Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Questions about Federal gun laws covering all of Australia. Importing / exporting firearms and ammunition. Dealing with Australian Border Force, Customs etc.

Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Post by Biscuits » 28 Nov 2021, 9:20 am

Aus citizen, but have a UK firearms licence, live in UK and no Australian firearms licence. I’m in NSW at the moment.

I want to buy an elevating picatinny scope rail for extreme long range shooting. Vendor is in NSW and will be posting it to me in NSW. I want to take the rail with me back to the U.K. Rail would not be attached to anything, no scope attached, no rifle attached. It would just be a machined lump of aluminium.

Couple of questions.
1. Vendor has a note in their email that I am self-certifying that I am licenced to buy it. I thought rails were not controlled parts in Aus/NSW? It may be a generic note though as they sell other firearms parts besides rails.

1. Would there be any difficulty in taking this in hand carry baggage on an airplane, including a transit security check in Hong Kong? And can I claim the GST back at Sydney airport? Claiming the GST is why I want to take it hand carry; it’s an $800 rail.
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Re: Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Post by bladeracer » 28 Nov 2021, 10:17 am

Biscuits wrote:Aus citizen, but have a UK firearms licence, live in UK and no Australian firearms licence. I’m in NSW at the moment.

I want to buy an elevating picatinny scope rail for extreme long range shooting. Vendor is in NSW and will be posting it to me in NSW. I want to take the rail with me back to the U.K. Rail would not be attached to anything, no scope attached, no rifle attached. It would just be a machined lump of aluminium.

Couple of questions.
1. Vendor has a note in their email that I am self-certifying that I am licenced to buy it. I thought rails were not controlled parts in Aus/NSW? It may be a generic note though as they sell other firearms parts besides rails.

1. Would there be any difficulty in taking this in hand carry baggage on an airplane, including a transit security check in Hong Kong? And can I claim the GST back at Sydney airport? Claiming the GST is why I want to take it hand carry; it’s an $800 rail.


Not controlled in any state. Could possibly have import/export restrictions but I doubt it. Could just be arse-covering because of NSW ridiculous laws.

No idea about carry-on luggage but it is a decent lump of metal that could potentially be used as a club I guess. Would they allow you to take a brick on board in carry-on luggage?

No idea about GST (which is only $80), but your intention is to bring it back again anyway, correct? Can the seller ship it directly to your UK address?

Is the system set up to allow Australian citizens to buy products in Australia, take them out of Australia for the afternoon, bring them back to Australia, and not pay GST on them? I thought it was only allowed on products that were not coming back into the country?
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Re: Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Post by bladeracer » 28 Nov 2021, 11:24 am

I just asked my girlfriend as she's an accountant.
She suggests you have the seller export it directly to the UK, then they won't need to charge you the GST (it's technically possible that if you came back with it the following week you could be required to pay the GST though, as on most imports). Unless you are registered for GST (basically a business entity) then you will have to pay GST when you buy it. And, once paid, you have no recourse to claim the GST back at some later point.

Frankly, it's $80, it's not worth the expenses of trying to avoid it. You're an Aussie citizen coming back here to live anyway, pay the tax.
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Re: Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Post by Biscuits » 28 Nov 2021, 1:02 pm

^ On the claiming the GST, this is a genuine export which complies with the letter and the spirit of the law.

It’s going to be at least a year before I return to Aus to live. Anything I bring in to Aus when I return to Aus to live will either be GST exempt as a personal import or I’ll have to pay GST on it, depending on what it is.
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Re: Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Post by bladeracer » 28 Nov 2021, 1:17 pm

Biscuits wrote:^ On the claiming the GST, this is a genuine export which complies with the letter and the spirit of the law.

It’s going to be at least a year before I return to Aus to live. Anything I bring in to Aus when I return to Aus to live will either be GST exempt as a personal import or I’ll have to pay GST on it, depending on what it is.


Is it an export if the company is selling it to a person here in Australia though? The company has to charge you the GST unless you have something you can give them to cover them if they don't charge you.
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Re: Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Post by cz515 » 28 Nov 2021, 4:15 pm

Hi biscuits. Last time I went OS, in the airport after you clear customs there is an office to refund GST on purchases. The idea was if you have bought someone from Australia but taking it out with you you could claim the gst.

The issues I think were they are not open very late, they require a minimum invoice amount. And you had to hand both the item and the recipt on you to claim.

Look that up, I dunno if they still operate during covid
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Re: Picatinny rails/controlled parts.

Post by Biscuits » 28 Nov 2021, 5:41 pm

bladeracer wrote:
Is it an export if the company is selling it to a person here in Australia though? The company has to charge you the GST unless you have something you can give them to cover them if they don't charge you.


Yes, this is standard practice. You pay the GST inclusive price when you buy it. You claim back the GST at the airport. Has to be over $300 on the receipt (but can be multiple items total over $300. Has to be within 30 days of purchase. Has to have sellers ABN number on the receipt.

Actually I’m reminded that there is an Aus customs office before security where you can claim back the GST on liquid products which won’t pass security. I may pole up there and see if I can off the GST there and check it in.
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