Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats ITAR bull$#!t

finally got a response from those I've voted for.

Bunch of crap IMO.

I say screw the informal agreement and tell Senator Menendez to pound sand. He's just trying to stall this until Trump is out of office.

Reply below:
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Hi James,

I wanted to follow up on the email you sent our office regarding International Traffic in Arms Regulations. I did some checking and got the following update:

In a February 26, 2019, letter (attached) to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Senator Menendez wrote that he has placed a "hold on the congressional notification" of the USML transfers described above. The Senator invoked the authority contained in AECA Section 38(f), which requires the President to notify the HFAC and the SFRC at least 30 days before removing any article from the USML. Such notification must be "in accordance with the procedures applicable to reprogramming notifications under section 634A(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961." These reprogramming notifications do not require congressional approval, but there is an informal arrangement by which committee Members can place a hold on the notice . According to the letter, Menendez's hold, which prevents the USML changes notified on February 4 from taking effect, "will remain in place until such time as" issues concerning Congressional review and 3D Gun Printing "are sufficiently addressed." A State Department official told CRS on June 19 that the status of the USML categories remains unchanged.

Please let me know if you have questions or would like to discuss this further.

Thanks,

Jack Wagon senator's letter:
Menendez hold_Page_1 by JAMES ANDERSON, on [bleep]

Menendez hold_Page_2 by JAMES ANDERSON, on [bleep]

Menendez hold_Page_3 by JAMES ANDERSON, on [bleep]

Menendez hold_Page_4 by JAMES ANDERSON, on [bleep]

Menendez hold_Page_5 by JAMES ANDERSON, on [bleep]

Twist?

Oh, BLANK you, New Jersey.

wasn't Menendez supposed to be in prison?

Left hand ,maybe?

Why should we care about regulations that prohibit shipping firearms and ammunition outside of the U.S.?

Cause since obummer the state dept wants $2250/year from gunsmiths. with the potential of millions in fines if we do not comply.

Is this what drove I,T&D out of business?

As we who live in Canada know, these regulations were put in place long before Obama and became more onerous during eight years of GWB. I like to be able to blame the Democrats for everything too but once the bureaucracy gets their teeth into something, party lines are meaningless. The State Dept. got the ability given to them and they ran with it. Because they have learned, over the years, how things work, they started small, with regulations which were not too difficult to follow, then rapidly increased the requirements until it made it nearly impossible to do business. Typically, there were some businesses which were largely OK with this for two reasons: they could afford it and they welcomed the elimination of some competition.
The thing is, ITAR is a prime case of the government interfering in the marketplace. Free enterprise is a myth. Cabelas paid a big fine for shipping some scope rings. A dealer in New Mexico paid a big fine he couldn't afford for sending a target scope to Canada.
The whole business is not about preventing arms sales to foriegn countries; it's about controlling the trade and the merchants within the US. All aspects of the arms trade are under attack and those who ask, "Why should we care?" are complicit. Ultimately, small business takes the hit because nobody cares enough to try and prevent it or correct it.
When the regulations first came into effect, they were not really advertised and were not enforced. Business figured, "If we just keep our heads down, maybe it will go away". Well, it didn't go away but those who wanted to export stuff thought, "What the heck, we can handle it", and they could; until the regulations got worse. Today, I wouldn't want to try and start gunsmithing in the US and I quit gunsmithing in Canada when I could no longer buy barrel blanks or scope mounts without a bunch of hassle, extra costs, and permits.
Gun Control happens on many fronts and ITAR is one of them. GD

Because for every bit of these regulations that cover normal sporting rifles (and I mean Rem700, Ruger No.1, Model 70 type rifles, not AR15 clones) prevent free market access by American manufacturers to the global market.

There is a much bigger market out there than the US, but it has costs added to it that make American products dis-proportionally expensive when compared to those made in other parts of the world. Some idiot is going to say "but American is better!". No. No it isn't. As good as maybe, better in isolated circumstances, maybe. Better in general? Have you looked at the standard of American manufactured products lately? Leupold, Remington, etc. tell a different story.

Hot tip, the rest of the world makes actions, barrels, sights, scopes, bullets, brass, etc. and they make damn good ones for less than an American one costs in Europe, Australia/NZ and Africa. Hell most of the popular powders for reloading are made in Australia, Canada and Switzerland!

US products cost more, but do not usually offer a quality that is measurably better. That cost differential is down to ITAR compliance costs.

While I agree the ITAR fees are a $#!t sandwich, I would intensely disagree concerning the level of quality. The high end custom rifle world I live in has loads of competition here in the US. It's a fun hobby for so many very talented smiths that do it just for fun and don't have to make a living at it. Many, probably most of these, don't have all their ducks in a row when it comes down to registering with the state dept every year for $2250. Hell many don't even have an ffl or tax license. This surplus of talent pool not having to play by all the rules keeps the price of high end customs much lower than the average world market. In europe they don't hand out FFLs like candy and keep the number of gunmakers at a much lower level. This eliminates competition and drives the prices to a much higher average than in the US. Due to the massive amount of competition in the US, the quality of the top makers is second to none on the world stage.

I was mainly talking components, not finished rifles/shotguns.

For those, well we will have to disagree.

If I am looking for a high end custom rifle be it a Dangerous Game CRF or double, or a nice balanced deer hunting rifle European (and English) makers make the best rifles in the world, a spectacular fusion of wood, metal and balance. It is the same for shotguns. As you note, in these countries being a dealer is not the same as being a gunsmith. The second is a qualification earned through hard work and demonstrating complex skills, much more than registering for an FFL and trade account with Brownells.

If I was looking for a Western Sheep rifle I would look to an American builder as the Europeans just don't seem to get light, robust and packable. They also don't get varmiters and precision (aka PRS style rifles) as this is not a style of hunting practiced in much of Europe.

Every American manufacturing niche has its own trade association to look out for its interests and to lobby for it in WDC. If American firearms and optics manufacturers feel that this is causing them harm, why aren't they and the NRA fighting, or fighting harder, for it to be revised?

I live in the U.S. and don't have any reason to buy American products over seas. When I go to Europe, I take what I need to take and buy whatever I need/want to buy on the local economy. I don't see the link between declining American manufacturing quality and their higher costs over seas.

Years ago, Savage and Anschutz had an agreement where Anschutz firearms were imported and sold in the U.S. as "Savage - Anschutz" and Savage firearms were exported and sold in Europe as "Anschutz - Savage". The only American sporting firearms that I ever saw in West Germany were owned by U.S. military service members and had been purchased thought the morale and recreation outdoor sports programs.

If the comments on this site truly reflect the sporting rifle universe, the Finnish Tikkas are currently thought of as the best standard production high volume centerfire rifles, better than those made in the U.S. by Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage, and Winchester.

It is my understaning that the requirement for ITAR certification only applies to companies, dealers and gunsmiths who intend to EXPORT or IMPORT firearms and or parts.

doesn't matter if you ex or import. if you thread a barrel, or do just about any kind of gunsmithing state dept says you need to register $2250 a year.

This was all going to go away until the jacka$$ sen from NJ who allegedly frequents the Dominican Republic in search of underage hookers wrote the stupid letter above.

quick summary here
https://mobile.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201804&RIN=1400-AE30

From your link...

“Therefore manufacturers and exporters of only items transitioned from the United States Munitions List to the Commerce Control List, such as most commercially available firearms and ammunition, will no longer be required to register or pay a fee as part of compliance with U.S. export controls.”

Hey you read the link!
It's a very big deal and great for US gunsmiths and customers of them if it gets past that jc&@$$ letter posted above.

Because the Obama admin says it applies to gunsmiths as well. But as written it could also be construed to cover ammo and components,the private sale of guns, casting bullets, reloading even for personal use and the “publishing” and “dissemination” of information on guns/ammo which would cover most of the posts on here and just about every thing dealing with guns and ammo you could imagine It’s the most insidious form of under the table gun control if it isn’t stopped.

I've been waiting for the day when the ITAR charade gets eradicated. It makes it a real chore to get scopes, rifles, barrels, bullets, and just about everything else that we enjoy from the US.

You and me both, brother!