Relocating to Japan / Sales Question

[dlombard]

Hi all,

If all goes according to plan, I'll be living in Japan beginning April, 2024. Due to my understanding that private firearms ownership over there is such that it's more trouble than it's worth to pursue and it is likely completely impossible to certainly keep and bring what I own with me into their country, I am in the position of having to part with my firearms, ammunition among other things.

Before I go on, I hope this is the right sub-board but if it is not, please move to a better board or let me know where I should repost such that it is not off-topic. Also, if there is an FAQ on this that I could review for the purpose, let me know in a reply so I can try and piece together everything between what I'm trying to do vs. what is said in that FAQ.

I am trying to make this as quick and painless a process as possible. I noticed Armslist is now charging people to place ads on their site so rather than go in that direction again, I'm wondering if there isn't a way to sell what I own directly to an FFL dealer.

For what it's worth I have relatively new stuff in good condition:
- M&P9 FS w/magazines
- M&P9 Shield w/magazines
- Boxed rounds of of JHP & FMJ 9x19 ammunition (a few hundred, will get an exact tally at some point when I'm ready to move this stuff)
- Some left over .40 FMJ ammo in good, clean condition
- Remington 870 Express (loads 20-guage ammunition), never fired
- 20-gauge ammunition (practice shells and self-defense loads; will get exact counts when the time comes)

I've listed the stuff that hard to sell for legal reasons because I can probably eBay things like the holsters, snapcaps, etc.

While I want to try and hold onto at least my EDC for as long as possible, I don't know how long this is going to take to deal with and my CA FSC is already expired (so I don't know what that does in way of complicating me trying to sell this stuff off). Since the point is not to try to make money but to avoid VERY serious legal trouble when it's time for me to move to Japan, I am focused less on pricing it properly than I am making sure it's transferred out of my possession in a way that is legal.

I may or may not know individuals personally who might be interested in buying this stuff but I don't want to have to hope/count on that they'll be in a position to buy, or want what I have when I need to let go of this stuff. I need a quick turn around on this such that I'm getting this legally transferred in a lawful way very soon after I learn about when I'll be able to do this.

Since this is exactly two years away now, I have some time yet to figure this out. I've also entertained the idea of keeping this in storage but I don't want to have to cover the rising costs of paying for storage in the US for as long as I'm living abroad. I hope to live there for a Very long time and not have to keep open any US accounts while I do. If for some reason I do return, I'd sooner purchase all new stuff at that time and since I'm Definitely living in Florida if I do return, I won't worry too much about CA's roster issues by then.

Any initial early pointers, advice would be greatly appreciated while work on all this research I'm doing to try and make this happen.

Thanks everybody.

Regards,
Dairenn

[C.G.]

You need to list your items for sale in the Calguns Marketplace.

[DudeFromTheWest]

Put them all up on the Calguns Marketplace section over the next 2 years and sell them off. If you are in the LA area or North Hollywood, they will all go pretty fast I think. I would not bother storing them long term, in the case if you don't return. If you do, you can rebuy what you want, and start over fresh. You don't need an FSC to sell guns, only buy them. Regarding your EDC, sell it within the last month or two before you move. You theoretically could consign them, but gun store typically take 50% of what they sell the gun for, so in my experience its better to just slowly liquidate your collection.
Good luck

[SilveradoColt21]

You need to list your items for sale in the Calguns Marketplace.

THIS^^, it's the easiest way to avoid any FFL taking a cut for consignment, for example I am interested in your S & W Shield and we can do a PPT if you'd like

[smle-man]

Don't be completely disheartened regarding sports shooting in Japan. Shotgun skeet and trap are available usually at mountain vacation resorts. You use their guns. As a gaijin you won't be able to own a firearm.

[bergmen]

Just curious, where in Japan? I lived in Kobe for two years and Gifu (not far from Nagoya) for the next two years (as a boy, my Dad worked for Lockheed at the time 1958-1960).

We went back for a 10 day vacation in 2017 to re-visit some of my old stomping grounds. Some artifacts have not changed one bit.

Japan is a great country, good luck with your move.

Dan

[divingin]

Hi all,

If all goes according to plan, I'll be living in Japan beginning April, 2024. Due to my understanding that private firearms ownership over there is such that it's more trouble than it's worth to pursue

Last I knew, private ownership limited to shotguns; must belong to a club (who stores the long gun); back in the 80's the waiting lists to join a club was on the order of 10-20 years.


Best of luck in Japan, and with the sales.

[Quiet]

Last I knew, private ownership limited to shotguns; must belong to a club (who stores the long gun); back in the 80's the waiting lists to join a club was on the order of 10-20 years.

It's also limited to Japanese citizens.
^Foreigners are not eligible to receive a gun license.

When buying ammo...
The amount of ammo you can legally buy is limited to the amount of expended shell casings you turn in.

In addition...
In order to buy a detachable ammunition feeding device, you must turn in an old/damaged ammunition feeding device.

[223556]

You’ll easily be able to sell even at the “last minute” if the prices are right.

Lived in Okinawa when my dad was stationed there in the Air Force. Remember very little. Good luck with your move.

[DudeFromTheWest]

Last I knew, private ownership limited to shotguns; must belong to a club (who stores the long gun); back in the 80's the waiting lists to join a club was on the order of 10-20 years.


Best of luck in Japan, and with the sales.

Yep, for the most part its shotguns only for hunting or skeet, and its extremely hard to get permits for them too, and ammo is ungodly expensive. Fun fact, your shotgun license is also your hunting permit (at least that is what was told to me), since there are so few hunters in the country.

There are people who own rifles for hunting, but IIRC it takes something like 10 years of shotgun experience before they allow for rifle possession, for hunting only I don't think you can have them for just target shooting. Also you need to keep a log book of all your ammo which is tracked by the police, even if you reload you need to track the ammo for that too. Penalties are severe for failure to follow the rules. 22LR rifles are banned and have been for decades due to a terror attack that happened back in the 1970s with one. So, basically only bolt action rifles in a center fire round.

Handgun permits exist too, but only for the Olympic sports shooting team (only 50 people in the entire country IIRC). Outside of that, handguns are impossible to get even for the most seasoned gun owner.

Best of luck! Everyone who I know who has been to Japan has loved it, I plan on going next year too.

[NYT]

op, a friend of mine is in a similar boat and after months of trying to figure things out, he is going to sell his firearms before moving.

[ChampCarStar]

22LR rifles are banned and have been for decades due to a terror attack that happened back in the 1970s with one. So, basically only bolt action rifles in a center fire round.

Handgun permits exist too, but only for the Olympic sports shooting team (only 50 people in the entire country IIRC). Outside of that, handguns are impossible to get even for the most seasoned gun owner.

Best of luck! Everyone who I know who has been to Japan has loved it, I plan on going next year too.

22LR rifles aren't completely banned. My friend Seiko Iwata was a 3 position smallbore (.22LR rifle) shooter in Japan and trained with us here in the US at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. We never talked about the whole process of owning a rifle in Japan, but it is extremely difficult.

There are also several Japanese biathletes (skiing and shooting) in the Olympic Winter Games. They all use .22LR biathlon rifles.

[DudeFromTheWest]

22LR rifles aren't completely banned. My friend Seiko Iwata was a 3 position smallbore (.22LR rifle) shooter in Japan and trained with us here in the US at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. We never talked about the whole process of owning a rifle in Japan, but it is extremely difficult.

There are also several Japanese biathletes (skiing and shooting) in the Olympic Winter Games. They all use .22LR biathlon rifles.

They may all have special exemptions, or the law changed since I last heard. Most of the sources I find, I can't read/translate them (with a program) fully. Also it involves sifting through Japanese gun law documents, all of which are in Japanese of course

The one gun owner I knew in Japan had a license (for shotguns only) years, and years ago, but has since sold his guns and given up his license. He said the process involved studying, taking classes, and passing a written test though that you can only take once every 6 months(?) (if your score is too low, they don't allow for many mistakes).

[ar15barrels]

When buying ammo...
The amount of ammo you can legally buy is limited to the amount of expended shell casings you turn in.

How much seed ammo do you get?
Because if you have zero rounds of ammo when you get the gun, you won't be able to expend any rounds to have shells to turn in.

Chicken and egg problem...

[smle-man]

Speak to the Yakuza if you need a firearm. When I was in Japan with the Army in '95, municipal sewer workers were finding Chinese Tokarevs and Ruger Mk1 pistols in the sewers presumably discarded by criminals for one reason or another.