more exports for me, until I get this totally figured out.
 
Dan, You have clearly documented why I made the offer to AussieFlyer. The government has the "Who's on first, and What's on second" routing beat hands down. It is impossible locate either the right hand, or the left hand, to know if either knows what the other is doing, nonetheless find out what anyone is doing, or the reasons why. Reading the logic tree is a like undoing the Gordian Knot.

AussieFlyer, sorry to report, the offer stills stands.

On a serious side, Dan, I genuinely feel for your frustration. We have many terrific products (such as yours) to offer the world, but ....
Doug
 
The most recent call from Homeland Security really threw me for a loop. I answer the phone and the gentlemen on the other end identifies himself as an agent for the Dept. of Homeland Security and asks about shipping a stock to France. This is the first time I had ever received a call like this, so I was thinking someone was playing a joke on me or this is a con man. He wants to meet with me and he offers to come to my place or meet me somewhere in between. That really led me to believe he was a con man. So, I insisted that we meet at his office which he reluctantly agreed to do so. He gave me his address and I immediately go to the computer to see if he is legitimate. I Google the address and it comes up but does not say anything about what that location is. I Google Dept. of Homeland Security in San Angelo, Tx and I can not find anything either. I am really skeptical about this guy now. I drive over to this office and it is near the San Angelo airport, but it is off by itself. It has 8 foot tall chain link fence all the way around the perimeter with barbed wire on top. It has a security gate where I call the agent and he buzzes me in. The building has absolutely no markings identifying itself. I get to the front door and it is locked, but then the agent opens the door to let me in. Once inside, I see the Dept. of Homeland Security Emblem and I start feeling a little more at ease. This agent introduces himself and I meet his partner. We proceed to a conference room and they show me pictures of the stock I had shipped and begin questioning me about it. At this point, I am thinking "Do I need a lawyer? Fred Leeds where are you???" The 2 agents were extremely nice, and they showed me the material from the State Department that prevented the shipping of the stock without a permit. So, hopefully now I am on the right track. They gave me their business card and instructed me to call with any questions that I might have. But the entire experience really made me feel like 'Big Brother Is Watching You' The unmarked totally secure building really gave me the creeps. Perhaps I should not even be putting this out on the internet.
 
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Dan,

Yes, Big Brother is watching, and many of the small Homeland Security field office facilities are unmarked.

Let's remember this is another inconvenience which is a part of bin Laden's legacy. But sure you would rather there is vigilance, as opposed to being too lax (it is always a fine line).

From your note, it does sound like these guys are legitimate, and it was probably a follow up to a technicality ... without substance. Also sounds like they know you are providing a legitimate product to be used for the correct purposes, and not trying to circumvent any laws.

Next step is to find out if they will, not only show you how to get the permit, but give you a little help in avoiding the 'land mines' associated with the filing of the permit. I assume all permits have imbedded red flags. If so, and they give a bit of help, the next transactions should go smoothly.

Sincere wishes that the process is not too onerous, and that you and your customer(s) are satisfied with the outcome.

Best wishes for a successful conclusion, Doug
 
Dan,
Your preserverance in trying to legally send benchrest products to our over-seas companions is admirable! It is extremely difficult for small businesses to supply international customers. The larger companies have their marketing and legal departments take care of this stuff.

Most small business owners would have just thrown up their hands and said, "Forget it!"

Best,
Michael
 
G'day

Can I say that I am also an Australian having the same types of problems that AussiFlyer is experiencing.I have been in contact with Dan Killough a couple of times laterly, and although he has not been able to help me, or sell me anything because of these export problems, he has responded quickly to my emails and has been a pleasure to deal with( two things in this modern world which are becoming harder to find in business.)
I understand security is of extreme importance at the moment , but rimfire target accessories must be quite low on the danger meter??
Also at this time in the worlds economical situation I would have thought that businesses that are trying to export to other countries would be helped by governments not hindered by paperwork and laws.
I suppose I'm just annoyed that I can't get great shooting products, direct from great suppliers in the USA, for good prices even after exchange rates are taken into account.
Dan good luck in finding away through all of the paperwork, and if you manage to do it let me know as I have a list of things I need.

Thankyou for your time.

harro
 
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Hi Dan and Doug (and Michael and Harro),

Dan - I genuinely appreciate the fact that you've attempted to get this sorted and assume that like any intelligent person, you want answers and would like to get to the bottom of this - if for no other reason than to get on with running your business.

Like Harro suggests, I too have found Dan to be super professional. He has answered my incessant questioning with simple answers - straight to the point with rapid responses and I have nothing but respect for him and would love to hand over more of my aussi dollars. (I missed out on Bill's Suhl)

Any discussion however with respect to Homeland Security is a joke. Ten years after the attack - they've now decided that exporting a torque wrench and a scope lapping kit or worse still, a tuner would be 'arming' us rimfire terrorists down here.

Give me a break !! How bloody minded and childish are they ???

This slaps of one thing - and one thing only - these faceless beaurocratic happy clapping, tree huggers have got nothing better to do than waste everyones time in order to justify their useless jobs and like any 'good' Government, wrap us up in paperwork (for our own good) and oh - by the way - charge us for the priviledge.

Unfortunately, we have but a handful of competent gunsmiths here on the east coast and clearly - none would accept the cost of tooling up to produce short run bits given the size of our market here. Hell - there are more people on the Baha pennisula than in all of Australia. But then again, my homestate of New South Wales is bigger than Texas - sorry Dan...

Dan - I wish you and Ron the very best of luck in trying to deal with these buffoons and hopefully, sort this mess out although I think Ron has given up and gone home to bed.

The effort is appreciated by us - thanks mate...

Regards Cary...
 
AussiFlyer said:
Hi Dan and Doug (and Michael and Harro),

Dan - I genuinely appreciate the fact that you've attempted to get this sorted and assume that like any intelligent person, you want answers and would like to get to the bottom of this - if for no other reason than to get on with running your business.

Like Harro suggests, I too have found Dan to be super professional. He has answered my incessant questioning with simple answers - straight to the point with rapid responses and I have nothing but respect for him and would love to hand over more of my aussi dollars. (I missed out on Bill's Suhl)

Any discussion however with respect to Homeland Security is a joke. Ten years after the attack - they've now decided that exporting a torque wrench and a scope lapping kit or worse still, a tuner would be 'arming' us rimfire terrorists down here.

Give me a break !! How bloody minded and childish are they ???

This slaps of one thing - and one thing only - these faceless beaurocratic happy clapping, tree huggers have got nothing better to do than waste everyones time in order to justify their useless jobs and like any 'good' Government, wrap us up in paperwork (for our own good) and oh - by the way - charge us for the priviledge.

Unfortunately, we have but a handful of competent gunsmiths here on the east coast and clearly - none would accept the cost of tooling up to produce short run bits given the size of our market here. Hell - there are more people on the Baha pennisula than in all of Australia. But then again, my homestate of New South Wales is bigger than Texas - sorry Dan...

Dan - I wish you and Ron the very best of luck in trying to deal with these buffoons and hopefully, sort this mess out although I think Ron has given up and gone home to bed.

The effort is appreciated by us - thanks mate...

Regards Cary...
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Cary,

You are sooo right Mate!! and this is only our Department of Homeland Security, you see what the EPA has done to U.S. industry!!!

Tony
 
It amuses me how the US government can make it virtualy impossible for US businesses to export anything firearm related yet can continually export arms to foreign countries that at some stage may use these arms against US citizens.......bit of a double standard don't you think................or is the latest initiative directed by your latest president?????? makes me wonder since he is so anti firearms and seems to be anti USA in some ways also.......Ian
PS Wonder if the next step is to impose sanctions on China and other countries that export the machinery to foreign countries that make these products:eek::eek:
 
AussiFlyer, don't feel to bad the Yanks are doing it to everyone. In May of this year I attended AASAM (A ustralian Army Skill at Arms Meeting), lots of international teams including Canada. Well its a long story, but in the end the Canadian military could not get their weapons through the US, so we lent them some of ours. We call them M4's, Made by Colt in the US.

Some of those items you are looking for can be obtained at Potter Friearms in Qld. I recently bought a BR50 with a 1913 action and a Anschutz wrench. Potters, for an Australian company, have first rate customer service.
 
G'day

Thanks Ron for the link to Targetriflesa.com.
It's always good to know other sources and suppliers.
But I still think the original reason of this thread is, and was, all about how we can't import shooting related stuff out of the states.With the way the exchange rate is now, it is the best time in a long time to be filling up the cupboard with shooting stuff from the states.I know we can source most of this stuff in Australia through the official importers and dealers ,but in doing so we are paying much more than if we buying it, and importing it ourselves.This sport is expensive enough as it is .I just wish we could get more bang for our Australian bucks$$$.

Thankyou for your time

harro
 
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Hi guys,

I really appreciate the feedback but the frustrations felt at the stupidity of US rules and regs - nine years after 9/11 makes no sense. Clearly, it seems, the US authorities think that the terrorists here in Oz - see great value in Ron's tuner (which I guess could be seen as a compliment), an Anschutz torque wrench and oh.. of coursee, the lens filter kit and scope alignment kit (that's the really important one). Given Dan's 'exploits' with dark suited men and unmarked buildings - it's way beyond a joke. Bottom line is that I've managed to purchase a Harrel tuner from a gentleman in Queensland, the torque wrench locally and with my new BR-50 - I'm now a happy camper.

Thanks to all but as noted by 'beemer' above - the only thing the US authorities have achieved - is to make themselves look bloody foolish - which obviously didn't take too much effort on their part...

Thanks again for the input and support
 
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