Importing Bayonets into Australia
 

Occasionally we see Australian Bayonets on eBay and other sites and I have been wondering how easy or difficult it is to import these weapons into Australia. Anyone have any personal experience in this matter I would be grateful to hear from you. Thank you

Hi Lionheart
I have had no experience in this matter but there is a TV programme on Sky TV in England which is about the Australian Customs Service. (They are very thorough)
Everything goes through scanners sent from other countries and from watching it it will show the shape of a weapon of some sort, and then there's the customs sticker which would have the description of what was in the package which would have to match the item.
My advice would be to check with your Customs Office or maybe you local Post Office to see what the policy is on the transportation of weapons to Australia.
Sorry can't be of more help
Good luck
Paul.

I once tried to find out from Canada Customs about the possibility of bringing my grandad's old kukri into Canada. It was unclear whether it did or did not constitute a "prohibited weapon". It also didn't help that whoever I spoke to didn't know what a kukri was, and didn't seem any the wiser when I tried to explain. And I'm sure that wasn't my doing! The upshot is, it's still in the UK.

David

G’day Lionheart

Well as any politician in Canberra will tell you we are one nation and as such have one law that covers your question.

If you believe that I have this Opera House I would like to sell you.

Not only does every state and territory have its own version of ‘The Law’ but every customs office and customs officer interprets it differently.

From memory single edge knives (read bayonets) can be imported into Australia without any problems. You cannot import double edged knives/daggers.

However because politicians change the import rules more often than they change their socks that information could have changed.

But now the good news, there is a form you can download from the Australian customs web site for edged weapons (I think it’s a B709B) but you can work that out when you look.

Fill in all details (you must have a reason for import) submit it to the Police Firearms Branch and they will approve or deny import.

Once approved order away, if possible send the seller a copy and ask they include it in the parcel.

It works I did it last year with no problems when I imported a double edged dagger, funnily enough I didn’t bother with the form when I imported a sword.

Oh! and more good news the import form and police approval are FREE :)

Cheers
John

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4372.asp

As mentioned above:

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/re...cationTest.pdf

example of form

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/re...710AUG2009.pdf

Australian police would like to ban all knives, including bayonets, but such a law is unenforceable. I have just been cutting up some meat for dinner with a large butchers knife that would do a lot more damage than a bayonet if I used it on someone.
Knives, pocketknives and bayonets are legal at home but you commit an offence if you carry it when you go out, unless you have a good reason. One of my cousins was stopped by the police because he was carrying a knife but it was OK when he explained that he worked at a woolstore and used it all the time to cut open wool bales.
I think the old 'double edged' nonsense became out of date when newer legistation replaced it. Years ago, I heard of someone importing a Malay dagger with a gold hilt encrusted with jewels, and received the hilt and the scabbard with the blade cut off by Customs. The mind boggles.
I once imported a bayonet and just asked the sender to label it "cutlery item" (which it IS). I had no trouble because it is not illegal. I wouldn't bother about politically correct import forms.

I don't know about importing bayonets into Austrailia but you don't need to import explosives as they give you them on arrival:).
Eddie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/29172383

G'day Lionheart

Deleted owing to lack of interest !

Regards

Phil.

Importing bayonets
 

When I emigrated I brought with me a collection of Trench Art shell casings, amongst which were two that had no markings but were included for education purposes. Customs at Brisbane seized the two un-marked cases but let the remainder through even though prior advice was that they were ok to bring with me. The reason was that the casings were 'weapons of war'. I was threatened with 10 years imprisonment and AU$250,000 fine.

I fought the seizure and won, but the relevance to bayonets is this- no two Australian Government departments could agree as to whether or not I had done something illegal: I needed an import licence, or did I need an Ammunition Collectors Permit; a licence from Queensland Mines...

I received both shell cases back after they had 1mm holes drilled in them to prevent their being re-used, but the moral of the story is don't believe a word they say or write on their web-pages, and be prepared to write reams of letters, and fill innumerable forms.

After my experience I wouldn't try to import a bayonet Downunder just in case.

Stephen.

Hi Lionheart,

Sorry for my late reply to this, just spotted it.

As a collectable military knife dealer (English but based in the US) I have many Australian clients and export to Australia often. I normally sell fighting knife which are restricted and 'do' need an import permit due to them being double edged (daggers). As far as I am aware bayonets don't need an import permit.

If you would like further info or to chat more on this topic, please don't hesitate to drop me a PM.

Cheers, Roy.

Lots of bayonets, double edged knives, kukris are legally imported into Australia.
Get the proper permit if you need one and there shouldn't be a problem. BTW whatever is written on the official site or in the permit they have to stand by.

G'day Lionheart

deleted owing to lack of interest.

Phil.

Its a pitty that I went to the trouble to post this info, no body is interested in acknowledging that it was posted.

Not happpy Jan !

It is disappointing when the effort one puts in to be helpful appears to go unacknowledged but I guess that is the way of things.

You would have thought that the originator of this thread would have checked back for responses to his question but it appears even that has not been the case. A quick check of Forum activity indicates that his post on 12/09/14, the post that started this thread, was the last time he was active on the Forum and his activity prior to that appears to have been been very irregular. Not that we expect everyone to be regular.

Though it does seem odd to ask a question and then not check back to see what responses it may have elicited, who knows what problems he may be experiencing.

Donny B.

Hi Donny, To true, not to worry. Your advice on photos is still sitting by computer to be put into use, heres hoping !

Cheers

Phil.