Question about import bans

[Kaiser7 33]

So I've been pondering this ever since Russian firearm imports were banned with the Sanctions over Crimea. Will such bans ever be lifted? As a milsurp junkie, I hate to think that supplies of Mosins, and other milsurp rifles will steadily dry up due to these sanctions being permanent.

 

Anyway, I'm not super knowledgeable about the ban on Chinese firearms, so perhaps someone could enlighten me on that (why it happened, why it was never lifted, etc.) Or even the bans on Russian firearms. I know in Canada a Russian SKS sells for less than $200, but here they're more than double that.

 

Anyway, my theory on it is that import bans serve two purposes.

 

1) It's a form of economic protectionism for American firearm manufacturers. Given that guns are one of the few manufacturing industries that is still pretty strong in the US, I feel that maybe the government is trying to protect them from foreign competition.

 

2) Banning imports serves as a form of gun control (even if limited) that can't easily be fought against politically. Whereas people could really stand up and pressure politicians to oppose an AWB, it seems as though this doesn't happen with import bans, not to mention that such bans seem to be pushed by the executive, and not the legislative branch. By decreasing the supply of Saigas, the government has increased their price (thus reducing their affordability to an average person), and they've also cut the supply in such a way that it makes it (slightly) harder to find one, even at a higher price. (In theory)

 

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had any more info on this matter, or could educate me more. I tend to follow this stuff just because as a person who's particularly interested in milsurp, these sorts of bans really hit home.

[Worn_Holster 2]

It is definitely back-door gun control. I got my Saiga in 2000 for $175 as a non regulated firearm as Maryland resident in the original Clinton AWB configuration. It is unfortunate that those types of restrictions dont seem to get reversed, and that ammunition restriction of that type are likely to follow.

[ogfarmer 138]

we still have import restrictions from Clintons days, likely hood over ever being overturned is slim to none. Especially if Cliton is elected.

[mipafox 438]

Supposedly around the 1968 GCA many firearms companies supported the import bans because it reduced competition on them. But I think the political purpose was still 100% gun control. I don't think protecting US industry has had any influence in these bans for decades. It's all been about gun control.

 

Chinese guns and ammo were banned by Clinton because he hates guns. Now China did do something to tick him off (I forget what it was), and that was the reason, but he didn't ban watches, pipe and fittings, or household products. Just guns and ammo. That was a pretty easy one for him.

 

I don't believe Russian imports are banned, I think it is just the imports of one of more Russian companies named by Obama. Of course, that includes the largest Russian supplier of sporting rifles. People seem to think the chances of the Russian ban being lifted are good but I have no idea.

[mipafox 438]

we still have import restrictions from Clintons days, likely hood over ever being overturned is slim to none. Especially if Cliton is elected.

Bush banned way more imports than Clinton. I think it was something like 43 types of firearms, including pretty much all MSRs. Bush is the reason we don't have HKs and imported AKs have thumbhole stocks, special low capacity magwells, and require a certain number of US parts to be legal if converted. The 1968 GCA sort of did that, but Bush applied it to almost all imported MSRs.

[Kaiser7 33]

Yeah, I've been worried about this. While there aren't many left, there are some rumors I've heard that there are still some K98ks in Russian warehouses (though I'm skeptical, I'm like Agent Mulder, I want to believe).

 

I'm hoping that this stuff will pass, because I'd like to see cheap Mosins again, and given that the days of milsurp will soon be gone, I want to have my own experience with cleaning the Cosmo off a gun. It just sucks this will likely never happen again.

[mipafox 438]

I don't think any Mosins are banned since they are not being made by the Russian companies made by Obama at the present. I have heard of shops claiming they are banned to drum up business and people saying they are full of it, but I am not quite 100% certain.

 

Of course, they WILL be gone some day. And Milsurp seems to disappear rather suddenly when it does.

[RecessedFilter 222]

Yeah, I've been worried about this. While there aren't many left, there are some rumors I've heard that there are still some K98ks in Russian warehouses (though I'm skeptical, I'm like Agent Mulder, I want to believe).

 

I'm hoping that this stuff will pass, because I'd like to see cheap Mosins again, and given that the days of milsurp will soon be gone, I want to have my own experience with cleaning the Cosmo off a gun. It just sucks this will likely never happen again.

 

That's why you gotta start buying Mosin's and milsurps now. They won't be imported forever and will eventually dry up.

[RecessedFilter 222]

And no Mosin's are banned as far as I know. They have been coming in from satellite countries though.

[Kaiser7 33]

That's why you gotta start buying Mosin's and milsurps now. They won't be imported forever and will eventually dry up.

 

 

And no Mosin's are banned as far as I know. They have been coming in from satellite countries though.

 

 

I know of a site which sells really nice milsurps (focusing on mosins) for really good prices, it's www.themosincrate.com I know the owner there has said the prices have been elevated, but believes that come summer the prices will come back down. 

 

As for the milsurp thing--that's exactly what I'm doing. I've put all non-milsurp firearm purchases on the backburner (M1A, Mini14, AK-variant, etc.) Right now I'm trying to get a K98k, and over the summer I want to try and get a CMP garand. Maybe a cheap beat-up SKS as a project gun since I'm not keen on shooting my M59 since it's all matching.

[mipafox 438]

And no Mosin's are banned as far as I know. They have been coming in from satellite countries though.

I believe if Russia wanted to sell them to us they could, and they probably are. There is no ban on the importation of firearms or ammo from Russia right now (as far as I know), just firearms being manufactured by certain companies picked by Obama.

[tuktuk 16]

... there is a possibility of the bigger threat than sanctions and bans >>> it's a legal action by izmash / Kalashnikov inc vs domestic AK clone manufactures.

also believe it or not Ukraine has as many firearms stockpiled as Russia. A lot of mosins we saw actually came from Ukraine before.

if anybody follows the war in Ukraine very often esp in the beginning u would've seen all kinds of WW2 firearms operational and looking brand new .... I mean for God sakes these guys were able to start t-34s and IS-2 tanks ...

[302w 83]

Supposedly, Clinton banned Chinese stuff because Norinco offered to sell full auto AKs, RPGs, and tanks to California street gangs.

 

I still want to cry that I was born 20 years too late to buy 1300 round cans of 7.62x39 for $60.

[1LtCAP 4,262]

Supposedly, Clinton banned Chinese stuff because Norinco offered to sell full auto AKs, RPGs, and tanks to California street gangs.

 

I still want to cry that I was born 20 years too late to buy 1300 round cans of 7.62x39 for $60.

yea.....they didn't want any competition.

[Oakridgefirearms 224]

I believe if Russia wanted to sell them to us they could, and they probably are. There is no ban on the importation of firearms or ammo from Russia right now (as far as I know), just firearms being manufactured by certain companies picked by Obama.

From what I've been told by importers, there isn't an executive order banning milsurp from Russian but rather some agreement that was signed back in the 90's to not import milsurp into the US from Russia. There was some talk about two years ago when Russia joined the WTO (or at least I think it was the WTO) that such agreements to not sell certain products to certain countries become invalid and a flood of milsurp could be on the way from Russia. That was long before Putin PO'ed Obama with the crisis in the Ukraine, and even without that crisis it would still be a long shot that Obama would allow it to happen - he's blocking Garands and carbines from South Korea, and we have a great relationship with them.

 

All the Russian milsurp that's out there in the last decade or so has been coming from the Ukraine. With the civil war going on there right now (and the fact that most of that stuff was stored in the rebel areas) has caused a Mosin shortage as of late.

 

"They" say that Russia has 10 times what the Ukraine had, so if misurp ever does get imported to the US from there again, we may see $69 Mosins again. Supposedly Belarus is also sitting on a nice stash as well, but we don't trade with them either.

[ogfarmer 138]

Classic firearms will be announcing something any day now about a new surplus rifle available ,

[DeerSlayer 241]

From what I've been told by importers, there isn't an executive order banning milsurp from Russian but rather some agreement that was signed back in the 90's to not import milsurp into the US from Russia. There was some talk about two years ago when Russia joined the WTO (or at least I think it was the WTO) that such agreements to not sell certain products to certain countries become invalid and a flood of milsurp could be on the way from Russia. That was long before Putin PO'ed Obama with the crisis in the Ukraine, and even without that crisis it would still be a long shot that Obama would allow it to happen - he's blocking Garands and carbines from South Korea, and we have a great relationship with them.

 

All the Russian milsurp that's out there in the last decade or so has been coming from the Ukraine. With the civil war going on there right now (and the fact that most of that stuff was stored in the rebel areas) has caused a Mosin shortage as of late.

 

"They" say that Russia has 10 times what the Ukraine had, so if misurp ever does get imported to the US from there again, we may see $69 Mosins again. Supposedly Belarus is also sitting on a nice stash as well, but we don't trade with them either.

Hope this is true I will be buying a few of these if that's the case! B)

[tuktuk 16]

Classic firearms will be announcing something any day now about a new surplus rifle available ,

any clues to what it is ?

[ogfarmer 138]

nope

 

alls they said was with a generic pic

 

C&R Eligible. Surplus. Bolt Action. You asked. We got it.

Coming Soon at
www.classicfirearms.com

 

[RecessedFilter 222]

I know of a site which sells really nice milsurps (focusing on mosins) for really good prices, it's www.themosincrate.com I know the owner there has said the prices have been elevated, but believes that come summer the prices will come back down. 

 

As for the milsurp thing--that's exactly what I'm doing. I've put all non-milsurp firearm purchases on the backburner (M1A, Mini14, AK-variant, etc.) Right now I'm trying to get a K98k, and over the summer I want to try and get a CMP garand. Maybe a cheap beat-up SKS as a project gun since I'm not keen on shooting my M59 since it's all matching.

 

Yeah, Alden is an acquaintance of mine and he runs a good honest business. He usually has some nice stuff up on his site.

 

Ukraine has been exporting lots of guns to us as well as other countries around Russia (as I stated in my earlier post). We talked about a recent import of cheap M44's on another forum trying to figure out where they came from, and in conclusion believed it was to be Albania. They all had chinese bolts also. At a point a few years ago, many chinese SKS' were coming in from Albania as well.

 

Considering Classic put a shadowed picture of a 91/30 in that mystery gun coming soon, I expect it to be in the Mosin family. I can't say any Finn's as Burns has the M39 inventory on lockdown and acquiring any other models would be very, very difficult and we haven't seen any influx of them in many years.

 

I'm going to guess they will be M44's or most likely M38's. They haven't been imported in a while, or at least sold in a while, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was it. I'm sure some importers have a few crates of them in the back corner of a warehouse but who knows if they will release them. That could be the case with Classic. And even the private market has dried up of them and you occasionally see a few for sale but that's it. If it's not a Mosin then it could be too many things to even start guessing.

[RecessedFilter 222]

Haha so as I posted that, I went onto Classic's website to see if there was an update and they were regular 91/30's. I can't believe they chirped all that up for them.

 

I will say that the ones in the crates he opened up (which could have been staged) are in really nice condition.