Ammo from the US

General Gun Chat
1

G’day just wondering if anyone here has any experience importing ammunition from America?
I know I have to get a B709A but wondered if anyone here had done it and could impart some of the experienc here.
Just for info I was looking at surplus 8x57 mauser ammo which appears nobody has over here.
Cheers Bushy

2

Oohh boy. First, @Brett, jump in. Second, I know this is not what you asked, however, have you considered reloading.

Third, here you go:
Https://www.rebelgunworks.com.au/collections/centrefire-ammo/caliber_8x57

They have flat $60 shipping rate and I have used them to ship ammo a couple of times. Pretty easy process.

As for your original question, the issue is not Australia. Here, you fill in the import form and have it approved. The issue is USA exporting. It’s considered a restricted item for export and requires the other end to be an exporter and registered something or other. Essentially a dealer with export permits. Then they will need to fill one for you. Around USD150. Then shipping by weight and by sea. Very expensive and would most likely cost you more than bullets, brass, powder, primers, new Mauser and reloading equipment.

I’ll post a list of USA exporters later tonight, but believe me, unless it’s something absolutely unattainable here (Mauser ammo is not rare), it’s certainly not worth it (unless you do thousands and thousands of rounds).

3

Thanks that is the kind of information I was looking for, yes I reload and have also seen the ammo from rebel. I was just looking at some millitary surplus stuff over there still all packed up in original crates, I haven’t seen any surplus stuff except the odd box of 15 here and there in Aus. My ammo supplier has some 8mm factory rounds ordered for me but nearly everything is on a long back order apparently.

4

The short answer is it’s just not worth the expense, I import projectiles and brass from the US a few times a year and buy in bulk to “save” money. I’m talking 3-5k AUD per shipment just to spread the costs over a greater number of items. There’s a reason why most of the big importers (NIOA, Herrons, Winchester) only get 1-2 shipments of ammo, primers, powder a year and it’s due to the massive cost of DG Shipping. You could try and get a quote from DG Shipping but I think the shear weight of the item would cost s small fortune let alone weight AND dangerous goods. I shipped 20kg of barrel and action a couple years ago and freight alone was over $1100 and then add local brokerage, duties, taxes and dealer pickup.
Is this ammo available elsewhere, NZ maybe? That might me a cheaper alternative.

5

I am back… Alright, so few things… Mauser ammo is available in AU, Rebbel for example. Try www.centrewayfirearms.com.au too, they are (a) awesome; (b) usually have everything I am after. And I am after some weird stuff sometimes; © will knock off a few dollars if you stock up there.

Failing that, I am going to make an assumption that you want miIsurp ammo, because you have a milsurp rifle and it’s awsome to have a set… Believe me, I understand. Really, I do, it’s almost OCD, but not quite. My white whale is the 7.5x55 Swiss GP11 ammo. Zero in Australia and drying up all over the world.

As a side note: @no1mk3 - you have weird stuff, if you have a spare box or more, I am right here :slight_smile:

I have looked into this before. There’s really no easy way @Bushy, it can be done, but you will pay and you will need to do the leg work. First look at these two pages:

Make a list, email everyone, state what you are after, where you are and ask about the fees. Some will respond, some won’t.

I have had this conversation with one shop Stateside. Not cheap, but this should serve as some sort a guide, about costs (this is the numbers I got form them). I am not posting their name, because I am not sure if it would be in their commercial interests to advertise this, but if you are interested, PM me and I will let you know.

First, you will need to fill in that B-something form. You will then need to send it to the exporter. Following that:

  • Export permit from US, done by exporter on your behalf: USD250.00.
  • Freight: sorry, I got it backwards, by air only, not by sea.
  • Starting price for shipment (regardless of quantity): USD800.00 - USD900.00
  • USD800.00 - USD900.00 will cover 20kg - 60kg by weight.

If you are serious about it and will commit, post here. If enough people show interest I will setup a private category for you, where people can organise a batch import and as a group offset shipping fees.

6

Thanks for all the info it’s very helpful and you are 100% correct, have a milsurp rifle and would love milsurp ammo to go with it. I’ll keep looking into it and if I decide to take any action I’ll post up here for any others who may be interested.

Thanks again

7

Try the next Militaria expo in Melbourne. 100% you’ll find milsurp, likely Yugoslavian, possibly German too, but more of a collection than shooting.