How Did I Get My Guns to Finnish Brutality? Polaris Logistics.

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I took my own Finnish M39 Mosin and TT-33 Tokarev to Finland for Finnish Brutality, along with a WWSD-2020 carbine. I've gotten a lot of questions from people wondering how I did that, and the answer is Les Winner, of Polaris Logistics. Les handled all of the paperwork and shipping, and he also joined us to shoot the match. So, I took a few minutes in the evening to chat with him about how the process works. He has made the process so much easier than the other importers I have tried to work with, and I am very happy to recommend his services to anyone who is trying to move guns across the US border. You can reach him directly at:
[e-mail]
Contact:
Forgotten Weapons
6281 N. Oracle 36270
Tucson, AZ 85740

[@nlitement]

When it comes to silencers (or suppressors), they're perfectly legal and even encouraged here in Finland, just because it reduces noise and we tend to like our peace and quiet. We haven't had a moral panic over "tactical looking" black hunting rifles.

[@Sam-nx9ec]

That guy probably has some good stories to tell about getting weapons in and out of the "nastiest warzones".

[@Curtislow2]

imagine he has monthly NDA!

[@jeanwesleynew]

The stories probably get better with the introduction of a nice18-yo single malt.

[@alexsis1778]

Far easier to get weapons out of those warzones than it is to get them in

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

@@alexsis1778 Like the man said the more you import, the easier it is LOL

[@kevinsullivan3448]

When a significant part of your business is classified Eyes Only.

[@LukasVos]

First I thought "Les Winner" was a fancy way to call the holder of the 1st place of the contest 😅🙈

[@redram5150]

Same, lol

[@cobra5087]

A guy at work whom last name was Head. I’m sure you know where I’m going with this. And yes he named his son RICHARD. Dick Head.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Sounds more like a Runner-up thing though.

[@joshuaslootsky5574]

It's good to know that Ron Swanson is finally doing what he wants

[@Senseibackwood]

I was think the same thing

[@telankiristyssylinteriasetelma]

That's not Ron Swanson he's The Stranger from Big Lebowski.

[@guillemartinez4556]

he looks more like francis begbie to me

[@Brainwashed101]

He definitely sounds like Ron Swanson.

[@darkiee69]

I thought it was Jim West from Wild West Guns.

[@NotDave_x]

This dude is about to be swimming in business. I know that if I ever have to import/export something Ian's endorsement is more important to me than anyone I know IRL.

[@andersjjensen]

Yeah.. When you get so respected that the French anti terror unit actively invites you to come have a look at their signature gun your word has more gravity than most....

[@Clean97gti]

No kidding. I think everyone who has ever considered the steps to import/export a gun and actually spent an hour on the internets looking it up basically comes to the conclusion that it's possible but it better be worth it and it's going to cost you and it's going to be a bureaucratic nightmare. Then Ian tells you that this dude has it figured out and isn't going to bullshit you and he produces results without all the anxiety. This guy just made his company buckets of money for a 13 minute Q&A on KZbin.

[@raywach2571]

I have worked with Les since before he joined Polaris; he is a great guy who dos things right and takes care of his customers, and has earned any endorsement he gets.

[@krmould]

This is the classic role of "fixer." Every country's laws are a little different. Every airline or cargo handler is a little different. Yes, you are paying them for the fees for all the forms and transport costs, but you are also paying them for their knowledge, understanding of laws and bureaucracy, and ability to massage the system. I have worked with similar companies in the past. They are beyond invaluable. If it can be done (that is a question you need to ask BEFORE you rush out and buy the gun in a foreign country), and you have the patience (even with a fixer, bureaucracies at both ends take a lot of time), you are willing to pay the price ($1000 - $1200 seems pretty reasonable to me), then a company like Polaris Logistics is well worth their help.

[@andersjjensen]

$1000-$1200 to get a collectors item is nothing. Heck you can't buy a decent graphics card for your computer for that kind of money these days... Here in Denmark a Browning A-Bolt III Composite in 30-06 costs ~$1000 with VAT and registration tax for comparison, so some cool vintage rifle in original configuration should easily run you ten times that.

[@E5rael]

@@andersjjensen That commentary on GPUs... Ouch. 😬 Sucks being a PC gamer nowadays.

[@andersjjensen]

@@E5rael Only if you insist on always having the latest and greatest. I have a 5700XT and a 1440p monitor, so I can run everything just fine. I run Cyberpunk 2077 at 1200p with mostly everything set to High or Ultra and get 75FPS which is perfectly adequate to enjoy the game.

[@StealthEagle21]

I've done it the other way around from The Netherlands to the US a few years back, quite the circus to go through for a couple of matches... but oh so worth it! Most amazing part is how the Dutch government handles checking the guns before getting on the plane, namely at the check in desk. Cue a bunch of MP's waving my guns around with ~300 people staring in disbelief behind me :') The US side , on the other hand, is pretty well organized, nice closed off offices without any audience to make things awkward. Sounds like this guy and his company are really worth it though, once I move to the US permanently I'll be sure to contact them for this service! many thanks for posting!

[@OddballsHobbyChannel]

Ok, I know what I am going to tell is concerning airsoft replica´s but I had something similar happen when I bought some airsoft replica´s in Japan and travelled with them back to The Netherlands (from Osaka). But it is still a great story. So I had reported to KLM that I wanted to bring back some airsoft replica´s (as this is something that has to be told atleast 48 hours before departure, but, since I did the same thing 3 times know I say 72 hours in advance is better) and got clearance for it. Customer service told me to be at the airport early because Japanese customs also needed to do a check. So I got there like 3 hours before boarding, found the check in desk (note I was the first to arrive) and notified a ground stewardess of my arrival. She checked her papers and she found that I was indeed listed as someone with special luggage. She pointed to a place at the ground and told me to wait exactly there. After maybe 10 minutes she and her co-workers start setting up the waiting lines and before I knew it I found myself in front of the buisness class check in. I called over the stewardess and asked if I should move to the economy line (litterlally just 1 step to the right) but was told a firm "NO, you don´t move untill called for" I was ok with that and meanwhile also the other passengers arrived. Now is a good time to tell that KLM and Airfrance share their check in desks and the flight to Paris leaves around the same time, so after a while there were litterally hundreds of people queing up. Then they called for me to check in. When they did the other people behind me also started walking but they were stopped and were told "Only him" The looks of "What the ...?" on those faces I will never forget. So I checked in my normal bag, no problems there and then it was my guncase his turn. They told me that they called customs to come check the contents and that it could take a few minutes. Sure enough after a few minutes (note: the other passengers still couldn´t check in) a friendly customs officer comes running (litterally) looks around for a spot where I can open the guncase and points to a spot that is litterally right in view of the hundreds of other passengers. I thought that just opening up the case and him taking a look would be all but boy was I wrong. Turns out that he had to check every replica with a magnet (something to do with a law concerning what can be steel and what not) and he does so by pulling out every piece, checking it and then putting it back. Can you imagine how the other passengers looked when that officer pulled out: A mini uzi, a 10´5" M500, 2 1911´s and a suppressed M9 (the one from the movie Leon")? Needless to say the ground staff also found it all very interesting. After the check I could close up my case, check it in and be on my way. Back home the Dutch customs actually loved what I was bringing over. They were great and I had a blast talking to them over what I bought and how it all worked.

[@StealthEagle21]

@@OddballsHobbyChannel I bet you had about as many people annoy you on the flight as I did after that show :D The MP's in my story were also like that, quite interested in the rifle (A competition AR-15), looking through the optic and so on. On the way home customs was much more relaxed indeed, less people to have as an audience too. A year or so later I moved to Sweden and brought my guns with me here, also via Schiphol. Comparable story but with a larger number of guns, the MP's did not even bother checking the export permits, guess they did not care :)

[@gregdaweson4657]

"bunch of MP's waving my guns around with ~300 people staring in disbelief" lol, the famous dutch style of not giving a shit and getting to business.

[@deathrooster14]

You Dutchies and your wackiness always make me smile. :)

[@lycossurfer8851]

The Penguins of Madisgar owed Ian a favor and he called them in on it is the real answer

[@Col_Mustard]

What's "Madisgar" exactly? :)

[@lycossurfer8851]

@@Col_Mustard typo. Madagascar was what I intended to type

[@kenanfurcle786]

@@lycossurfer8851 You can edit comments by clicking on the three dots next to it

[@RS-cw3oy]

If only

[@TheOriginalFaxon]

Ian big shout out for getting on Floatplane! Luke is awesome, and I'm really glad Linus basically just let him do whatever he wanted with that to bring us such an independent platform. Thank you for this heads up as well about Polaris. IDK if I'll ever need to travel with guns, but this is a great option to know about

[@CeltKnight]

"Ian uses our service" should be all the endorsement a company needs. ;)

[@neruneri]

Shilling is okay when it's for a service that Gun Jesus himself can endorse! Those of us who've been watching FW and InRange for years now are well aware of what a godsend Polaris Logistics is. I'm also sure I speak for everyone when I say that this video was very interesting and much appreciated, as we were curious about the topic since ages ago!

[@philkensebben157]

Ian: Super easy! Polaris Logistics: Barely an inconvenience!

[@Xerdoz]

Oh really?

[@HB45175]

@@Xerdoz Yeah yeah yeah!

[@sparky4878]

Importing guns is tight.

[@bur1t0]

I'm guessing this is equal parts satisfaction with this guy and anger towards the previous guys :-)

[@18robsmith]

Interesting to hear how much help a good customs agent can be, and how similar the role is when moving guns compared to other high-value "unique" items. Over the years I've had the "joy" of moving truck loads of equipment from one country to another, and once I found an agent I could trust to do all the paperwork how much simpler it was for me. (Radio equipment can be a real issue, much like guns different countries have different cultures and regulations.)

[@rickyricardo5441]

Really answered some good questions Ive always wondered. Especially nice that you gave us a price point to consider when doing this.

[@REXOB9]

Great episode, thanks for the info on Polaris Logistics

[@Sogard22]

Always such a joy to hear from an experienced professional in the firearms industry!

[@hallucinogenmusic7571]

Love your videos, they are so informational and very intertaining.

[@VeraTR909]

Always nice to hear an experienced person talk about their job, he seems like a guy you can trust.

[@rogerpartschiii3514]

Congrats on 2M subs Ian!

[@Hashashin_Fidayin]

Great video! Thank you for sharing the information and also for sharing a great company that I will for sure support if I'm ever in need of import export.

[@petesheppard1709]

Very enlightening!! I don't see myself moving guns to other countries, but this should help a lot of others. Thanks!

[@tomtruesdale6901]

Very informative video. Thank you for doing this one. Always best to "know someone who knows someone" when it involves guns or other high value shipments.

[@comiketiger]

Thank you, it did address a question I've had for a while. I appreciate your work and inciteful subject matter. God bless all here.

[@Orzorn]

I love this! Logistics is one of those things that is so often forgotten about as a profession but when you need them you REALLY REALLY need them.

[@SpaetzleOperator]

Less winner is more winner than most people i know. Awesome guy!

[@paulwillhite6730]

Thanks for videos like this. It's good to know how this stuff works.

[@jeromethiel4323]

This was super informative!

[@Ashfielder]

Ahh, I was wondering about this over on your Instagram, thanks for the information!

[@tangero3462]

This presents a unique opportunity for some very niche guns, as in some cases it may actually be cheaper to import than buy on the open market in the States. Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@PitFriend1]

Les is the best kind of service provider. He makes a complex and annoying process simple for the customer. And is refreshingly up from about the time and money involved!

[@BatCaveOz]

Should have put it in the prison wallet.

[@JediDude23]

putting a whole rifle in there sounds like fun

[@CritterCamSoCal]

Thanks Ian this was real helpful

[@johncashwell1024]

Thanks for the tip! Great info

[@ruaway]

I’ve been waiting for this video for awhile, eye opening

[@jeremiahcherry5283]

Thank you, this was fascinating.

[@kyleadams6010]

I shot with Les at HZI3G match last year, great guy!

[@johnharrison1573]

Holy shit les! Didn't expect to see him here!

[@leeadams5941]

Good information for those of us who collect...thanks

[@justanothergunnerd8128]

good info - thanks Ian

[@fredericrike5974]

Good to know, Ian! these same rules can and often do apply to international transfer of technology texts, certain types of proto type materials and the like- there are professionals for most categories, and my experience has been many are worth their charges- always do your homework on any of them!

[@airsoftarmy77]

It’s really cool to see the guys in the industry be shooters.

[@Naraku150]

... I love random videos liek this.. it was cool to hear a simple version on hows its done.. BUT it can be done by a GREAT MAN LIKE HIM!

[@mikemoore4033]

Nice to hear that getting Ian’s guns to Finland was super easy, barely an inconvenience.

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

"Barely an inconvenience" if you don't mind spending 1200 to 1500 bucks in addition to your travel cost...

[@TheIdiotPlays]

@@maximilianmustermann5763 Try buying them here, then say that again.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Very interesting and informative.

[@Zode123]

I've always wondered...thanks!

[@herrakaarme]

I can barely imagine how much patience, research and diplomatic skills Les Winner must have when his business is to figure out and deal with the bureaucracies and officials of foreign countries all over the world, especially when it's about guns. Nobody wants to make a mistake with guns and possibly be held responsible for something, so the officials would be extra careful with every comma in the papers, in a lot of countries.

[@andrewpeterson549]

I met both you guys at the last desert brutally wish I could have made it to Finland

[@matthewg.305]

This is a super cool service that is provided and one that is all about negotiating the bureaucracy.

[@matthewg.305]

Super right about aircraft and shipping weapons. Every airline, even every pilot can be different. Fun story: shipping military weapons overseas via commercial aircraft and one pilot straight would not allow the weapons and the pax on board the aircraft because he “ didn’t feel comfortable” even though we had all the right paperwork and host nation government approvals. Luckily, the local gendermare were cool and supported the mission by helping convince the pilot to allow them on board.

[@shawnr771]

Good information.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

Ian taking care of his buddy. Good man.

[@ogloc6308]

Les looks like he’s got some great stories

[@Kydenius]

Ian, more videos about Finnish guns or Finland please!

[@user-ii5im7zm2t]

It makes my heart warm to know that my childhood fantasy of "professional importer/exporter of firearms" is a real, legal and upstanding career option. (An option only for someone cooler than me, but the point still stands.)

[@schaumburgerwaffen]

In Europe, a converted Machine Gun still is considered a Machine Gun. For example, you'll run into major problems if you import, say an AR 15 with a caliber 5.56 Nato or 5.56x45 marking to Europe- but if it is marked caliber .223 Rem, it's totally fine.

[@seppa1019]

Great video, I wont be using this service since I dont live in the US, but if I was, this would be really helpful. Also it was way cheaper than I thought

[@miketenny5201]

This was my first question. Thanks.

[@bestestusername]

Fantastic video, even though I am in Australia its very informative.

[@tomimantyla8236]

I wondered this aswell, knowing that gun laws here in Finland are quite restrictive nowadays. I thought you would just use loaners. Then again, there are plenty of sports events requiring guns, biathlon comes to mind, where there are plenty of international athletes that has to have their own gun with them. Somehow that works, I guess sports organisations have something to do with it?

[@derfurz8618]

European atheltes shouldnt have any problems in the first place. You can apply for a special, but not really expensive licence in the EU that allows you to pretty much travel with a gun without issues, or at least that is what i can do with my hunting permit. With international atheltes i expect the manufacturer of each team to either import the guns themselves each time, becuase it is easier for them, especially if they have european subsidiaries, or to have the guns in question in stock there anyway and loaning it either to the range or the shooter.

[@pingusbror]

@@derfurz8618 I doubt the athletes would enjoy having loaners. At that level of competition they probably have all sorts of personalised stuff on the guns - ergonomics, triggers, etc. Like sure, a stock Glock 17 will shoot when you pull the trigger but it just doesn't compare to the expensive, custom-fitted guns in literally every other regard.

[@derfurz8618]

@@pingusbror I am pretty certain these guns must comply with certain standards and therefore be at least similar to normal production biathlon rifles. Considering that all they can do is set the guns they are sponsored to the correct numbers or transport only the specialized stocks. I doubt they transport with controlled items all the time if they aren't EU citizens traveling in the EU, just taking the stocks would solve that. Edit:looked it up, few rules on the rifles. I still suspect they only transport non controlled items. Triggers for the most part aren't either for example

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

@@derfurz8618 I am absolutely sure that these world-class athletes take their own guns everywhere. Can you imagine how much time it would take to re-assemble a precision rifle with different parts and zero it in before every event? The barrel is usually a controlled part in every country around the world. But if you change the barrel, you basically got a different gun, your hand-picked ammo doesn't work well in that barrel anymore and your groups are suddenly shit. No, absolutely not. We're not talking about plinking big steel plates at 10 yards here, they are basically long-ranging those .22 rifles. Having the right ammo for your barrel (even the right BATCH of ammo) is crucial for success. I am very sure that the IBU has it all figured out and is safely transporting the guns for all their athletes to whatever country they need to go. Just like the ISSF can transport rifles and pistols to whatever country they go to. In case of the ISSF, I know for sure that athletes take their own guns to every country. If they couldn't, they wouldn't even bother going to other countries.

[@GigAnonymous]

@@derfurz8618 Nope, there are essentially no restrictions on the "EU firearm passports", them being: * That the gun is legally own in its country of origin * That it complies with local laws during transport (i.e. "don't be an idiot and carry it unloaded in a locked case") * That you have a legitimate reason to be abroad with your gun (i.e. "don't cross the border just because you can" - hunting, competitions, hell even trade or repairs are a legitimate reason) And that's it. Keep in mind that, as far as the EU is concerned here, Ian is an international athlete, and EU countries tend not to make any distinction between Olympic shooting and, say, IPSC. This means an AR-15 is just as much a sport rifle as a .22LR target pistol.

[@charlesrichardson2372]

Cool video 🤙

[@HaroldLloyd69]

So I shouldn't walk into the airport and yell "I've got a gun!" then?

[@daqpanda]

Nah, just get a small speaker and play the song "I've Got A Gun" by PinkGuy on repeat.

[@kowalski363]

Great video

[@goetzliedtke]

When I was doing red teaming for the US State Department, we shipped the attack disks for our laptops via diplomatic bag. Computer attack tools are considered "arms" within the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by the USA and many other countries have similiar rules. While it's not always a literal bag, containers shipped to diplomats are not subject to customs. However, it's not always reliable - we shipped the attack disks to Belgium via diplomatic bag but they didn't arrive in the bag and we had to reproduce them from open sources.

[@CollinB_EDC]

Awesome info

[@dancing_odie]

this man is doing the lord's work

[@VeraTR909]

You worship a strange lord...

[@keithallardice6139]

Useful, informative, and Les seems like a good guy - anyone Gun Jesus recommends is bound to be at least competent and these guys seem to be right up there. Thanks for sharing as I was wondering how it was done.....

[@jp9094]

Wish he had been around 13 years ago when I was trying to send my pistol from Australia to the US!

[@stitch626aloha]

Ian, just FYI... AMERICAN RIFLEMAN's March 2021 edition has an M1866 Chassepot as their "I Have This Old Gun..." and the Japanese Type 4 as their Historical article... BOTH OF WHICH are previous Forgotten Weapons videos! Then I saw they have an online article about Galilean sniper sights. ohhhh boy.

[@Jrplatt]

Great info

[@Jesses001]

Now where has this fellow been my whole life? I have gone though this process in the past. I have not even thought about importing anything for a long time because it is such a pain in the ass.

[@Ivanovitch2885]

Awesome look into moving guns overseas. I would give anything to have the cash to hire Les and just find out the awesome things I could get my hands on. Since they weren't imported en masse, there are SO many things the American gun market misses out on.

[@GigAnonymous]

You guys imported plenty enough! It's impossible to find a FAMAS in France now :'(

[@davesimmons8640]

Huh!!! Who'd a thunk it was so involved? Ian and Les, that's who!

[@bhoward9378]

Very interesting!

[@shig357]

Finnish Cavalry reenactor here, I'd love to find a M27rv in the states! I've already gotten my hands on an original saddle, now I just need the carbine.

[@TheSpekkel1]

Well don't worry, I have ever seen 3 for sale here in Finland, which one is in my collection, but they are stupidly rare and expensive to get, even here. To be honest, I would rather pay a good gunsmith to make me a replica for reenacting, most of the guns are beaten to death without anyone reenacting with one.

[@shig357]

@@TheSpekkel1 I probably wouldn't use it in reenacting, but I'd love to have 1 in my collection. How much did you pay?

[@TheSpekkel1]

@@shig357 Yes the carbines are really cool, I paid 1600 euro for mine, so a bit over 1900 usd. Usually the price ranges between 1500-2000 euro for the carbines, depending on the condition. Some really worn examples might go for bit less.

[@lilmookie6688]

I always just mailed my homemade guns in pieces thru overnight mail.

[@matthewmorel3758]

Lmao just buy a computer case and put a few handguns in there 😂

[@VeraTR909]

@@matthewmorel3758 Just put them in jars of peanut butter... oh wait, thats for something else nvm.

[@0570965]

Food for thought

[@deividasstankus599]

Cool video, always wondered how hard it could be to export gun from USA to Lithuania, now its clear like 1200$ hard. Thanks!

[@Simon_Nonymous]

I would trust this man with anything simply due to his moustache. Top tip - check curtains/blinds/drapes and unwanted reflections from windows before filming... luckily on this occasion BOTR wasn't stood working the camera in his Y-fronts

[@jamesbaker2958]

There is a publication, the TACT book, that gives nearly all the rules and regulations worldwide. The book will cost about the same as sending the guns through an agent ! As someone who has worked in this area for 25 years take my word for it. Get a decent logistics agent. It is so much easier. One thing though. Not everywhere will have all charges up front. Check with the logistics agent to find out if you will have to pay charges on arrival. Ground handling charges at the destination are a thing.

[@et_5589]

He actually did the video. Now that's listening to community feedback.

[@jongutierrez9116]

Be aware of those connecting flights specifically if you’re going through Amsterdam. A couple of friends went on some safari hunts in Africa and connected through Amsterdam and their rifles were “damaged “....

[@Paelorian]

Was it worth the expense and trouble to get a Finnish M39 Mosin-Nagant rifle and TT-33 Tokarev pistol to Finland and back? Sounds like it might have been less expensive or easier to borrow, rent, or even buy and sell them while in Finland, since I assume they're not rare guns in the country due to their historical local prevalence. I greatly appreciate this video, thank you both for it. I'm sure it will be highly useful for many firearms enthusiasts and will contribute to the import of firearms of historical and sentimental value.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

We sent the WWSD2020 carbine over at the same time, plus Les' guns for the match, so including the Mosin and TT33 were not much extra cost.

[@Treblaine]

Look out Ian! There's a camera right outsi... oh it's a reflection.

[@Mark-es7bn]

Excellent!

[@trooperdgb9722]

Certainly a handy service...of course I do wonder what they charge! I have taken guns from here (Australia) to the US (many times - very simple process really - especially since the Form 6 can be done by email rather than FAX as when i first started travelling to shoot!) ) and to Europe once (IPSC World Shoot) . Again, the process was not difficult as such...for competition use one gets an "invitation Letter" from the organisation running the match and that is the basis for the permit to be issued. Next year will hopefully be Czech republic or Poland...so I may end up eating my words about the "ease" of the process...I sure hope not.... LOL

[@floydseyler7635]

Its about ITAR license and End User Certificates (usually Military)

[@LifeisGood762]

Super easy! Barely an inconvenience!

[@saint-cetacean]

Karl: yes my personal WWSD 2020 rifle Ian, booking a flight to Finland: OUR RIFLE

[@paypal8194]

Ammunition has always been an issue, Being "explosive". A problem if you reload.

[@angrydragonslayer]

Only a minor problem

[@pingusbror]

Smokeless powder is not even a true explosive (maybe that's why you put the quotations?). The only detonation that happens in the ammo comes from the small primer. Smokeless powder is meant to burn very quickly, not detonate.

[@paulmanson253]

@@pingusbror Look,not that you are wrong,but....... Heroin is a narcotic. By definition. Being derived from the original narcotic,opium. Legally,pot is a narcotic. As is LSD . And others. Thus subject to the same legal restrictions. Hemp grows wild on the Niagara Peninsula. Hay bales are sold across the border to the USA . More than one farmer has ended up in US court explaining to some judge just why he allowed narcotics in his hay bales. Takes all the fun and profit out of selling things. Even when the poor guy says look your honor,my family has been dealing with his family since before the War of 1812. No intent to smuggle illicit substances. Both our families have what is left of a ropewalk out behind the barn. Which is why some hemp seeds got away from us. One level of truth is not another level of truth.

[@paypal8194]

@@pingusbror I know. Relative burning rates are in most reloading manuals. But explaining that won't help you get your ammunition on the plane

[@Kameth]

@@pingusbror Unfortunately, that is a level of nuance that customs agents will not be interested in discussing.

[@longriver13]

I was talking to a bloke at the local gun range here in Australia who stated that when he immigrated from the UK back in the early 50's he brought his double-barrel shotgun as checked -in luggage on the airline, no forms, no red tape. When he gets to Australia the custom agent asks to look at his gun, a quick glance inside the gun case, "nice gun" he says, "enjoy your stay in Australia!" How times have changed.

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

An older guy at my range here in Germany told me a similar story. He bought a Winchester lever-action on vacation in the United States in the 70ies. He just took it with him on the plane home and declared it at German customs, done. Have a nice day sir, have fun with your new gun!

[@ozmazone]

What about the ammo? Do you buy that locally at your destination, or do you have to export that as well? And then re-import rounds you haven’t used?

[@damiangrouse4564]

“Rounds you haven’t used”...I would have laughed at you in 2019, now it’s actually relevant.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

I bought it locally in Finland, and left the unused portion with a friend here. Not worth the cost of shipping it home.

[@jonathanenglish9146]

@@ForgottenWeapons Are NFA items such as machineguns, suppressors, and/or SBRs allowed in Finland for FB and are they import/export legal?

[@jukkakopol7355]

@@jonathanenglish9146 Yes. Even mortars and artillery pieces if man have collectors lisence. Suppressors are quite common in hunting or sporting weapons and are consider add ons without any restriction. Many items like 3 gen. night vision scopes were restricted by military but I thing those restrictions are lifted. Import/export are legal but under very heavy bureaucracy. More than 5% of finnish population over 300 000 citizens have valid hunting lisence and many others have had it.

[@upsidefoobarbaz]

@@jonathanenglish9146 Finnish Brutality would probably be classified as a sports event, so I doubt that would qualify a visitor to import a fully automatic weapon. I could be wrong. Gun permits in Finland are always for a specific purpose. In practice semiauto AR type weapons are not uncommon, you'll find them mostly among reservists but hunting would not be sufficient reason to get one. Like Jukka says, even machine guns and such can be owned but only in specific limited cases (collecting, film industry).

[@maxcady645]

Excellent

[@ryanpyatak9909]

Would it be possible to use Polaris logistic to import Rifles like PE 90s into the USA?

[@ryanpyatak9909]

I have a contact in Europe that selling PE 90s and even Radom Sport Rifles from FB Radom ( beryl S rifles )

[@thomaskent3136]

No way man

[@thomaskent3136]

Stop doing that when west Germany fell

[@ryanpyatak9909]

@@thomaskent3136 Yes way my man I mean it I know some people overseas the deal with guns Including an FB random contact

[@ryanpyatak9909]

Correction Radom

[@c.j.1089]

I want to know if it's possible import a deactivated DD like a GP-30. I know some made them into the US via a british importer, but they were determined to not be demilled correctly. So, it seems that it may be possible, but you need to follow ATF deactivation compliance.

[@pablowentscobar]

That guy looks like he's seen some shit. Probably a great dude to have drinks with.

[@yendub]

So, he said it takes months. How far in advance of this trip did you hand over your weapons for the import/export process?

[@stuartclark7488]

I am a big fan of biathlon. I am curious about the athletes and the logistics of travelling with their rifles.

[@lbh002]

What a useful business.

[@Nipplator99999999999]

Thank God I found my Mosin Nagant 1891 before 9/11 and the deployment stand down scrutiny for transportation wasn't too interested in my heavy weight broom that I was taking home...

[@sailplaneFan707]

Sounds fun