Should we import any scope for air rifle ?

[SRK]

Hi,

do anybody has any idea or experience of importing a airgun telescope ?
is it legal to import a telescope ?



regards

[AnandNair]

Rife scope is a 'Restricted' item and not illegal to import.

[Basu]

Dear Anandnair,
Is there any Govt. circular , declaring scope as restricted item ??

Basu

[brihacharan]

37-year-old held for illegally importing rifle scopes in Mumbai
Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - 2:13am IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA
Dayanand Kamath
www.dnaindia.com

Defence lawyers Sujay Kantawala and Ravi Hirani maintained that the said consignment was mistakenly brought to India from China and that their client had collected the consignment by mistake.

On Monday, the preventive wing of Customs arrested an importer for allegedly attempting to smuggle 100 rifle scopes into India from China, by falsely declaring them as “Telescopes (Binoculars)”. Rifle scopes is an item that is banned under the Foreign Trade policy.
“Suleman Mahida, 37, is younger brother of Abdul Kader who is the proprietor of M/s Mahida Impex and an importer of cutlery and gift items in South Mumbai.

We arrested and seized the consignment of rifle scopes from the former,” said a Customs officer. Suleman was remanded to judicial custody till October 21 by the local court, he added.

During interrogation, Suleman revealed that he was handling the entire business operation, including handling the imports of M/s Mahida Impex, since Abdul has been suffering from panic disorder (a psychiatric condition) for the past five to six years.
Defence lawyers Sujay Kantawala and Ravi Hirani maintained that the said consignment was mistakenly brought to India from China and that their client had collected the consignment by mistake. “We are therefore praying for his bail,” they said.

Customs officers informed that the rifle scopes were imported from a firm termed Yiwu Wangxueyuan Import & Export Co. Ltd., China and that the packing list mentioned the items as telescopes which was not the case. These rifle scopes are meant for mounting rifles so that the target can be more accurately attacked.

Officials say that the entry of these dreaded equipment may endanger the country’s security, if they fall in the wrong hands such as anti-national elements, for example. They also point-out that the importer has not produced any licence or authorisation from DGFT for import of these items.

Bombay

Briha

[bennedose]

Officials say that the entry of these dreaded equipment may endanger the country’s security, if they fall in the wrong hands such as anti-national elements, for example. They also point-out that the importer has not produced any licence or authorisation from DGFT for import of these items.

True - scopes are very very dangerous as weapons. Imagine a group of terrorists carrying scopes - using them to sight people from a distance and then going up close and beating people with the scope? What a deadly massacre that would be. No need for guns. You only need to be hit once on the head with a scope to know how effective scopes are in undermining national security.

[xl_target]

Officials say that the entry of these dreaded equipment may endanger the country’s security, if they fall in the wrong hands such as anti-national elements, for example. They also point-out that the importer has not produced any licence or authorisation from DGFT for import of these items.

True - scopes are very very dangerous as weapons. Imagine a group of terrorists carrying scopes - using them to sight people from a distance and then going up close and beating people with the scope? What a deadly massacre that would be. No need for guns. You only need to be hit once on the head with a scope to know how effective scopes are in undermining national security.

[Lucky Luke]

There have been quite a few instances of Customs allowing the scope through as along as it was mounted onto the gun being imported.

The ideal way to get a scope is to ask someone to carry it for you while coming to India. The officials here usually allow it through as long as you don't bring a bunch of them. In my experience it is the Customs officials in the US who did multiple checkings and asked clarifications. Their Indian counterparts were not too bothered.

If I remember correctly, as per US regulations no scope above 4 X can be exported. Do get onto the site of a scope manufacturer to verify this point.

[AnandNair]

If I remember correctly, as per US regulations no scope above 4 X can be exported. Do get onto the site of a scope manufacturer to verify this point.

I Think...
the UK stipulates 4x restriction. No restriction on magnification for export from US. However the US Export administration does not allow export of items termed as firearms accessories. If the item is not military grade, then the exporter can export the item after obtaning export permission from the US govt which involves documentation and time. The main reason for many sites not exporting scopes outside US is because of this as no online dealer wants to go thru redtape.

[AnandNair]

Copied off the Internet
From the US State Department
OFFICIAL NOTICE OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT

MARCH 4, 2004

We have received the Commodity Jurisdiction determination for the mil dot reticle and the riflescopes that have a mil dot reticle.

The State Department has ruled that mil dot reticle or riflescopes with a mil dot reticle are not subject to the licensing jurisdiction of the Department of State, if the item is specifically designed for commercial applications or used without modification/adaptation for military applications.

The mil dot reticle and riflescopes that have a mil dot reticle are subject to the licensing jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce. In accordance with the Export Administration Regulations, issued by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), riflescopes (ECCN 0A987) including any applicable parts or accessories are controlled for crime control and the firearms convention treaty. Riflescopes must have an export license prior to exiting the <ST1:COUNTRY-REGIoN w:st="on">U.S.A.</ST1:COUNTRY-REGIoN> to most countries. The Commerce Country Chart located in the Export Administration Regulations, Supplement 1 to Part 738 is a comprehensive list of the countries for which an export license is required. The latest issue to date of the Commerce Country Chart is attached for your reference. For future updates refer to the homepage of the Bureau of Industry and Security at www.bis.doc.gov. Once at the homepage click on policies and regulations, then export administration regulations (EAR), then EAR website, then EAR database, go to Supplement 1 to Part 738 for the listing.

A State Department license is required prior to shipment to any customer in any country, if the mil dot reticle or riflescopes with mil dot reticle are specifically designed, developed, configured, adapted or modified for use on United States Munitions List (USML) controlled items. Controlled items are subject to the licensing jurisdiction of the Department of State in accordance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 CFR 120 through 130).


If the scope is built to military specification for use by the military it is governed by the U.S. State Department. The actual restrictions are spelled out in detail under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), more specifically under The United States Munitions List Part 121.1, 22 CFR Ch. 1, f. Riflescopes and sighting devices that are not manufactured to military specifications qualify as "commercial items and are governed by the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
U.S. State Department International Trade Administration Regulations (ITAR)
http://www.pmdtc.org/consolidated_itar.htm
http://www.pmdtc.org/reference.htm
Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls

[essdee1972]

It was probably the quantity (100 nos.) which triggered off the reaction. The rest of the article is the usual hyperventilation of the majorly anti-gun media.

[brihacharan]

Officials say that the entry of these dreaded equipment may endanger the country’s security, if they fall in the wrong hands such as anti-national elements, for example. They also point-out that the importer has not produced any licence or authorisation from DGFT for import of these items.

True - scopes are very very dangerous as weapons. Imagine a group of terrorists carrying scopes - using them to sight people from a distance and then going up close and beating people with the scope? What a deadly massacre that would be. No need for guns. You only need to be hit once on the head with a scope to know how effective scopes are in undermining national security.

This only goes to show how well informed the 'authorities' are about scopes
One more thought - Imagine with a 'Variable Scope' the assaulter can vary the intensity of the blow
Thanks bennedose for a good laugh
Briha

[bennedose]

It was probably the quantity (100 nos.) which triggered off the reaction. The rest of the article is the usual hyperventilation of the majorly anti-gun media.

Actually it's not the media - it is the customs officials who are spouting pompuos crap uggesting that they are protecting national security by stopping the import of scopes. Here is what the report says

Customs officers informed that the rifle scopes were imported from a firm termed Yiwu Wangxueyuan Import & Export Co. Ltd., China and that the packing list mentioned the items as telescopes which was not the case. These rifle scopes are meant for mounting rifles so that the target can be more accurately attacked.

Officials say that the entry of these dreaded equipment may endanger the country’s security, if they fall in the wrong hands such as anti-national elements, for example.

Somehow the news item suggestes to me that the problem was not the scopes themselves but lack of bribe, which made the officials say that the wording "telscope" should not be used for 'rifle scope". I am certain that if palms had been greased the customs offcier would hav gladly relased this consignment and claimed that national security has been made stronger because law enforceent will now have scopes.

By the compltely idiotic logic used - a shipment of fancy sheaths for knives or knife handles could also be called a national security risk. In fact brass metl should not be imported because it can be used for shell casings for bullets and that will endanger national security. This is "Ulloo banaoing" at its best

[5.6mm]

I have a Savage Model 95 air rifle capable of shooting .22 pellets at 800 fps. I need a scope for it. I tried importing a 3-9x40 scope from Amazon but it didn't work. Can someone recommend me a local made scope of the same configuration please?

[AnandNair]

About 2 weeks before this thread was made, i had tried to import a scope (UTG 30mm SWAT 3-12X44 F.S. IE Scope with AO Mil-dot, 36 Colors EZ-TAP) for my new Precihole Scorpious and was unsuccessful as neither Optics planet or PyramydAir was ready to ship. So i went ahead and ordered a "original" AR312X44 Air Rifle Scope from AliExpress. It arrived today, taking 14 days to reach me via Singapore Post Air Mail, including the 10 days taken by the Indian Foreign Post office to clear it.
The Package was clearly marked 'Rifle Scope' and the customs had opened the package and in the Duty Chalan had mentioned 'BSA Essential Rifle Scope' and charged Rs.1680/- as duty.
Why i am posting this is to clarify that a single Rifle scope import is not stopped. The customs decided that the scope cannot be used to beat any one to death and I am not a threat to national security.
As for the scope.. I am very happy, the 44mm Objective combined with the 43mm eyepiece makes the scope very bright and clear. Actually the optics is clearer than my Original Centerpoint 40mm scope even at the full 12x magnification. Fixed it on my Scorpious, took 6 rounds to zero, shot 50 pellets to check if the zero holds (it holds. will have to check after a few hundred more shots).
The Weaver rail and ring not part of the scope.

[ebenezer]

Looks great! Congrats Anand. How does the rifle shoot? Os the trigger smooth?

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