Firearm Importation question (USA)

[LAR-15]

From the BATFE website:

31. Q. Are there any restrictions on the types of guns I can bring into the United States for hunting or for a shooting competition?

A. Yes. Unregistered National Firearms Act weapons (which include machineguns, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and silencers); U.S. government origin firearms or firearms that contain U.S. government origin manufactured parts or components; and firearms from certain proscribed countries. If you think the firearm(s) you wish to import may be affected by these restrictions, please contact the Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch.


What does the part in bold mean?

Thanks

 

[MGshaggy]

Primarily it refers to weapons made by the US and provided to other nations during WWII under the lend-lease program. It would also extend to weapons made in the US and exported under other arms sales agreements and programs. Once it leaves the US, its not suppossed to come back.

 

[Prince Yamato]

I don't think that's correct, because we get M1s from Greece. They were made in the US, exported to Greece, reimported to us.

I think that line means you can't get an M16 from a place like Vietnam or Iraq. It's probably to prevent foreign nations from having incentive to steal weapons from US barracks or dead US soldiers.

 

[bigjohnson]

Prince Yamato.....

The M1s from Greece were imported by the Defense Department and then transferred to CMP. Just because the government can import US government surplus doesn't mean a private citizen can. Century Arms tried to import a bunch of M1s through Canada, and was unable to get them in. They ended up importing all the parts except the receivers, and then making up a bunch of new cast receivers to put the parts on. The original receivers are still in Canada.

 

[LAR-15]

Ah OK.

Thanks

That sounds silly