Egun

[Garvin]

I think shipments of large parcels from German all come by road/rail. The DHL ban either doesn't apply to commercial account holders (ie. dealers) or is poorly policed, apparently, because airguns still seem to get through, long after the ban was imposed. Dealers on eGun that I've seen have no problem shipping to the UK - or at least they are offering to sell abroad.

[RobinC]

The problem of shipping to the uk is due to the requirement of either being flown or carried on a ship. Rarely are they flown but it is still an issue on a ship. Under the shipping acts it is a requirement that any one including a comercial haulier must inform the ship or shipping company of what they are carrying. Guns, air or FAC are restricted on ships, and the shipping company may (note, may) or may not chose to impose security arrangements during the crossing, the greater majority of the time they don't, BUT, they don't like not being told.

I travel regularly with guns and it is a reasonable arrangement, I tell then what I have by email in advance, they tell the ship and also notify the customs or security at the arriving end should they wish to check, and very rarely do they check. The guns are secure in my car and I think on a couple of occasions I have been requested to park in what they term a secure area on the ship which is usualy just with the trucks, the greater majority of the time they do no more than wave us onto the ship.

Now DHL and any other shipper has the same responsibility in law to notify the shipping company. If they are carrying for a dealer of manufacturer they will know what they are carrying and notify the ship and they will have charged accordingly. The ship will do the same as they do for us, they have the opportunity to make security provisons if they wish, or more likely not, and the incoming customs will be notified so they can check or not.
The problems came when more guns were being shipped to the UK, and these were not being notified to the carrier as guns, on occasions carriers were checked by security prior to boarding the ship and undeclared guns were discovered, the carriers got their wrists slapped and in some cases fined under breaches of the shipping act or the shipping companies regulations. If they are declared the carrier has a longer delay on the document checking so may be held and miss the first ship, they may have restriction when on the ship and will possibly be liable to customs scrutiny on arrival and this is on a general load that they wish to be roll on roll off with the minimum delay, their parcel charging rates are based on fast on fast off. So they made the decisions to either not accept any guns or to charge more.

So now DHL and several other carriers will not knowingly carry any guns on ships as general freight, if they are sent as "sports equipment" or other euphanisms, if discovered they will not be amused, if discovered by customs, they may assume that its not being sent as general parcel to get cheap carriage but there may be some deeper reason so it also stands the chance of being delayed in customs.
There are carriers who will carry guns, not sure which now as its always changing but DPD did, they charge more and follow the correct security procedures on the ship. I believe DHL will also carry guns for some preferential customers, probably only manufacturers
There is no legal reason why EU legal air guns can not be brought into the UK duty and restriction free, customs free, the restriction is on the ship (and aircraft if they are used) regulations.
So to be sure your goods will arrive you need to know that the sender has sent it by a carrier who is notified of its contents and who knows what he is carrying and then you know it is more likely to arrive in a timely manner, but it will cost you more. Or it can be sent un notified, or as a hockey stick, and it will probably slip through, or it may be delayed, or at worse returned to sender.
Good game this!