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A pit fall trap is a hole in the ground covered up in leaves so some hapless animal walks into it. That could describe our latest shipment of firearms from Germany. Pictures to follow, but my friend inherited a number of firearms from an uncle and also a family friend. The exporting agent we used had no experience whatever in this field and basically botched it. His company was re-registered in a very slightly different trading name from that he put on his application, for instance. So that was rejected by authorities. These sorts of silly mistakes,delays and inexplicable inaction meant that we lost more than 18 months from purchase to delivery. Eventually my friend had to go home and sort it all out himself while visiting his parents in Germany.
The firearms eventually arrived here in New Zealand where Customs wanted to charge an arm and a leg. But ironically, there is no charge for items that are inherited. My friend owes me a beer for finding that out and saving him NZ$600. We then discovered the Police import permit had expired as it only lasts 12 months. Frantic calls to Germany to prove that his items were inherited, (via "living wills"), were not helped by the 12 hour time difference. There was also a rush east across town for a new Police permit, ("Sorry, you'll have to go to the station that issued this, I can't do it here"). Another rush north across town to the home station: ("Come back tomorrow boys, I'll have it ready then"), but we eventually had our 35kg parcel cleared out of bond.
I think the way the German system works is that the exporter gets a 12-month permit at a set fee. So if he exports one gun or 10, same fee. So it was originally suggested by my friend that I might like to bring in something too on his same permit and save the costs of doing it on my own. I ordered two 5,6x61 vom Hofe firearms, one a Drilling, one a 98 rifle. More photos to follow! Let's be clear that his German Onkel did not leave these to me so I had to pay full Customs duties albeit that they were in line with what I expected.
Back to the police station to tick their numbers off the permit. Then we took the parcel to my friends office and started to open them. My 2 firearms were OK and I have seldom purchased guns that are so clean. The Drilling is retailed by Walter Gehmann and built for him by Ludwig Borovnik in 1960. Then comes the truth on opening the package; are all the things you worry about buying something online OK?. Like, is the scope lens eaten by fungus, (actually, it was the clearest I've ever seen on a Hensoldt scope - like new), was the action really tight like the advert said, (yes it was, back vault tight!), were the barrels really mirror-like, (they really were!), and so on. Only the wood finish on the Drilling needs redoing, but the checkering is all there, every single diamond. The blueing is great and the engraving (chamois one side, roe the other), is much nicer than the photos. The horn butt plate and pistol grip are showing their age, but still fully intact. In short, I'm thrilled.
The 98er rifle is by Frankonia but of course, they did not make it so who did? I have pulled it apart and there is no other maker's number or name, just the very low serial number. Probably it was one of the first of this line. I know that Mauser did not make Model 98 rifles in this era, but there's an intriguing Mauser banner crest on the receiver. This rifle was made in 1957, but actually you would think it was new.
Now the bad news. All the guns were bubble-wrapped but my first thought was; was just one layer of cardboard outer package really enough? The stock of the Steyr-Mannlicher that the Onkel Karl-Heinz had left, arguably the nicest of the guns, was completely smashed at the wrist. Just another roll of cardboard around the box might have prevented this. One of the shotgun muzzles was damaged when I suspect the case was been dropped on it's edge. It can be fixed by a gunsmith but it is still annoying. The Anschuetz .22 is missing it's magazine. We have to find out, did it originally have one? Also there is a chip off its' butt done in transit. It can be glued back on but again, just one more layer of cardboard might have prevented that.
The Ferlach Drilling is in 8x57R in very nice condition. But where is the scope and their mounts that are in our photos? We can probably find another stock for the Steyr rifle but getting replacement hand-fitted mounts for the Drilling is just too daunting. So right now, many questions are being asked and insurance claims prepared. My poor friend is not a happy. After waiting so long it has been like a kid getting a broken Christmas present.
Just recently I sent a shotgun to someone in another part of New Zealand. I had some thin plywood on hand so I cut it to size and strapped this to his well wrapped parcel. I rang to ask if he got it and if it was OK. He said, "Even if it had fallen out of the back of the courier van and then got run over by the following car, I think it would still have been OK". If only our German exporter had taken something like the same amount of trouble to send our 10 firearms all the way around the world.
A pit fall trap is a hole in the ground covered up in leaves so some hapless animal walks into it. That could describe our latest shipment of firearms from Germany. Pictures to follow, but my friend inherited a number of firearms from an uncle and also a family friend. The exporting agent we used had no experience whatever in this field and basically botched it. His company was re-registered in a very slightly different trading name from that he put on his application, for instance. So that was rejected by authorities. These sorts of silly mistakes,delays and inexplicable inaction meant that we lost more than 18 months from purchase to delivery. Eventually my friend had to go home and sort it all out himself while visiting his parents in Germany.
The firearms eventually arrived here in New Zealand where Customs wanted to charge an arm and a leg. But ironically, there is no charge for items that are inherited. My friend owes me a beer for finding that out and saving him NZ$600. We then discovered the Police import permit had expired as it only lasts 12 months. Frantic calls to Germany to prove that his items were inherited, (via "living wills"), were not helped by the 12 hour time difference. There was also a rush east across town for a new Police permit, ("Sorry, you'll have to go to the station that issued this, I can't do it here"). Another rush north across town to the home station: ("Come back tomorrow boys, I'll have it ready then"), but we eventually had our 35kg parcel cleared out of bond.
I think the way the German system works is that the exporter gets a 12-month permit at a set fee. So if he exports one gun or 10, same fee. So it was originally suggested by my friend that I might like to bring in something too on his same permit and save the costs of doing it on my own. I ordered two 5,6x61 vom Hofe firearms, one a Drilling, one a 98 rifle. More photos to follow! Let's be clear that his German Onkel did not leave these to me so I had to pay full Customs duties albeit that they were in line with what I expected.
Back to the police station to tick their numbers off the permit. Then we took the parcel to my friends office and started to open them. My 2 firearms were OK and I have seldom purchased guns that are so clean. The Drilling is retailed by Walter Gehmann and built for him by Ludwig Borovnik in 1960. Then comes the truth on opening the package; are all the things you worry about buying something online OK?. Like, is the scope lens eaten by fungus, (actually, it was the clearest I've ever seen on a Hensoldt scope - like new), was the action really tight like the advert said, (yes it was, back vault tight!), were the barrels really mirror-like, (they really were!), and so on. Only the wood finish on the Drilling needs redoing, but the checkering is all there, every single diamond. The blueing is great and the engraving (chamois one side, roe the other), is much nicer than the photos. The horn butt plate and pistol grip are showing their age, but still fully intact. In short, I'm thrilled.
The 98er rifle is by Frankonia but of course, they did not make it so who did? I have pulled it apart and there is no other maker's number or name, just the very low serial number. Probably it was one of the first of this line. I know that Mauser did not make Model 98 rifles in this era, but there's an intriguing Mauser banner crest on the receiver. This rifle was made in 1957, but actually you would think it was new.
Now the bad news. All the guns were bubble-wrapped but my first thought was; was just one layer of cardboard outer package really enough? The stock of the Steyr-Mannlicher that the Onkel Karl-Heinz had left, arguably the nicest of the guns, was completely smashed at the wrist. Just another roll of cardboard around the box might have prevented this. One of the shotgun muzzles was damaged when I suspect the case was been dropped on it's edge. It can be fixed by a gunsmith but it is still annoying. The Anschuetz .22 is missing it's magazine. We have to find out, did it originally have one? Also there is a chip off its' butt done in transit. It can be glued back on but again, just one more layer of cardboard might have prevented that.
The Ferlach Drilling is in 8x57R in very nice condition. But where is the scope and their mounts that are in our photos? We can probably find another stock for the Steyr rifle but getting replacement hand-fitted mounts for the Drilling is just too daunting. So right now, many questions are being asked and insurance claims prepared. My poor friend is not a happy. After waiting so long it has been like a kid getting a broken Christmas present.
Just recently I sent a shotgun to someone in another part of New Zealand. I had some thin plywood on hand so I cut it to size and strapped this to his well wrapped parcel. I rang to ask if he got it and if it was OK. He said, "Even if it had fallen out of the back of the courier van and then got run over by the following car, I think it would still have been OK". If only our German exporter had taken something like the same amount of trouble to send our 10 firearms all the way around the world.
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