European target rifle gun traders

[RobinC]

Lee
The problem is not finding a supplier, but finding an importer, or at least one who does not want to take a big cut, but in fairness to them they are business's.
With air rifles its simple, Germany has no certification requirement and neither does the UK, there is no tax issue with in the EU, its simply a matter of meeting the transit requirements which are getting more complex but nothing really bad. I know people who have used Buinger, no problems, if he can export .22rf, known there as klein Kaliber, KK. you then need to find some one to import it, and they will not be a charity.

You are talking fire arms and that is a different matter. Mine were full bore target rifles not generaly imported, I dealt with all the financial aspect direct with the supplier, and I was very lucky in having a friend who is an RFD/importer, I speak German and also did all the import aspect on his behalf with the supplier so he had no cost other than to open the boxes, enter onto his books and add to my certificate. I did it not to save on the cost (although it did, but not that much) but to keep control of what specification I ordered by dealing direct with a manufacturer. The next one I buy will be a smallbore, but if it was a catalogue model I'd certainly buy it through the UK importer for simplicity, its not and it will be in a stock from a different manufacturer, the one that supplied our full bores. So I will deal with all the specification with him, he will buy the barreled action from the smallbore manufacturer, build it into a rifle, and supply to my friend in the UK and then onto my FAC.
I'm doing it to get what we want , not to save money, but with a lot more hassle.

Germany's fire arms system is now at least if not more complex than here, certainly stricter, the requirements to obtain a German FAC are actually much stricter than here, and the supplier can only supply if the purchaser has that, a UK FAC is not recognised out side the UK, the exception for the supplier is if they are allowed to export then they can supply to an RFD/importer in the recieving country. That importer can then supply to a UK purchaser as long as they have permission to purchase on their UK FAC. The UK FAC is not valid in Germany, I can not buy direct there even if I have permission to buy in the UK.
To travel with firearms in the EU I have a European Firearms Pass (EFP), that is issued by my UK police authority and mirrors my FAC, BUT, it does not allow me to purchase in the EU, only to carry my own guns, such as to events, in the EU the UK FAC has no validity in Germany and the EFP has none in the UK even though issued by them!!!!
The transport of Firearms in Germany is very strictly regulated, when we travel over there we must have our guns in secure locked cases, and the bolts in separate secure locked cases, this is German law and also applies to dealers transporting guns, so the couriers are very expensive, one gun equals two packages, air freight is both expensive and even more restricted, and shipping freight is subject to shipping regs which add even more restrictions which for the courier equals cost, yes the cost there is less but the carriage is very high.

If you wish to do it you need to find a dealer who has authority to import and who is prepared to recieve what ever deal you do with a supplier on his import permit and at what ever margin he wishes to take, its possible, but my advice on a smallbore is take the cost, and order through a UK importer, they take a margin which has a room to give discount, negotiate that, its easier.

The only problem you may find, is you need to be sure what specification you want, benchrest or supported shooting is big in the EU and is known as Seniors (because its a discipline for older shooters) but the general specification in German is "Auflage" and you will see rifles specifically for that event from all the manufacturers. But UK benchrest is different to European Auflage, so research carefully, but a normal Uk prone small bore is not much different.

Good Shooting
Robin