German Firearm Laws

Is anyone in Germany able to PM me to discuss current German Firearm laws for component parts please?

Thanks

We have several members in Germany...try Patrick Chadwick for starters... https://www.milsurps.com/member.php?u=3778

thanks

You could also try Stephen Ward at enfieldteile.de - contact details on his website.

… unless you are cost insensitive and really keen on bureaucracy!

Although you do not specifically say what you intend, I assume you are in the UK and contemplating importing gun parts from Germany. Well I’m not going to even attempt to translate reams of bureaucratic gibberish, but the basic rule is:

I bear absolutely NO responsibility for the correctness of the following, which must be regarded as my personal opinion. YOU are responsible for informing yourself about current legislation.

1) All devices capable of firing cartridges must be licensed.
2) The licensing obligation ALSO covers pressure bearing parts, such as barrel, receiver, bolt body.
3) For semi-automatic weapons, such as pistols, revolvers, Garands etc the rules have recently been made much tougher: cylinders, frames, and parts of the reloading/firing mechanisms are all licensed!

Simplifying it: the object of the legislation is to prevent anyone assembling a working gun from components. The result is that it is difficult to buy much more than gunstock parts (wood, barrel bands, buttplate, trigger guard) and sights without a licence.

Assume that ANYTHING that contributes to going “bang” must be licensed.

If you intend to purchase licensed parts from a dealer he will have to obtain an export licence, and you can reckon on this costing something of the order of €100.

PLUS the actual transport can only be undertaken by specific companies, who also earn a pretty penny for their work.

THEN the licensed parts will only be exported to a licensed dealer at your end, who will also make a solid charge for handling the transaction.

So you are likely to be down a couple of hundred pounds right at the start.

In short, unless you are looking for a part that is not available in the UK and vital for the completion of a valuable gun (4-figure value or more) - forget it if it is only available under licence!

Sorry to be negative, but the authorities don’t joke in these matters, and transgression can result in fines, loss of gun licenses, and confiscation of weapons.

So you must be absolutely sure that the parts are licence-free ON BOTH SIDES before initiating any transaction.

Go very cautiously!

that's a great help, many thanks

To all readers: please ignore the above post #7. I tried to correct a typo in post #5 and got these fragments instead.

Perhaps a moderator could delete #7, to avoid confusion?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

Perhaps a moderator could delete #7,

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You should be able to do that Patrick, just look at the page when you want to edit and it gives you the option of delete.

Amazing! Just like the old motto in the development lab: “If cursing and kicking it doesn’t help, try reading the instructions”:madsmile:

We will have none of that sort of talk Patrick, we all know as men, reading the instructions is always a last resort!

I have not done Germany, but elsewere in EU. I have never had any problems:
Steps:
1. Forget about barrels or receivers
2. Make sure that the items you want are legally owned and held by a licensed dealer (although some countries allow non dealers to get export licenses)/
3. Fill out a atf form 6 application for an import license. Be detailed and specific because they no longer approve vague descriptions like "bolt carrier assembly".
4. When your form 6 is approved, send it to the exporting dealer so he can apply for an export permit. Your form 6 is good for 2 years, and his export permit might be good for 30-60 days
5. The foreign export permit might require an end user certificate, which does not exist in the US. In the past my C&R license has been accepted. Not always required though.
6. Once the permits are in place then there is a question of shipment. Different in each country. Most items can go via the countries postal service. Permits in a plastic envelop on outside of package and another copy inside.