[PapaHuntz]

Hi -
New to the forum and am hoping to be able to draw on some collective knowledge to help answer my question. My grandfather, who lives in Germany, wants to give me his three firearms (a rifle, a shotgun and a revolver). I've done some research as to what this would entail, but I have to say that I am stumped. It appears that I need to fill out an ATF F 6 Part 1 Form, but that's where my findings end. Presumably I would not be able to carry the guns over here but would need to have them shipped to an FFL dealer? Are there any FFL dealers around here familiar with the procedures for importing weapons from Germany? Better yet, does anyone know what needs to be done on the German side to make it legit?
Thank you all for any insight you can provide!

[c3shooter]

Papa- I am going to suggest that IF you really want those guns here, you contact a fireams importer. It will probably cost you a couple of hundred per gun. The guns will have to be marked with the name and address of the importer (stamping). Importer is a separate FFL class from dealer. You will also want to be sure those are firearms that CAN be imported into the US. Is it possible to handle paperwork on your own? Yes. Is it complex, time consuming, and expensive? Yes. If you cannot locate a firearms importer, let me know, will do some digging thru my notes- have a friend that just exported an Aussie Lee Enfield as a gift to the military museum in Australia.

[danf_fl]

The ATF fm 6 has to be submitted to the ATF. Upon receipt, you should be able to go to Germany and pickup the guns. Normal airline procedures apply when transporting them back.
At Customs, you will have to show approval from the ATF that you can bring the firearms into the states.
Almost every GI returning from Germany has to do the same.

[PapaHuntz]

C3 - thank you! That's exactly the route I wound up going. Worth the price, IMO.
Danf - appreciate the reply!

[Victor61]

Which method did you use?I have an aunt , also in Germany, who wants to give me my uncle's collection. I know about the atf form 6 but not sure on all the shipping and what my aunt needs to do to transfer ownership to me. Would appreciate any help. I am heading over to Germany next summer so I can bring the collection home with me, if that's allowed. The collection consists of 11 assorted handguns, 3 rifles and 1 shotgun.

I do have a local gun dealer who will accept shipment but he's never done this so the legwork is still up to me.

[danf_fl]

Originally Posted by Victor61

Which method did you use?I have an aunt , also in Germany, who wants to give me my uncle's collection. I know about the atf form 6 but not sure on all the shipping and what my aunt needs to do to transfer ownership to me. Would appreciate any help. I am heading over to Germany next summer so I can bring the collection home with me, if that's allowed. The collection consists of 11 assorted handguns, 3 rifles and 1 shotgun.

I do have a local gun dealer who will accept shipment but he's never done this so the legwork is still up to me.

You will need the form completed prior to bringing the firearms back to the US. Get the info, complete the form and send it to the ATF. Your relatives in Germany will have to do their part once you have possession and the approved form(s) back from the ATF.

Sometimes, a collection is worth the extra weight costs for the airline.

[PapaHuntz]

Originally Posted by Victor61

Which method did you use?I have an aunt , also in Germany, who wants to give me my uncle's collection. I know about the atf form 6 but not sure on all the shipping and what my aunt needs to do to transfer ownership to me. Would appreciate any help. I am heading over to Germany next summer so I can bring the collection home with me, if that's allowed. The collection consists of 11 assorted handguns, 3 rifles and 1 shotgun.

I do have a local gun dealer who will accept shipment but he's never done this so the legwork is still up to me.

I wound up going through a company here in Illinois who specializes in firearms imports. They're called Simpson LTD, out of Galesburg (Google them and you will find them). Ask for Rich Junk and he will help you out. They took care of the ATF paperwork/approval for me and will also take care of the customs/FFL stuff. Once you receive the approval from the ATF, you will need to get the German export approval. In order to do so, complete German form AG/E1. Unfortunately, this form is only available as a hard copy form in Germany, via any local "Industrie und Handelskammer". Your German relatives should be able to procure this for you. Once you have both forms completed and approved, you can ship the weapons. Again, I would highly recommend dealing with a company who does this sort of stuff for a living.
One additional caveat: The ATF denied my request for importing the handgun that was part of the inheritance. Barrel length needs to be a minimum of 3.5 inches.
Also, companies like Simpson LTD don't do these things for you out of the kindness of their hearts - you will need to pay them. Usually several hundred for the ATF application and then any customs/tax/import/shipping fees. This can get pricey.
My 2c. HTH.