The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

saddler wrote:The £25 per shipment is TNT within the UK

Getting the powder shipped from the USA by sea - $£$£$£$ - MY GUESS: the shipping from the USA will kill the idea stone dead.

Why do you think the importers bring powders in in bulk? To spread out the shipping costs otherwise the exercise would be futile

Thats obvious... but why then, when its done by bulk does it look like it could be a viable exercise to import such a small quantity and still save money over what we get charged over here?...

...someones lining their pockets in the chain... And I for one am looking for a way round it...

JUST PHONED A SHIPPING AGENT

Are you sitting down?

To have ANY small shipment sent by sea they are talking of a MINIMUM of £200 per shipment.
THEN
Mention hazardous goods to them = oops

The powder WILL need to be repacked by an approved firm/agent in the USA - add £100 or so
THEN
The shipping costs WILL rise substantially from the £200 for non-hazardous - possibly double as a minimum

SO

Read my first post again....

Hmm... well I'm still looking but Air might not be completely out of the question...

"Gun Powder or Primers - Shipped by UPS Air, $35.00 Hazardous Material fees."

Just trying to find some more information!

Saddler - I can see why you want to prove yourself right, that its a futile exercise, but I'd rather thought you'd want to be wrong, and be putting in just as much effort to find out how we can get better prices in this country (or get it shipped in cheaper), rather than trying to find every point at which I may fall :(

TattooedGun wrote:Hmm... well I'm still looking but Air might not be completely out of the question...

"Gun Powder or Primers - Shipped by UPS Air, $35.00 Hazardous Material fees."

Just trying to find some more information!

Saddler - I can see why you want to prove yourself right, that its a futile exercise, but I'd rather thought you'd want to be wrong, and be putting in just as much effort to find out how we can get better prices in this country (or get it shipped in cheaper), rather than trying to find every point at which I may fall :(

WHERE did you find that quote of $35 HazMat Fees?
You DO know that the $35 is JUST the fee for the extra paperwork - right??

I'm NOT just doing this to prove myself right: seems that this is turning into another edumacation exercise for the chappie from the black country

Having worked for some of the main importers in the past AND having trade acocunts WITH some of the other main importers, I have some experience and knowledge of the costs/paperwork issues involved

SOME components - ok, they CAN be shipped into the UK for a LOT LESS than UK prices; presses, dies, cases, etc., i.e. INERT LUMPS OF METAL
Hazardous items = FORGET IT

Unless your real name is Victor Kiam or Richard Branson, or you have access to daddies private LearJet - it's a non-starter

I've been trying to import a 2-pack set of epoxy paint for over 3 years - I AM trying to find better/cheaper ways of doing things - BUT SADLY some items are NOT viable to bring in...
2-pack epoxy paints and reloading powder are on that list

What about Europe as an alternative source?

ovenpaa wrote:What about Europe as an alternative source?

I was waiting for the penny to drop with someone but a certain someone seems to have his gaze fixed firmly in a Westerly direction!

Look East = BIG land mass which we are currently joined to for economic & political reasons of convenience (who's convenience I've yet to discover! )

It IS possible, in theory to buy in from one of the EEC countries - but the shipping costs are still a pain and there is also the added factor that IF it is USA made powder that you are 100% firmly intent on buying, then someone in that other EEC country will just have paid a huge sum to have it sent to them from the land of the big PX...
To avoid the shipping costs - it's down to personal importation - i.e. IN PERSON

Some airlines WILL allow it - but UP TO 5kg
Ferries - you MAY be allowed to carry powder, BUT you MUST declare it to the ships captain: it's then at his discretion PLUS it may also depend on Ferry company rules

Again - if it didn't go off with a bang there'd not be a huge problem

saddler wrote:

TattooedGun wrote:Hmm... well I'm still looking but Air might not be completely out of the question...

"Gun Powder or Primers - Shipped by UPS Air, $35.00 Hazardous Material fees."

Just trying to find some more information!

Saddler - I can see why you want to prove yourself right, that its a futile exercise, but I'd rather thought you'd want to be wrong, and be putting in just as much effort to find out how we can get better prices in this country (or get it shipped in cheaper), rather than trying to find every point at which I may fall :(

WHERE did you find that quote of $35 HazMat Fees?
You DO know that the $35 is JUST the fee for the extra paperwork - right??

I'm NOT just doing this to prove myself right: seems that this is turning into another edumacation exercise for the chappie from the black country

Having worked for some of the main importers in the past AND having trade acocunts WITH some of the other main importers, I have some experience and knowledge of the costs/paperwork issues involved

SOME components - ok, they CAN be shipped into the UK for a LOT LESS than UK prices; presses, dies, cases, etc., i.e. INERT LUMPS OF METAL
Hazardous items = FORGET IT

Unless your real name is Victor Kiam or Richard Branson, or you have access to daddies private LearJet - it's a non-starter

I've been trying to import a 2-pack set of epoxy paint for over 3 years - I AM trying to find better/cheaper ways of doing things - BUT SADLY some items are NOT viable to bring in...
2-pack epoxy paints and reloading powder are on that list

I realise its an additional fee, and it was listed on a reloading suppliers website.

I'm currently sifting through the mountains of information within the UPS system to find out where it stands...

as such I have found the following table of acceptable items to ship:

http://www.ups.com/media/en/acceptedtable_apr_2012.pdf

Page 14, rows either 2/3 or 4/5 are relevant to gun powder.

Now I just need to find out how to go about shipping HazMat - It may be that you need specific training in order to do it. Or it could be that you can pop it into a depot, fully packaged. But the door is open for flight bound sending, with a max of 10kg, 2 tubs is still under the weight limit imposed... so it could still be a viable way of doing things...

Ovenpaa - Europe is indeed another option, but I wouldn't know where to look, and unfortunately I don't speak the language of a good deal of locations in it... :(

TattooedGun wrote:I have found the following table of acceptable items to ship:

http://www.ups.com/media/en/acceptedtable_apr_2012.pdf

Page 14, rows either 2/3 or 4/5 are relevant to gun powder.

But the door is open for flight bound sending, with a max of 10kg, 2 tubs is still under the weight limit imposed... so it could still be a viable way of doing things...

Ovenpaa - Europe is indeed another option, but I wouldn't know where to look, and unfortunately I don't speak the language of a good deal of locations in it... :(

I'd bloody hope so - have you any idea how many brands of powder I've been looking for from the USA that have no UK importer?

Oh, the better parts of Europe DO speak some English as otherwise they'd mostly have been speaking German without our input!

Thank God that the days of massed crowds paying homage to a lone Teutonic figure on a balcony, in a silly hat, are way behind us:

Nice to see he's not forgotten the salute he learned in the HJ...

saddler wrote: To avoid the shipping costs - it's down to personal importation - i.e. IN PERSON

Some airlines WILL allow it - but UP TO 5kg
Ferries - you MAY be allowed to carry powder, BUT you MUST declare it to the ships captain: it's then at his discretion PLUS it may also depend on Ferry company rules

Again - if it didn't go off with a bang there'd not be a huge problem

Unfortunately Virgin Airlines do not allow powder, and I think its a TSA forbidden item too :(

Source: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ ... ems.shtm#6

I did see some VV powder in Denmark last year for GBP20ish/Kg however it was obscure numbers. I know I can get N140 for around GBP54/Kg in DK right now so 5Kg tubs would be cheaper. Moving powder and ammunition is never a problem and they are yet to appear phased by the quantities we move in and out of the country, typically 1500-2000 rounds at a time so modest but still handy numbers.