buying reloading kit

[sauer]

hi folks

 

im slowly increasing my reloading kit and replacing bits n bobs with better kit

 

i see some cracking kit on evilbay international....

 

firstly

1) whats the deal with customs if you vbuy and bring back into the country....i know to check the postsage but ive heard your usually ok if item is under £100 ??????????????? is this just hearsay....any advice on buying from the states appreciated

 

2) UK sellers.......i know of Tim hanams,

, Reloading solutions

midway uk ....ok if not in hurry and can be expensive

......any other good mail order places etc?

 

i like going on reloading solutions their catalogues but never any prices on them!!

 

cheers

sauer

[John MH]

You never know when you might get stung on Import Duty and VAT. Sinclair International are usually ok to deal with, I thought it was EBay policy not to allow reloading kit anymore.

[TonyH]

I like Reloading Solutions, excellent stocks, knowledgeable & helpful staff, very prompt and efficient. Their full PDF catalogue doesn't include prices, they say convincingly, because nearly all handloading kit is imported, most of that is from the States, and both exchange rates and Uncle Sam's whimsical restrictions change so much that publishing prices is a waste of time. But I've found RS's prices OK, better than e.g. The Sportsman. I've dealt occasionally with other dealers such as Norman Clark in Rugby, very good, and Trent Firearms, friendly with good prices; it's just that RS has such a good range and interesting items difficult to locate elsewhere. I'll be there again week after next collecting more bits.

I'm surprised you find Ebay OK - I've bought one or two reloading bits there but listing such stuff yourself is hit and miss because of their very odd, arbitrary listings policy - I've had my listings pulled when there were loads of other similar reloading items listed, and complaining to their laughingly termed "customer service" is a waste of time, barely understandable people somewhere in Asia on the phone and/or boilerplate email messages that fail completely as a proper response to what you write to them. And a lot of reloading/shooting stuff on Ebay is listed by dealers who really seem to think they can get away with BIN prices that are way over the odds - presumably a lot of half-wits presume anything on Ebay is a bargain and fall for it....

Buying mail order from the USA is a lottery: increasingly, US suppliers aren't interested, because of the shipping hassle and the inflexible barriers put up by their government who regard Brits the same as N.Koreans or Saudis; if they do send you something, you might get caught for import duty plus VAT, or you might not, unpredictable. Years ago a Canadian friend unexpectedly posted me several hundred V-Max bullets bought on special offer across the border, no inspection, no taxes, just arrived on my doorstep! If you bring stuff in yourself there's a "personal gift" limit, dunno what it is now but it wouldn't cover you for much. You're best off returning from N.America to a provincial airport rather than Heathrow, the smaller the better - though I was once screwed around badly by a teenage Customs tw*t at Exeter when I flew back from Jersey, who took ages to go through my fishing tackle in case I was a Jihadi in white makeup carrying very long thin bombs disguised as fishing rods. It's a gamble, little rhyme or reason to it.

Good luck! Tony

[Ronin]

You will get stung with carriage on heavy items like press's.

 

 

There is a european reloading site that has favourable reviews (cannot for life of me recall name though)

 

 

I buy my dies from Hannams - Forster - they are as good as Redding and half the price.

 

Or, I make my own from Newlon blanks.

 

 

Ancillaries - such as case trimmer - WILSON

 

I would suggest that you buy the best and keep it for life, I bought a load of stuff when I started reloading (longer ago than I care to recall) from Sinclair International and just lived with the duty.....

 

 

UK sources, in no particular order of preferance:

 

Hannams

 

 

Reloading Solutions

 

Trent Firearms

 

 

Norman Clark

[Foxshooter]

Do you mean www.smartreloader.com

 

Mark

[Nelly]

I like Reloading solutions.

Good info and the shop is always well stocked, no experience with any others though.

 

As for Customs :

All items come in huge containers which Customs select at random.

If your package is in a selected one and liable for V.A.T. etc they will charge you.

If you package is in an un-selected one it'll arrive as normal and your quids in.

 

ATB,Nelly

[Davy]

I think you will be very lucky these days to get something through the customs from the USofA with out getting hit for VAT. I cannot remember the last time that happened for me. China and the Far East is a different thing altogether, I am yet to have to pay duty on an item from that part of the world, now all I need to do is find a quality reloading source in China!

[Slimwilly]

I have in the next town a private seller ,works from home,

 

Anthony Leamon , a very helpful man with good stocks of equipment,he has a website,same name i think.

 

Its handy just to pop over there.

 

ajleamon.co.uk should do it.