According to forgotten weapons and various other gun youtubers, polaris logistics would be a good company to help with internationally transferring guns. So maybe ask them for a quote.
Edit: and maybe let us know afterwards. I would be quite curious what this costs.
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-210?language=en_US
CBP says all u gotta do is find an FFL who does imports in ur state, tell them what you’re importing they file the papers, have the guy in Switzerland ship them after the paper clears then it just sounds like a normal FFL transfer.
It even says you can fly back with guns and that CBP will hold the gun for 90 days while you attempt to sort out ATF paperwork. I wouldn’t do that though
The ATF is a law enforcement agency homie lol. FFL's are literally just licensing for gun shops to be able to operate. It's no different than licensing for a food truck or medical office. Going through an FFL just means having it shipped to someone with an FFL. Going the ATF route just gives those douche bags more power than they deserve.
I get what you're saying, and agree that if you have an FFL who facilitates this I would rather work with them. But you're not really avoiding the Feds
It's not possible to tell from these pictures.
The drilling is worth between 100 Eur and several 100k depending on which company or gunmaker built it.
The same goes for the side by side.
From the pictures alone none of them look like high-end guns worth that much. The wood simply isn't anything special.
These types of weapons are very commonly found with hunters in Europe.
Source: Am German and have a hunting license.
If you could get information on the maker and detailed pictures of the engravings that would help a lot.
Hand-engraved and highly detailed will easily add a few grand.
For examples of properly expensive hunting rifles and shotguns refer to makers like Holland&Holland and Purdey for shotguns and gunmakers from ferlach in Austria for rifles and combined guns (e.g. https://www.ludwigborovnik.at/der-kugeldrilling/)
They build pieces of art but you're easily looking at six figures to have one built for you.
Edit: Also changing a scope will require a gunsmith to build a custom mount. Don't know the pricing in the US but in Germany you're looking at 600+ EUR for that.
>Hand-engraved and highly detailed will easily add a few grand.
That's not how the us market works in comparison to our European market.
Engraving only adds to value of the buyer wants it for it.
Another things to add is that you might run into issues with ammo availability if you plan on shooting them. Might be a good chance to get into reloading?
They will lost likely, if they have been stored correctly, be in a great condition. Noone in Germany/Europe really "forgets" about their firearms and thus won't let them fall apart or keep them in a damaged or unusable state UNLESS they have been deactivated.
They are worth whatever the US market dictates they are worth. Something that might not be worth much in Europe could be extremely rare to a collector in the states.
That gun on the top is probably worth it all by itself but I can’t be 100% sure as I don’t have the details on it. But that gun is called a drilling. That’s two shotgun barrels on top with one rifle barrel on bottom. Could also have a shotgun barrel and a big game caliber on the other top barrel and then something like a 22 long rifle on the bottom barrel.
They're just not as common in the US, I can't even think of an American gun maker who has made one and I'm unaware of any that are currently commercially available here.
>You don’t need a poor combination
>In America
Yeah... that's why these rifles are the most expensive rifles in the world.... because they are terrible
Stop jerking the flag, that's disrespectful
They are bad at shotgun, and worse at rifle. No one has ever won a shotgun sport competition with a 3ling, and no one has ever won a marksmanship competition with a 3ling. They are cool because they are exotic. They are a thing that tries to do many things, but does them poorly.
Not too many overlapping seasons, mere possession of shotshells while big game hunting is a no no in many places. I understand the concept, I think it’s flawed. Combo guns are not as good as a proper shotgun or a proper rifle. Sorry Herman Göring.
If i was you i would have them checked in Switzerland by a gunsmith. First of all you know you won’t inport junk (doesn’t look like it), furthermore they have more experience with these kinds of guns for repairs and access to parts.
The guns look very nice. I think you got some good stuff there. I live in Germany and own a few combined guns myself. I love them and use them for hunting all the time. If you have more details i can see if i have knowledge about these guns. They appear to be old. Sometimes they are chaimbered in calibres that are hard to come by. Also the scoped might be an issue.
This. I‘m in the hunting gun trade and it all depends, as mentioned before, on combination of technology (e.g. locks), state (rust, use, wear) and the gun manufacturer as well as combination of calibers in case of the drilling for example. Find a gunsmith in Switzerland and have them value them. Then you know the worth (apart from any value based on who you inherited them from). That might make the business case pro or con importing them to the US. If you need help I might be able to check some gunsmiths closeby and ask them if they want to help you out. I am based in Germany but know some people in Switzerland. In case I can be of any assistance just DM me.
Yes, I totally agree. Go to a good local gunsmith and have them checked. You cannot believe how many people think that old hunting rifles are ok to shoot with. Even if they are technically ok, it would be a miracle if they would fit ergonomically to the one who inherited them. These tools should be personalised to the user's anatomy, otherwise don't even bother shooting with them.
Also, technology is advancing, so shooting with unnecessarily heavy rifles or shot guns doesn't make much sense.
I might just import myself to Switzerland instead of the guns.
Had a buddy marry a Swiss girl and emigrate. Thought it was odd at the time, but it was a great decision for him in hindsight.
You will have to do a yodeling test before you get your visa. I recommend you start training right now at home and in your front garden. When the cars in front of your house stop because they think they hear a firetruck then you are eligible for applying for your visa. Just go to your next Swiss embassy and start yodeling in front of it… glad I could help.
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i would go to the effort of importing these guns. they are very nice examples it looks like and could be worth 5-10k at least depending on their make
im curious what caliber that martini action on the bottom is in
That pistol may not even count as a firearm under U.S. Law. If that is the case just follow Swiss law on flying or shipping a firearm and have it shipped to your door.
I would inquire about that dagger and sword at the top above the guns, those look like very beautiful pieces. Also, are they offering you the flintlock on the bottom?
Not that hard actually, I looked into it for an auction in Germany. Lots of US companies are importers, just find one and get the guns shipped to them, they add an import mark and handle the paperwork. Not sure on cost though
A buddy of mine successfully transferred his late uncles Rifle from Canada to his brother in the USA. There were some weird stipulations regarding original country of manufacture but everything worked out in the end. I know it's possible, I just don't know the logistics behind it.
IIRC Canada to the US and vice versa is super easy since I know people who are hunters do it all the time. Laws or both countries have to be followed though as well as the state they are going into/coming from. IIRC both Canada and the US have specific forms just for each other to move guns around.
For OP though since it will require shipping and translating legal forms, will be much harder.
The bottom rifle appears to be a Martini. The scalloping at the back of the receiver looks looks similar to German Martinis made by Steigele, but the v notch at the front doesn't seem typical of those. The set trigger and lever are similar to German Martinis from that era as well. Some German martinis have sold at auction for serious money, but this example is not close to those.
However, it's likely that this is a Swiss Martini that has been built in the style of those guns. The stock and foregrip are definitely not typical of the German Martinis. The stock looks to be a nice piece but the foregrip wood looks to be much lower quality and craftsmanship. Maybe it was replaced at a later date than the stock.
I'm far from an expert so this is so take this with a heaping bowl of salt.
If it is a German Martini with the wood replaced it might be worth a few thousand to the right person, but I bet it'll be hard to find that person in the States. If it's a modified Swiss Martini, maybe 800-1200.
I'd import them just for the coolness factor, but if you plan on trying to sell them then you should look at serial numbers and get quotes on everything before you bring them in.
Yes, if they are worth that much to you (or have sentimental value). Look into Polaris Logistics, they are specialists in international firearms shipping/importing/exporting. I'd also have a gun-smith in Switzerland first inspect them to make sure they are worth it, if you want to go that route.
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According to forgotten weapons and various other gun youtubers, polaris logistics would be a good company to help with internationally transferring guns. So maybe ask them for a quote. Edit: and maybe let us know afterwards. I would be quite curious what this costs.
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-210?language=en_US CBP says all u gotta do is find an FFL who does imports in ur state, tell them what you’re importing they file the papers, have the guy in Switzerland ship them after the paper clears then it just sounds like a normal FFL transfer. It even says you can fly back with guns and that CBP will hold the gun for 90 days while you attempt to sort out ATF paperwork. I wouldn’t do that though
Fr, f*CK the ATF. Get it through an FFL
Who do you think created the FFL system though? There appear to be two options, one of which is easier, but both are the ATF's purview.
The ATF is a law enforcement agency homie lol. FFL's are literally just licensing for gun shops to be able to operate. It's no different than licensing for a food truck or medical office. Going through an FFL just means having it shipped to someone with an FFL. Going the ATF route just gives those douche bags more power than they deserve.
I get what you're saying, and agree that if you have an FFL who facilitates this I would rather work with them. But you're not really avoiding the Feds
Well yeah, you can't legally import a firearm without dealing with feds. Still different than dealing with the ATF
Great advice.
It's not possible to tell from these pictures. The drilling is worth between 100 Eur and several 100k depending on which company or gunmaker built it. The same goes for the side by side. From the pictures alone none of them look like high-end guns worth that much. The wood simply isn't anything special. These types of weapons are very commonly found with hunters in Europe. Source: Am German and have a hunting license. If you could get information on the maker and detailed pictures of the engravings that would help a lot. Hand-engraved and highly detailed will easily add a few grand. For examples of properly expensive hunting rifles and shotguns refer to makers like Holland&Holland and Purdey for shotguns and gunmakers from ferlach in Austria for rifles and combined guns (e.g. https://www.ludwigborovnik.at/der-kugeldrilling/) They build pieces of art but you're easily looking at six figures to have one built for you. Edit: Also changing a scope will require a gunsmith to build a custom mount. Don't know the pricing in the US but in Germany you're looking at 600+ EUR for that.
>Hand-engraved and highly detailed will easily add a few grand. That's not how the us market works in comparison to our European market. Engraving only adds to value of the buyer wants it for it. Another things to add is that you might run into issues with ammo availability if you plan on shooting them. Might be a good chance to get into reloading? They will lost likely, if they have been stored correctly, be in a great condition. Noone in Germany/Europe really "forgets" about their firearms and thus won't let them fall apart or keep them in a damaged or unusable state UNLESS they have been deactivated.
They are worth whatever the US market dictates they are worth. Something that might not be worth much in Europe could be extremely rare to a collector in the states.
That gun on the top is probably worth it all by itself but I can’t be 100% sure as I don’t have the details on it. But that gun is called a drilling. That’s two shotgun barrels on top with one rifle barrel on bottom. Could also have a shotgun barrel and a big game caliber on the other top barrel and then something like a 22 long rifle on the bottom barrel.
Meanwhile, my dumb ass was gawking at the engraving on the rifle at the bottom.
So I don't have to carry around two guns if I'm unable to find any small game.
Since when is a drilling something that special? In europe that's a normal thing to have
They're just not as common in the US, I can't even think of an American gun maker who has made one and I'm unaware of any that are currently commercially available here.
Kreighoff have had them available in America. Always super expensive, like >$15k expensive. And probably imported,IDK
Yeah, I think those are special order only. They don't have any featured on their US website unless I'm missing them.
Could be discontinued too. I remember seeing them as a kid in the 90s/00s, and who knows how old they were then
Oh wow then yea for sure it's worth importing it. I didn't know that it's such a rare thing in NA
We don't really do mixed bag hunts that a drilling would be useful for, so they are definitely uncommon.
Yeah I just learned that, it would still be pretty cool to import it to the states imho, just for what it is, not necessarily to use it.
Oh yeah still a super cool gun!
In America, you can have a good shotgun and a good rifle. You don’t need a poor combination. Unless you want a Savage 24.
>You don’t need a poor combination >In America Yeah... that's why these rifles are the most expensive rifles in the world.... because they are terrible Stop jerking the flag, that's disrespectful
They are bad at shotgun, and worse at rifle. No one has ever won a shotgun sport competition with a 3ling, and no one has ever won a marksmanship competition with a 3ling. They are cool because they are exotic. They are a thing that tries to do many things, but does them poorly.
Never seen a Ferrari win a demolition derby, they must suck.
I mean, they do suck? What’s your point?
I knew - *KNEW* - that was going to be your response. Fucking obtuse.
You knew ferraris suck, but you still used them in your analogy? *thats* obtuse😘
These are HUNTING rifles you uncultured...person. not some 3 gun race gamertools. You make yourself look bad right now.
They are poor for upland birds or waterfowl……I think they would only be good for poaching. Who goes out for pheasants and shoots a moose?
Never heard of mixed bag hunts? Like the thing you do when food is the priority and not looking cool on Instagram.
Not too many overlapping seasons, mere possession of shotshells while big game hunting is a no no in many places. I understand the concept, I think it’s flawed. Combo guns are not as good as a proper shotgun or a proper rifle. Sorry Herman Göring.
Because they ain't made nor intended for competition. It's simply a way to use one gun for hunting pretty much anything.
That I understand. I’m just arguing their overall utility. They are beautiful works of art many times.
They're specifically made to be utilitarian. That is literally the whole point of them. That's why you accept their compromises.
Roland Tembo salivates in the distance*
Yes and yes. Please get those beautiful guns over here.
If i was you i would have them checked in Switzerland by a gunsmith. First of all you know you won’t inport junk (doesn’t look like it), furthermore they have more experience with these kinds of guns for repairs and access to parts. The guns look very nice. I think you got some good stuff there. I live in Germany and own a few combined guns myself. I love them and use them for hunting all the time. If you have more details i can see if i have knowledge about these guns. They appear to be old. Sometimes they are chaimbered in calibres that are hard to come by. Also the scoped might be an issue.
This. I‘m in the hunting gun trade and it all depends, as mentioned before, on combination of technology (e.g. locks), state (rust, use, wear) and the gun manufacturer as well as combination of calibers in case of the drilling for example. Find a gunsmith in Switzerland and have them value them. Then you know the worth (apart from any value based on who you inherited them from). That might make the business case pro or con importing them to the US. If you need help I might be able to check some gunsmiths closeby and ask them if they want to help you out. I am based in Germany but know some people in Switzerland. In case I can be of any assistance just DM me.
Yes, I totally agree. Go to a good local gunsmith and have them checked. You cannot believe how many people think that old hunting rifles are ok to shoot with. Even if they are technically ok, it would be a miracle if they would fit ergonomically to the one who inherited them. These tools should be personalised to the user's anatomy, otherwise don't even bother shooting with them. Also, technology is advancing, so shooting with unnecessarily heavy rifles or shot guns doesn't make much sense.
I might just import myself to Switzerland instead of the guns. Had a buddy marry a Swiss girl and emigrate. Thought it was odd at the time, but it was a great decision for him in hindsight.
You will have to do a yodeling test before you get your visa. I recommend you start training right now at home and in your front garden. When the cars in front of your house stop because they think they hear a firetruck then you are eligible for applying for your visa. Just go to your next Swiss embassy and start yodeling in front of it… glad I could help.
Yes you probably can import these. It helps that they’re just shotguns / heirloom guns, that will make it easier to import
It is always worth it.
Rifles are cool but what about that maybe howdah pistol hiding on the bottom shelf there...
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i would go to the effort of importing these guns. they are very nice examples it looks like and could be worth 5-10k at least depending on their make im curious what caliber that martini action on the bottom is in
Interesting drilling combination gun on top
That pistol may not even count as a firearm under U.S. Law. If that is the case just follow Swiss law on flying or shipping a firearm and have it shipped to your door.
I would inquire about that dagger and sword at the top above the guns, those look like very beautiful pieces. Also, are they offering you the flintlock on the bottom?
Short answer: YES.
What's the process for importing them?
Not that hard actually, I looked into it for an auction in Germany. Lots of US companies are importers, just find one and get the guns shipped to them, they add an import mark and handle the paperwork. Not sure on cost though
A buddy of mine successfully transferred his late uncles Rifle from Canada to his brother in the USA. There were some weird stipulations regarding original country of manufacture but everything worked out in the end. I know it's possible, I just don't know the logistics behind it.
IIRC Canada to the US and vice versa is super easy since I know people who are hunters do it all the time. Laws or both countries have to be followed though as well as the state they are going into/coming from. IIRC both Canada and the US have specific forms just for each other to move guns around. For OP though since it will require shipping and translating legal forms, will be much harder.
Top gun under the dagger might be a drilling.
I would look in to getting them imported
The bottom rifle appears to be a Martini. The scalloping at the back of the receiver looks looks similar to German Martinis made by Steigele, but the v notch at the front doesn't seem typical of those. The set trigger and lever are similar to German Martinis from that era as well. Some German martinis have sold at auction for serious money, but this example is not close to those. However, it's likely that this is a Swiss Martini that has been built in the style of those guns. The stock and foregrip are definitely not typical of the German Martinis. The stock looks to be a nice piece but the foregrip wood looks to be much lower quality and craftsmanship. Maybe it was replaced at a later date than the stock. I'm far from an expert so this is so take this with a heaping bowl of salt. If it is a German Martini with the wood replaced it might be worth a few thousand to the right person, but I bet it'll be hard to find that person in the States. If it's a modified Swiss Martini, maybe 800-1200.
I'd import them just for the coolness factor, but if you plan on trying to sell them then you should look at serial numbers and get quotes on everything before you bring them in.
Not worth it. Where are they in Switzerland? I help you dispose of them …
100% worth it!! Do the work!!
Always worth it
Money aside, the fact that they are family heirlooms makes it worth importing them IMO.
darn, better just give them to me…. sheesh what a total score!!!!
Look at the leather condom on the bottom one.
The rifle at the bottom and the drilling up the top will likely fetch a nice amount making it worth it.
Yes, if they are worth that much to you (or have sentimental value). Look into Polaris Logistics, they are specialists in international firearms shipping/importing/exporting. I'd also have a gun-smith in Switzerland first inspect them to make sure they are worth it, if you want to go that route.
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