Gun seized at border, and I need help to get it back! Airsoft Expertise required!!

[Taco.Time]

Hello everyone,

I need help digging up info about my East Crane M4 CQB Engraved Edition airsoft rifle to help me out! I bought it in Bangkok, and when I flew back into Canada they said the rifle was classified as a replica firearm so it was seized. I appealed the decision as I had used it a bunch of times in Bangkok, and I brought it here in all its original packaging and boxes and stuff, with the owner's manual, too... but the owner's manual was apparently missing the information on the FPS of the gun. Because it didn't specify the exact velocity the border people said it was a replica... so now every time I re-enter Canada, I get harassed and inspected like crazy because I "failed to report a replica firearm".

Anyone have any experience purchasing East Crane guns here in Canada? I found a few suppliers, but I need a bit more info on guns that are as close to identical to mine as possible. Anyone know of any Canadian importers or suppliers that could help me out?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!

[Desmodus]

AFAIK, you needed to be able to prove that it shoots at/above 366 fps? (Someone with more knowledge correct me?). The form you needed was a Y38 I believe?

[L473ncy]

Well I guess let this be a lesson to declare your stuff. I'm pretty sure we preach this all the time in al the threads from at least 7 or 8 years ago.

Can you get it tested at a ballistics facility? I think it usually goes to the RCMP firearms testing facility but they're probably backlogged with more important things like testing actual firearms used in crimes than pew pew guns for BBwarz.

@ Desmodus: Y38 was only for reimportation, ie. taking it out to the US for a milsim and bringing it back (also don't lose that sticker or you'll be fucked).

[Danke]

A lawyer to appeal the decision and get the flag removed from your name should be your first resort.

Random advice via some guy from a chatroom won't sway the CBSA.

Thanks for volunteering to be a real good anecdote though.

[Kokanee]

Forget about your gun, it's gone. Move on with your life.

[Foxer2373]

Your flag will never go away, once it's there it's there and you will be randomly selected each time. You need to prove "your" gun shoots over 366fps they will not care if you find a website saying it should shoot over that amount.

Please read your customs card it says in big letters "if you are not sure please declare"

I may be wrong in how you explained it but the way you have it written is you did not declare a fire arm at all and if that is the case you deserve what you got. If you declared it and they want proof it shoots over 366fps then that is a diffrent story and an easy fix of exactly that prove it. Welcome to the CBSA guilty until you prove otherwise.

[lurkingknight]

even guns declared to shoot in the proper threshold of fps are subject to random testing when the cbsa feels like it. your manuals and websites mean nothing at this point. You have not mentioned what fps it shoots at, did you even get it tested?

ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Most responsible airsoft communities in canada will have had had many discussions on proper import procedure and what needs to be on hand or done prior to import.

[hollywood...]

Originally Posted by Kokanee

Forget about your gun, it's gone. Move on with your life.

^----- That

[MaybeStopCalling]

You should consider yourself very lucky if you ever got removed from CBSA's watchlist.

[ThunderCactus]

Originally Posted by Foxer2373

Your flag will never go away, once it's there it's there and you will be randomly selected each time.

1) you can be flagged for a certain period of time, like 1-5 years. Takes a lot of resources to watch everyone who's ever been flagged ever, forever.

2) I always lol in my head when they tell me I've been "selected randomly for extra security". Like, bitch I know it's not random, just tell me the reason.

[Adamlxlx]

Flagging is 7 years.

[L473ncy]

Brown people seem to get "randomly selected" more often than white people.

I think if you see 4 S's on your plane ticket you'll always get "randomly" selected at the airport.

[Taco.Time]

Yeah... I now feel the pain that victims of discrimination face. I'm just a victim of my own stupidity though. The thing was only seized because the FPS wasn't specifically stated in the owner's manual, although all the east crane guns fire at 400FPS, according to the website and other Canadian sites that sell E&C guns. I needed specific information on my specific model of the gun to help with my case, though, since that information was missing from the owner's manual (although I wasn't allowed to take a copy of the owner's manual or get more specific information once they'd taken the thing to the back room).

I'm posting here in case anyone has a similar rifle, or knows of Canadian suppliers / East-Crane distributors that I could contact to get more information, and then forward that information as part of my appeal. I have until the end of the month to make my case stronger, after which point it goes up to lord knows where for another few months of processing and (apparantly) testing the thing before a decision is made. That, or if anyone knows a good lawyer / litigator service to help plead my case or plead for some sort of leniency since it wasn't my intent to bring a replica firearm into the country (I left behind other valuable items in Bangkok to make room for it! Aieee!).

[PEACHTREE]

Dude !

Brown people! That's not nice .......lol.....

I have done a lot of flying in the last ten years and I was f ing molested every time. Picked for every single time. Even when I was in full dress uniform.

I know how you feel my friend.

I am as white as marshmallows...... Lol

We get it too.

[Kokanee]

It will cost you more in lawyer's fees that the value of the rifle; don't piss away good money after bad. It's not like East Crane is even a mid level brand anyway.