Importing Cartridge Pens to US

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rd_ab_penman

rd_ab_penman

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Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
Could anyone tell me if there are any Import Restrictions or Probations with respect to importing completed Rifle Cartridge pens into the US?

Are there any Import Restrictions or Probations with respect to unprimed Cartridges that are drilled out to 7mm and bullets that have been drilled out for nibs?

Thanks for all your help.

Les
 
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A pen is a pen, my friend, and the US Customs people, if they even see it, will be able to see it's a pen.

Novelties like that are imported and/or carried across all the time.

Cheers!

Gary
 
But let one Customs Agent (who didn't get any last night) decide he is pissed off about it. He can dig through all the maze of restrictions and find something to file charges about. It makes them feel like important people for making a bust. Then you got the Feds to deal with and as badly broken as our Court System is, you get an overjealous Fed Prosecuter to takes up the cause to get his name in the papers with Fed press released that are basically dressed up little 1/2 truths and the bottomless pockets of the Feds and you can not win....you will be punished.

Trust me.....Over 75 flowers mis-named on a customs document from Peru, I went to a Fed Pen for 17 months. I wasted over $100,000 fighting them and ran out of money. For a promise from the Prosecution of just probation, I plead guilty and the Judge gave me 17 month with 2 years probation. The prosecuter just laffed and said..."I told you I was gonna get you, and I did."

Maybe I am paranoid now but I would not import anything questionable. I had been importing these same flowers for over 20 years but if they want to make a case, they will lie and destroy documents and do anything else and get you. Look what they did to Tommy Chong about making glass bongs. He got 9 months and served it all. It wasn't about the bongs, it was the way he had belittled the police in their war on drugs and they were getting back at him. They waited until they had a crack and then they got him.

Be careful!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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OW has been there and done that. You would be dealing with low paid, low level people who get paid to 'discover' hazardous objects in luggage. Why risk it. My travel suitcase is camoflage, it gets searched everytime. I can only surmise that the thinking is if it's camoflage it belongs to some militant terrorist. Put yer pens in a box and mail, why take the chance?
 
I think we're assuming that a "search" will take place and that these pens will be "discovered."

I'm suggesting that they be declared right up front as what they are: Novelty pens. An empty casing that has been drilled out, glued, stuffed with whatever, and made into a pen is no more a "weapon" or "ammunition" than is a table lighter in the shape of a cannon.

I travel a lot to practice traditional Japanese martial arts and have never had a problem with US customs. I tell 'em that my rifle case is full of sharp pointy things (swords) and they're usually curious and want to look/touch, but there's never been problem - even in Texas ;)

At any rate, I could be wrong (usually am!), but I can't possibly see a problem taking "novely pens" across the border - assuming that they're declared up-front.

Cheers!

Gary
 
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Rifleman1776 said:
OW has been there and done that. You would be dealing with low paid, low level people who get paid to 'discover' hazardous objects in luggage. Why risk it. My travel suitcase is camoflage, it gets searched everytime. I can only surmise that the thinking is if it's camoflage it belongs to some militant terrorist. Put yer pens in a box and mail, why take the chance?
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You guys obviously don't know any customs officials... they are NOT low paid... I don't know what GSA level most inspection officials are now, but when I was in the business 10-15 years ago, customs officers were extremely well paid and if you ever reached a point where you needed an overtime or late night clearance.. if it fell anywhere between 11 and 12 pm at night, it always went into "overtime" after midnight and the officer got paid for 4 hours to sign his name at 12:01. Most of them get off on being A--holes just because they have more power than any other police force in the nation... they can make your life miserable just because they don't like the color of your shirt or tie... I knew a couple of inspectors that actually bragged about how they treated people... just because they could and get away with it.... Customs officers are the only police force that can search your home without a warrant.
 
Dose anyone know what the specific regulations are?
I have looked on the US Customs and Border Protective Services Wed Site and can't find anything that deals with Components of Ammunition or Inert Ammunition.

Thanks

Les
 
rd_ab_penman said:
Dose anyone know what the specific regulations are?
I have looked on the US Customs and Border Protective Services Wed Site and can't find anything that deals with Components of Ammunition or Inert Ammunition.

Thanks

Les
Click to expand...

You would need someone who has access to a TUSAS to give a specific answer to this question, but if you are bringing in completed pen, not components, they would fall under the same heading as any other type of writing instrument, pen, ballpoint or fountainpen.. components would be broken out under another category under the main heading for writing instruments... do the pens have the regular nibs installed or are you using a drilled out bullet for a nib.... either way, if you are up front with the customs people and show them that it is a pen, you should have no problems.

The real problem may be with the TSA people... they aren't required to be as bright as the customs people.... even they shouldn't have any problem if you show that it is infact a pen..... even if you have to pull the cap off and show them the refil and how it's assembled.
 
You can import LIVE ammunition for shows, etc., with a permit.

You can import/send INERT ammunition, even in the mail, as long as it's clearly marked inert.

You can bring NOVELTY PENS in because they're just pens.

Instead of asking us, though, why don't you check with these guys:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/home.xml

http://www.atf.gov/

Methinks that'll be the only way to get the straight goods (as it were....)

Cheers!

Gary
 
Want to test these theories. Go to Mexico and cross back into the US and tell them you have an orange. Then stand back and watch them go berserk.........

I think they would rather catch a little old lady with an avacado in her purse than a drug dealer with a bag of coke.

These people may be well paid but it don't make them smart. We had guards in prison who made close to $100,000/yr who were high school drop outs with little education and no smarts just a sadistic streak and liked to intimidate people. They rarely messed with a bad guy who might be dangerous but they enjoyed picking on old men, little guys and especially the hispanic inmates who didn't speak much English.
 
ozmandus said:
You guys obviously don't know any customs officials... they are NOT low paid... I don't know what GSA level most inspection officials are now, but when I was in the business 10-15 years ago, customs officers were extremely well paid and if you ever reached a point where you needed an overtime or late night clearance.. if it fell anywhere between 11 and 12 pm at night, it always went into "overtime" after midnight and the officer got paid for 4 hours to sign his name at 12:01. Most of them get off on being A--holes just because they have more power than any other police force in the nation... they can make your life miserable just because they don't like the color of your shirt or tie... I knew a couple of inspectors that actually bragged about how they treated people... just because they could and get away with it.... Customs officers are the only police force that can search your home without a warrant.
Click to expand...

Chuck Fish and Game are the same way they don't need no stinkin warrant. DAMHIKT, and were they disappointed.
 
We had guards in prison who made close to $100,000/yr
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Man I wish I worked at that prison. I'm lucky to make $40,000 at my prison and that's working all the overtime I can get.

(And that's with two college degrees!)
 
There is no problem that I see as I have sent/recieved casings before. (Post office lady even admired one complete pen I was sending to Aus.. she said there were no problems as long as it was unusable and not a live bullet)

I think drilling a hole through the center would make it unusable (PLUS.. you can order the brass cross border with no problems as its not loaded and considered scrap metal)

You can buy the bullet keychains and bullet belts online and they all ship cross border..
 
Y'all are probably right, there wouldn't be any problem.

In the past I have had plants (with permits) confiscated and I brought back a couple of Cocobolo boards (actually flooring) from Costa Rica and they took them away. I used to work with some Indians in the state of Chiapas, Mexico and they had a ragged old 22 rifle that they used to collect food (monkeys, armadillos and small game like rabbits). When they were out of bullets, they used blowguns and bows & arrows which were not very productive. Twice I carried a small box of shells down there. One time I explained what they were for and was allowed to take them. Another time I was read the riot act and they were taken away. There is no consistancy, it just depends on the idiot in charge.

I wouldn't get a lot of money involved in case it goes bad. Try a small order first and see.

Good luck
 
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OldWrangler said:
Want to test these theories. Go to Mexico and cross back into the US and tell them you have an orange. Then stand back and watch them go berserk.........
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Unfortunately you may be right about the produce, but that's usually department of agriculture, not customs.... customs will stop the shipment, but will turn it over to Agriculture... another fun group to work with in the import/export industry.
 
mywoodshopca said:
There is no problem that I see as I have sent/recieved casings before. (Post office lady even admired one complete pen I was sending to Aus.. she said there were no problems as long as it was unusable and not a live bullet)
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I surprised that it got to Australia... their customs people are pretty strict... I know in a pen/blank swap, the Aussie recipient of the swap, said he couldn't accept deer horn/antler, cartridges and certain woods...
When I was still working when we shipped crates to Australia, they were always fumigated for 24 hours and a certificate issued before we could release them to go and if there was any bark on any of the lumber, it never crossed the docks into Australia.
 
ozmandus said:
I surprised that it got to Australia... their customs people are pretty strict... I know in a pen/blank swap, the Aussie recipient of the swap, said he couldn't accept deer horn/antler, cartridges and certain woods...
When I was still working when we shipped crates to Australia, they were always fumigated for 24 hours and a certificate issued before we could release them to go and if there was any bark on any of the lumber, it never crossed the docks into Australia.
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Strange.. Just sent another to Aus and no problem. Sent a keychain to another person there with no problem as well.. (eucalyptus burl bullet and maple keychain)

Sent a bullet pen to the states, took about 8 days, to Aus, it was there in 5 days lol
 
OldWrangler said:
Want to test these theories. Go to Mexico and cross back into the US and tell them you have an orange. Then stand back and watch them go berserk........
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Well, there are laws about bringing produce over the border.

OldWrangler said:
Y'all are probably right, there wouldn't be any problem.

In the past I have had plants (with permits) confiscated and I brought back a couple of Cocobolo boards (actually flooring) from Costa Rica and they took them away. I used to work with some Indians in the state of Chiapas, Mexico and they had a ragged old 22 rifle that they used to collect food (monkeys, armadillos and small game like rabbits). When they were out of bullets, they used blowguns and bows & arrows which were not very productive. Twice I carried a small box of shells down there. One time I explained what they were for and was allowed to take them. Another time I was read the riot act and they were taken away. ...
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They are looking very closely at live ammo and guns going across the border because of the ugliness that has been going on. It should be no surprise that they might not buy your story and let you take live ammo across.
 
I got a buddy who has a son stationed in Iraq. We sent his whole heliocopter crew (about 90 of them) rifle casing pens and had absolutely no trouble going over..BUT..just got an email from Dad TODAY that Charlie (son) said the customs folks were yanking all of the rifle pens out of their bags.(completed their tour and coming home..Thank God.). Now gotta start all over I guess..The soldiers that had them in their uniform pockets had no trouble at all... Lousy Civil Servants...
 
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