Hi-caps from Europe...Legal?

C

Count Glockula

New member
I have a friend in Germany who has a couple of Glock Hi-Caps, purchased in Germany. He said that he would give them to me, as he no longer has a Glock. Would it be legal for him to send them to me in the mail? I don't know when they were manufactured and my guess is that they were made after 1994. Hi caps for handguns are still legal in Germany. If this is not legal or going to be a pain, I am not going to waste my time. Any ideas?
 
I'm not a lawyer and this is not legal advice, but my understanding is that the "importation" of high-caps is illegal, so bringing them in from outside the country might get you in a bind with Customs.
 
To do it legally, you'd probably need a liscence from the State Department. That's what they told me when I asked about shipping an ejector and gripframe (G3) out of the country.
 
Thanks for the info. I thought there would be some legal issues. I am going to pass on the mags, not worth spending time in the federal pen or having to deal with customs.
 
Be CAREFUL! There are a few Germans currently saturating the American gun forums with deals on Glock factory mags. Some people are sending them money.

Don't be one of them.
 
Very simple.

It is illegal to import full-caps that were made after 1994.

It is perfectly legal to import any mags made before 1994.

If you don't believe me, then why do you think that the anti's are still pushing a ban on the importation of ALL full-cap mags? Feinstein has been pushing for this law for some time and others agree. They are ticked off because "hi-caps" are still coming in by the droves. Why do you think they are so easy to find, but just overpriced? Because they are still coming in! Dealers are bringing them in after going through many middle-men and by the time they get to you they cost $100 because every middle man has marked them up a little. By the time they get from some Police Officer in another country who traded them in, to you, they get marked up to the extreme prices we see.
Why do you think full-cap mags are not $200 each? Because they are still coming in! If you think they are expensive now, then wait until they are really no longer imported!
Importers are scouring the Earth to find every single full-cap mag that was made before 1994 and shipping them in in huge crates by the thousands.

Buyers Club America (.com) is shipping in thousands of them right now and they are available over at Glocktalk.com. Pay now and you will receive them when the order come in in a few months.

It is perfectly legal to import full capacity mags as long as they were made before 1994.

If you don't want them, then have your friend ship them to me ;)

I am no lawyer and obviously you would not take legal advice over the 'net from strangers, but you can look into this yourself.
 
I don't know. It MAY be illegal to import post-94 manufacture full-caps as well. Not sure. I would send the tubes in one package and the springs/followers in another (if I thought it were legal). The springs are readable by detectors, but they're not "high capacity mags" - they're just "mag rebuild kits". The tubes are not readable by detectors nor smellable by dogs.
 
As with most legal issues, the truth is a bit more complicated.

Yes, it is legal to import Pre-Ban high capacity ammunition feeding devices into the country right now. Importation of magazines that were made pre-ban was not banned when their manufacture was banned. You can take note of this in that the Senate is kicking around a bill to make such importation illegal.

The tricky part of the imporation comes from the fact that high capacity ammunition feeding devices made FOR THE US MARKET after the ban have to be stamped with their date of manufacture. High capacity magazines made for other countries do not have to be so marked.

The risk comes in when someone wants to import magazines that were not originally made for the US. Even if they were made after the ban date, they would appear legal since they would not have the post-94 manufacture date stamped on them.

Individuals willing to risk the illegality of their actions could easily lie, saying that the magazines were made pre-ban.

Risk enters the equation should someone import a magazine that could in some other way be proven to have been made after the ban. An obvious example of this would be a magazine for a firearm ONLY manufactured after the ban date. A less obvious example of this could occur should tooling, materials, design or other marking changes exist that prove a manufacture date after the ban.


(All of this ignores the customs regulations and hurdles that would have to be jumped through to legally import these devices/parts.)

[This message has been edited by Dizzipator (edited May 23, 2000).]
 
The tricky part of the imporation comes from the fact that high capacity ammunition feeding devices made FOR THE US MARKET after the ban have to be stamped with their date of manufacture. High capacity magazines made for other countries do not have to be so marked.[/qiote]

And how would anyone tell what market they were made for if they are not marked. If they are not marked “they are legal”. Remember, first you would have to be arrested, then the DA would have to “PROVE” they were not for the US market. Impossible to do if they are not marked.

Has anyone heard of anyone being arrested, not to mention prosecuted, or found guilty of having an illegal unmarked high capacity magazine? People are “WAY” to concerned over this issue. If it’s not marked LEO, or LEO only it is legal. Except in The Peoples Republic of Kalifornia!!!!!

Red Bull, gave it to you straight.


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Guns are not dangerous! People are! RKBA!

homes.acmecity.com/rosie/happy/307/




[This message has been edited by Jerry45 (edited May 23, 2000).]
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I conferm Red Bull's assessment.

I just want Count Glockula to know that his handle is the coolest and most hilarious I've ever seen on a BB!
 
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