Airgun import experiences - via personal baggage route

[snIPer]

Hi Hunter.
Can you please PM me about the spare barrel.
/S/

[Hunter]

Hi Lenny/Sniper,

If its urgent , please get in touch with IFG member Shahid,as he lives in Dubai I think.He can guide you on the tel.nos.,prices and availability of the spare barrels for the Diana.I am sure Al Sayad has plenty in stock.

Take Care//

[mundaire]

Hi,

I just imported an Air Arms TX200HC (.22 cal) and thought I should post my experience here so that it may be of use to others.

Firstly the entire credit of helping me pick up an awesome second hand deal on the gun, scope etc. must go to Mack The Knife & Vikram! The gun was bought second hand on the AirgunBBS ( http://www.airgunbbs.com/forums/ ) on Mack The Knife's advice and Vikram was kind enough to put in the bid on my behalf, make the payment and take delivery. Thank you guys!

The gun cost 170 GBP and came with a padded gun slip and a pre-mounted 4x32 Bushmaster scope. Rusty and Vikram later helped me also pick up a Deben Hawke Varmint 2.5-10x46 scope and mounts from AirgunBBS as well.

Condition of the gun is excellent (pictures to follow) except for some slight blemishes on the bluing around the front of the barrel and it shoots like a dream The scope that came with the gun is also in good working order but the paint is a little worn out and it looks well used. The Hawke scope looks brand new!

Now to the part of getting the goodies back home -

1) I disassembled the gun (removed stock from action) and packed the gun+stock in my suitcase. I'd made sure I carried with me a "hard case" suitcase (with 3 locks) for the purpose - based on the posts of members who have previously posted their experiences here.

2) I also called up & mailed the airline (Virgin) to make sure that I could carry the gun back with me and if there were any additional formalities to take care of. I was told as long as I was legally entitled to possess the gun in the country of departure and the country of destination AND the gun was "checked in" in a secure lockable hard case it would not be a problem. For future reference the correct dept. to contact at the airline is the "Dangerous goods department". Furthermore I asked them if I could carry as part of cabin (hand) luggage a telescope and/ or a pair of binocs - which again they said was OK.

3) At Heathrow the suitcase was checked in without any hassle and then I went in for security check. After waiting for 40 minutes (in queue) my turn comes up AND all hell breaks loose! The security personnel very politely ask me if that is indeed my handbag, upon being told yes - I'm asked if I have packed it myself, has anyone else had access to it after I packed it etc. etc. Then I am asked what it contains - and I tell them - a laptop computer, a telescope, a pair of binocs etc. And I ask if there is any problem? Well apparently it turns out that they are OK with binocs and "Normal" telescopes BUT a "rifle scope" is a NO GO! So I rush back to the airline counter, buy some locks from the excess luggage counter (a complete rip off joint if you ask me ) and end up checking in the bag (after I have bubble wrapped it all as much as possible). The next 7-8 hours are spent imagining baggage handlers throwing about the bag and wincing at the thought each time! BOTTOM LINE - DO NOT ATTEMPT to carry back a rifle scope as hand baggage, just pack it well and check it in with the other baggage.

4) Arrive at Delhi - since the gun is second hand and my total baggage (value) limit is within the permissible duty free allowance for Indians returning from overseas I walk through the green channel and as soon as I get back hurriedly open my bags to check if everything is in one piece! Thankfully everything is as it should be and I breathe a sigh of relief which quickly turns into a grin when I realise that I have successfully gotten back a lovely piece of kit (with minimum hassle)!

Pl. NOTE - DO NOT MOUNT the scope on the gun if carrying both back with you. A scope if presented with a gun (mounted or unmounted) is treated as a restricted item. But if you present the items separately it is treated as a plain 'ol telescope/ binoc etc.

Asif & Dev have shot the gun and they were doing sub-dime sized groups (forearm rested) at 10m and some pretty wicked groups off hand as well...

Hope this post is helpful to others and that we will see more & more members here import their own airguns in the future!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[hamiclar01]

well done abhijeet!! and may i say welcome to the small (but increasing, by the looks of it) AA family!

thanks for the post. i was planning to slip my scope in my handbag as well, but will think otherwise now!

anand

[mundaire]

Thank you Anand - glad you found he post useful

Seems like you are planning on getting back the AA ProSport to Delhi? Me want to shoot it!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[penpusher]

Congratulations Abhijeet.Do post pictures when you can.

penpusher

[hamiclar01]

Seems like you are planning on getting back the AA ProSport to Delhi?

you guessed it .Now that we're veeery slowly starting to wind up our boriya bistar, i'm going into the one-trip-one-gun mode. And of course you're welcome to shoot it buddy, when i turn up in November!

[Hunter]

Congrats Abijeet...........U.K here we come!

[Mack The Knife]

At Heathrow the suitcase was checked in without any hassle and then I went in for security check. After waiting for 40 minutes (in queue) my turn comes up AND all hell breaks loose! The security personnel very politely ask me if that is indeed my handbag, upon being told yes - I'm asked if I have packed it myself, has anyone else had access to it after I packed it etc. etc. Then I am asked what it contains - and I tell them - a laptop computer, a telescope, a pair of binocs etc. And I ask if there is any problem? Well apparently it turns out that they are OK with binocs and "Normal" telescopes BUT a "rifle scope" is a NO GO! So I rush back to the airline counter, buy some locks from the excess luggage counter (a complete rip off joint if you ask me ) and end up checking in the bag (after I have bubble wrapped it all as much as possible). The next 7-8 hours are spent imagining baggage handlers throwing about the bag and wincing at the thought each time! BOTTOM LINE - DO NOT ATTEMPT to carry back a rifle scope as hand baggage, just pack it well and check it in with the other baggage.

I just love telling people, "I told you so" and "serves you right for not heeding my advice". We had discussed this in the very early stages but I think you forgot about it. Yes, I had brought back a scope as hand-baggage but that was in 1995 but did caution you against doing so now.

4) Arrive at Delhi - since the gun is second hand and my total baggage (value) limit is within the permissible duty free allowance for Indians returning from overseas I walk through the green channel

Don't forget to tell them about the booze!

[Mack The Knife]

well done abhijeet!! and may i say welcome to the small (but increasing, by the looks of it) AA family!

Add a spanking new AA S400 to the list as well. No, it's not mine so no need to turn a belious shade of green. It belongs to a friend of mine in Bangalore who imported it from B.A.R.. I think he is a member here but I haven't seen him post as yet.

Mack The Knife

[Ranjeet Singh]

Hi Abhijeet,

congratulations...I know how you must felt all through the flight...

And about the Scope, I guess, sometime before I had posted that i had to go through a similar experience because of the scope in the carry on baggage..

none the less..Congratulations again..pics please

Cheers
Ranjeet

[hamiclar01]

It belongs to a friend of mine in Bangalore who imported it from B.A.R..
Mack The Knife

this is interesting. how does he charge it? foot pump? i'm tempted

[Mack The Knife]

One of those Hill / FX hand pumps.

Get one pcp back as well.

Mack The Knife

[eljefe]

Hey Guys, after years of pottering about with various airguns, am a convert.This is one serious airgun and I love its centerfire looks and heft...as long as I did my job, the rifle effortlessly grouped like magic-I think I have a few action snaps at the range and Abhijeet must be having a couple of decent groups-
Mack The Knife, Firing an air gun after nearly 10 years...but what thrill. Best B'day gift i had in a Looong time- time at the range with some buddies!
Thanks Guys

[mundaire]

Not very good pictures, but here they come...