Cyprus-Forum.com

[Novus]

Just curious, are there a lot of fifty year old or older shotguns for sale in Cyprus?
Is there an export process for firearms from the isle?

[purdey]

No not really, the older one's are genrally in very poor condition. My father bought quiet a few of the good one's left on the island in the eighties and sold them in the UK. Saying that Cypriot gun owners know their stuff and genrally keep anything of quality.
I am always looking to pick up a sleeper in Cyprus maybe a Cypriot recession may open a few doors.

[Novus]

No not really, the older one's are genrally in very poor condition. My father bought quiet a few of the good one's left on the island in the eighties and sold them in the UK. Saying that Cypriot gun owners know their stuff and genrally keep anything of quality.
I am always looking to pick up a sleeper in Cyprus maybe a Cypriot recession may open a few doors.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure"

You might be surprised at the US gun market. At the very least they could be parts guns. I know you probably know the US trade in quality guns from your posts, but I am talking about a separate niche (mid and low cost C&R).
It is hard to make a profit in the gun industry in the US because there is way too much competition. What is needed is a way to stand out and even if it is just parts guns, if they are parts no one else has for some oddball, rare, unique or expensive when working gun, then it gets attention.

I am not in the business, but I am curious and someday I might do it even if it was just a side hobby and not my main income.
I do have a license right now that allows me to import (without making a living off of it) certain firearms though (over fifty year old firearms is one example).

If I found some shotguns to import to the US, how hard would it be to get them out of Cyprus?

[purdey]

It is very easy to export from Cyprus as long as you have the permission and license to purchase them. If you require old gun parts 50 years old and in good condition you should be looking at the UK market. Very cheap to purchase and relatively easy to export.
Provincial auctions and gun related magazines are good places to start, in alot of cases buying a complete gun and stripping down for parts can work out very cheap.

[Novus]

Since we are on the subject, what is the wholesale firearms import/export business like in Cyprus? There are a whole lot of guns going into Cyprus according to the Small Arms Survey and I know they can't all be shotguns.

[kurupetos]

I have a german one from 1940's but I guess that's tooo old from what you are looking for.

[Novus]

I have a german one from 1940's but I guess that's tooo old from what you are looking for.

Heck, if it was made before 1899 that would be even better in some cases.

[purdey]

The import business to Cyprus is very healthy. More and more guns of greater value seem to be in great demand. 10 years ago I was importing very cheap Baikal Guns (Russian) which were in great demand. As far as small arms are concerned I am unaware of any market for these apart from the Cypriot National Guard. Pantheman (where are you by the way ? and how was the Pheasant shooting) may be able to help more.

[Nikitas]

There was a load of Martini actioned shotguns bequeathed to the RoC government by the British. These were 14 gauge if memory serves, but could be rebored to 12 fairly easily.

I was outbid by an American company for them, they bought all 1056 of them at 28 dollars each and sold them in the States retail for 125 USD each.

In my sojourns around gunshops I have come across some guns you might call sleepers. Examples- a Vostok field gun with scroll engraving, asking price 600 pounds (pre Euro days), another was a Greener GP of pre war vintage with the scrolled take down lever on the forend, asking price 150 pounds.

Almost the total stock of breechlooading shotguns in Cypriot hands was imported during the British rule from 1878 to 1960. As the British kept tarrifs on non British goods high, these guns tend to be medium quality British guns, like the Midland Gun Company, BSA boxlocks and some cheap and nasty Belgians that made it to the island despite the tarrifs. The people who could afford Hollands and Purdeys were very few.

I do know of one Purdey single barrel muzzle loader but I am not telling.

After 1960 the floodgates opened and the Spanish firm Norica was a big seller. That is when the Beretta became famous with Bernardelli a close second.

The big opportunity is not in shotguns but in airguns. As the British imposed a licensing system on airguns, they were bought by adults and kept as serious hunting weapons, hence their survival is at a high percentage. There are some nice Webley MK III and even older models around.

I learned to shoot with a 1908 BSA air gun.

[kafenes]

Here's the air rifle I learned to shoot with. It must very close to Nikitas 1908 model.





And here's a rare shotgun I have as well. A Borchers Celta (must be over 50 years old) in excellent working order and NOT for sale.