Dutch Steyr Hembrug carbines

Howdy Ken,

Sorry that I was not able to reply earlier, I’m on the road (or to say it better: in the air) quit a lot the last couple weeks, mostly to the New York area for work. And had not that much time to be active on forum.....

This is quit a nice looking rifle and looks like in a very good condition as well, and is a good purchase!

The cartridges (or cases) are pretty easy to come by over here and is readily available. A good friend of mine is a high end and major collector specialized in the entire Hembrug rifle production. And also sells the ammo (he always has the best deals with ammo and cases in the Netherlands). He also has some original parts and accessories like Carbine-leather-belts. These rifles like the one on your picture sell here for about € 400 in near mint condition. The price you mentioned is a super deal! But can be considered an “exotic” in the USA and parts and reloading components might be expensive I guess and hard to get your hands on.

For example he asks for:
* Original box with 20 complete-live rounds / € 25,00
Production date: 1925, 1938, 1939 (sequential lot numbers !)
* Original Clips with empty 5 cases (de-primed) / € 8,50
Pictures are included (upon my request he send them to me).
* Note the empty cases have different headstamps, production and lot numbers!
* An original leather belt / €110 (getting hard to come by these days)

He is allowed to sell the “empty cases” & clips within the Netherlands to a person without a Dutch gun licence. Complete (live) rounds need a Dutch gun permit and can not be shipped by mail. He has send empty cases to the USA and Canada in the past but the receiving parties most of the times had to pay a pretty hefty fee for all kinds of licences and additional paperwork. Not forgetting the US-Custom fees and taxes!

A. One needs to “pre” inform the Dutch Police, Customs and the shipping organisation for a upcoming/potential shipment. It requires a special export form/license that can cost up to €92,00 per shipment. If granted !
B. The shipping organization (like UPS, Fedex or USPS) must accept the goods for transportation. The local Dutch Postal Service (PostNL) is not allowed to transport gun related items.
C. The US government requires also an import licence to the USA from the receiving party (depending who the transporter is). UPS has the best papers to help you but also charge you the most. An import licence provided by the US Treasury Department was $80 in 2014.

I asked him to find out if he has a better and cheaper way to ship cases to the USA, if he has a better way/method he will contact me. If so, I will contact you for sure.

One also can order these cases pretty close near you in California at Huntington’s. They sell these cases made by the Australian company Bertram and cost about $64,00 per 20 cases. A RCBS 2-Die-set is about: $ 64 as well.

I hope that his will help you (your friend from Calguns) a bit.

PJ.

Ken, No I do not own Hembrug rifles/carbines, I rather own and collect older/antique American guns.

There is significant amount of Hembrug owners in Western Europe and especially in the Netherlands. Since we Dutch folks ruined our centuries old gun development and production in the past. Many factories closed down or start making other products. Hembrug for instance now produce top quality CNC machines and lathes. Many gun owners like a piece of history and most certainly a Dutch gun. Note we did had over 30 different small arms factories in the past (after WW2) but Hembrug was the best at that time. This is why we still keep this brand alive by shooting them. An other well known Dutch company was Beaumont. We started producing guns since the early middle ages, it's gone now. These days we produce only heavy military equipment (we were in 2013 no.5 in world for producing and exporting arms, go figure), no longer small arms that is. In 2013 the percentage of our National Income was 47,8% directly related to the arms industry, we are heavily depending on it.

This is how hypocrite my government is. Close to my home is a factory that produces major parts for the new F-35 JSF jet fighter and less that 100km from my home parts for the Apache (retrofit) and Boeing. And along the coastal region we produce over 2300 different weapon systems (like: ships and anti aircraft and missiles installations) and about 250 Dutch companies produce parts for other countries. All high end military electronics or equipment. But we can't own guns our self as a civilian. If we would not have this industry we would have been broke for many decades ago.

Hell..... I even make good money out of this industry
My company produces sensors for the new/updated wire-harnasses for the Apache AH-64D helicopter (items shipped to Mesa Arizona). And about 28% of my product line is found in most Western (NATO) ships, like engine monitoring. You don't hear me complaining about that.

This is why I do not understand our Dutch politics. And since the events that happened in Paris France our government is not changing their minds. Even the regular police officer on the streets feel quit exposed without a proper gun in their hands. The government already decided last Monday that the Police won't get better equipment. And told the public to fully trust the government that they can protect us..... please wake up.

PJ