75 'points' needed to import handguns??

[triaged]

I saw this on another forum. I have never heard of this before. Is it true?

Here are what is required to import the pistol:
Pistols: A pistol must earn at least 75 points from the following characteristic areas:

Overall Length For each 1/4" over 6", 1 pt.
Frame Construction If investment cast or forged steel, 15 pts.; if investment cast or forged HTS alloy, 20 pts.
Weight One pt. per ounce; most pistols weigh between 15-40 ounces.
Caliber If between .22 LR and .380 ACP, three pts.; if 9mm or larger, 10 pts.
Safety Features Firing pin block or lock, 10 pts.; locked breech, loaded chamber indicator and magazine safety, 5 pts. each; grip safety, 3 pts.
Misc. Equipment Double-action mechanism, 10 pts.; click adjustble target sight, 10 pts.; drift adjustable target sight, five pts.; target grips, five pts.; target trigger and external hammer, two pts. each.

Notice that the XD is Single action as defined by the ATF. That is 10 points missing. But the loaded chamber indicator (which glock also has) adds 5 points. Grip safety, 3 points, etc, etc.

If you ever look at a glock sub when it is IMPORTED it has target sights. The sights are removed in the US and sent back to glock (the target sights are needed for the 10 points). Its a way around the import laws. The reason why glock doesn;t sell the 380 in the US is the 380 doesn't have enough points to be imported.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Yes. It was part of the 1968 Gun Control Act. They wanted to ban the importation of "cheap" foreign guns. So they banned the importation of all military surplus firearms and any handguns that didn't have enough "points" to be considered "sporting".

This is how the Walther PPK/S came about. The PPK was too small to import after 1968, so Walther took a PPK slide and stuck it on the larger PP frame, making a handgun that was just big enough to have enough points to import.

The ban on importing military surplus firearms was lifted in 1986 for C&R surplus firearms. But the handgun point system still exists.

You can read about the point system on the NRA-ILA web site...

http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?ID=71

[CowtownBallin]

So, you get points for having a long gun, with bonus points for weight and big calibers. If you'd like to make a lighter gun, you pay a weight-points penalty that you have to make up otherwise..with expensive and complicated features. So now you either have imported guns that are gigantic and cheap, or smaller and expensive. I'm sure neither Ruger nor Smith & Wesson are complaining Feel free to correct me.

[triaged]

I saw this regarding the Springfield XD's. They said the points system was the (or at least one of them) reason that they have the grip safety and the cocked striker indicator. I thought the remark about the target sighted Glocks was funny

[gose]

I had to replace to fixed sight on my G17 to an adjustable one to get it into the country. Kinda silly, since the factory adjustable sight sucks and once you've adjusted the fixed sight there is no need for an adjustable one... oh well...

[Overkill]

This is also the reason that the newer generation of Glocks have the small "thumbrest" on the grips- makes them a little more target-like.

[ohsmily]

single action revolvers may be exempt. In CA, single action revolvers are not subject to the "handgun safety/drop test" requirements. Meaning they don't have to be on that list in order to be available for sale in CA.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

How do these rules apply to revolvers? Many of these features make no sense. It gets even crazier for single action revolvers, which under this system have a hard time getting any points. Yet I know that italian cowboy-style guns are imported. Although I've never seen any Italian cowboy-style revolvers in caliber .22; maybe that's because they absolutely need the caliber points.

Revolvers only need 45 points compared to 75 points for pistols, so most of the Italian cowboy type guns can get in based on weight and frame construction. For example...

5.5 inch barrel would get 3 points
steel frame would get 15 points
.22 caliber would get 3 points

So for the above gun to be legal to import it would have to weigh at least 24 ounces. Since cowboy guns of that size usually weigh at least 35 ounces they have no problem making it in.