So that's why my order never arrived

[Angel Eyes]

Sig 553s. 737 of them. Along with 72 Swiss made grenade launchers.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/08/22/container-full-assault-rifles-grenade-launchers-headed-usa-seized-spain/

http://spanishnewstoday.com/809-us_bound-firearms-seized-at-the-port-of-algeciras_78736-a.html

According to the second link, the firearms do not have serial numbers on them.



Unserialized firearms and grenade launchers being shipped from Ghana to the U.S.  Is Obama running guns to Mexican cartels again?

 

[230RN]

^

According to the second link, the firearms do not have serial numbers on them.

Apparently this is not a unique problem with imported milsurps.
  
As I understand it, before importer's serial numbers had to be placed on imports, many Carcanos didn't have serial numbers.

From what I gather, serial numbers on Carcanos were placed on the barrels rather than the actions (receivers).  The story is that  gunsmiths in Italy replaced many barrels with ones without serial numbers and they were imported to the U.S. that way. A lot of them have duplicate serial numbers or are just marked "Made in Italy."

This was of course before serial numbering became an absolutely critical necessity in reducing crime.   

Terry

[dogmush]

Pretty sure Sig put serials on all 553'sides.

They only came out in 2008. Not sure they are on the surplus market quite yet.

[Scout26]

I told my Daughter in Kumasi, Ghana not to ship those through Spain.   But does she listen?   Noooooooo.

(j/k  but she is in Kumasi, Ghana working in an orphanage)


Any bets on those being ISIS bound weapons?  (Using Ghana as a starting point should have avoided any problems with Customs, but putting "Firearms" on the BoL blew that cover wide open...) 

[brimic]

^
Apparently this is not a unique problem with imported milsurps.
  
As I understand it, before importer's serial numbers had to be placed on imports, many Carcanos didn't have serial numbers.

From what I gather, serial numbers on Carcanos were placed on the barrels rather than the actions (receivers).  The story is that  gunsmiths in Italy replaced many barrels with ones without serial numbers and they were imported to the U.S. that way. A lot of them have duplicate serial numbers or are just marked "Made in Italy."

This was of course before serial numbering became an absolutely critical necessity in reducing crime.   

Terry

Century started electro penciling serial numbers on all of their imports several years ago, especially mosins, can't remember why though, if it was because of Cyrillic characters or because the serial number is on the barrel and not always on the receiver

[MechAg94]

The interesting thing to think about is how many containers like this slipped through into the US already and who has them?

[Fly320s]

The interesting thing to think about is how many containers like this slipped through into the US already and who has them?

And how much do they cost at the gun show?

[Angel Eyes]

The interesting thing to think about is how many containers like this slipped through into the US already and who has them?

Evidently they missed the crate(s) holding the ammo.

[freakazoid]

I wonder if these were removed serial numbers or if these were stolen before that part of the manufacturing process.

[Pb]

If these were coming to the USA, I wonder if they were supposed to be chopped up for parts kits legally.  Century had one of their shipments of aks siezed a few years ago.

[freakazoid]

The grenade launchers. How does that work with import? Is that something that can be imported? Since we can are allowed to own them, last I remember.

[AJ Dual]

The grenade launchers. How does that work with import? Is that something that can be imported? Since we can are allowed to own them, last I remember.

They can be demilled, or parts kits and then built and registered as F1 DD's in some circumstances. Although most of the 40mm activity in the civvy NFA market is based on American made M203 clones, or 37mm's bored out and rifled to 40mm.  In theory you CAN even own/use 40mm HEDP or other explosives it could fire too, but each individual one would be it's own $200 NFA registration tax and form, and you're going to have to conform with Federal/ATF explosives magazine requirements to keep and store them. And in actual practice, none of the producers of such items would sell them to you even if you were going to do all the proper ATF NFA paperwork.

So in reality everyone just shoots flares, smoke, or the .22 LR beehive rounds.

Although in this instance, putting the SIG 553 MG's aside, it's not like you can just import the stuff whole and functional, promise to torch the receivers, and then chase it with the paperwork afterward.  

Point of origin being Ghana is weird, but high dollar Swiss stuff from SIG doesn't normally fit the bill for smuggling/terror.  I'd bet a few bucks on it being Uncle Sugar/CIA/DoS/DoD getting "sterile stuff" and bouncing it around the world, or some commercial concern that was trying to fulfil a contract for the stuff under those terms for Uncle Sugar, and screwing up or omitting paperwork to keep it on the down-low bit them in the ass. More shady, at least in terms of the laws would be someone like Blackwater/Xe or Dyncorp trying to get some hardware, but that would be unusual, as they have ways of keeping post-'86 MG's offshore on ships etc. or pre-placing it in other countries.