Quote:
Originally Posted by nstahl.19
Then what is this? http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicati...2-005-eng.html
I tried ordering from a retailer a couple weeks ago and they wouldn't let me make the purchase because the gun didn't shoot between 366fps and 407fps! So I asked them whats up and they said the import limits just changed to 366fps to 407fps. Im really confused right now, I need to get this straight. |
Quote:
Originally Posted by nstahl.19
I was told that it just recently changed like a week or two ago from a retailer in the US, a very popular one, and they will not ship you the gun unless it shoots between those limits i mentioned earlier, but maybe its a mistake or a misunderstanding, i don't know.
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Where does the confusion lay? While the retailer, or you, is misinformed on the date of the customs regulatory change (this occurred much earlier this year) the CBSA Customs Notice 12-005 numbers are accurate. The minimal FPS requirement did change from 407fps, to 366fps. Anything under, and it's not admissible, period. The upper limit of FPS is around 500fps'ish. The 407fps figure no longer has any relevance to this fps requirement.
The issue is, if there is no readily available documentation to support that it falls in the admissible range, it gets seized and sent to the RCMP testing purgatory for a few months to a year or more to check that it meets standards.. or it gets destroyed. Getting it 'upgraded' by the retailer to meet the minimum standards is not good enough - CBSA will not take the word of the retailer at face value. There needs to be supporting manufacturer documentation/offical packaging statement of FPS available for CBSA scrutiny, to prove that it meets the minimum standards.
The 'major US manufacturer' has probably been burned with Canadian customers upset with guns purchased from that manufacturer being seized by CBSA, and reversing their VISA charges, or contesting Paypal, or whatever. This is likely where their reluctance is coming from, along with their lack of understanding of the clear requirements for importation to Canada. If they don't have their ducks in a row, or are giving you confusing information, like it sounds like it is the case with this US retailer, then don't take the chance of ordering from them, period.
If you do your research on retailers in Canada, you'll find prices have come down enough that ordering from the US isn't quite the bargain that it used to be, once you have tallied up shipping fees, import duties, and the potential hassle involved.
Customs Notice 12-005 is the latest memorandum to come out from CBSA in regard to airsoft, and it's standards are current. Not all CBSA border agents are aware of the standards, which sometimes results in seizure, and an extended period spent in RCMP testing purgatory on the "when in doubt" principle.
November 1st, 2012, 01:53
