A tall tale about an international firearms license.

[suspiciousmind]

Had a guy tell me the other day he has an international firearms permit and regularly does security for diamond mines and other international matters. He then started telling me about how scary and intense the work is.

I know about private contracters and whatnot, but how full of manure is this guy? Does such a thing exist?

[Oh Shoot]

.... Does such a thing exist?

 

But of course.

 

[suspiciousmind]

:lol:

That is perfect.

[btq96r]

Had a guy tell me the other day he has an international firearms permit and regularly does security for diamond mines and other international matters. He then started telling me about how scary and intense the work is.

I know about private contracters and whatnot, but how full of manure is this guy? Does such a thing exist?

 

I wouldn't trust this guy if he said rain was wet based on tales like that.  Tell him you'd love to see the permit, or even check out the stamps in his passport.  I'd bet my remaining stock of green tip M855 that you don't get to see either. 

[suspiciousmind]

I'm sure it's "classified." I bet he'd show me his collection of thigh rigs though!

[Dolomite_supafly]

Now I will say that they do hire security for places in Africa. I was looking at doing security for some sort of African oil company at one point but it seemed a bit to sketchy for me. I also met a guy who does a religious mission in Africa who was back in the states picking up some supplies and he said they were ALWAYS armed. Heck, the guy might even have a gun license for the country he works in but I seriously doubt it is an "international" license. And anyone who talks about those things is generally a braggart with 90% of what he says being embellishments.

 

As far as stamped passports mine is not stamped for any of the places I went. I traveled on a different passport but kept my civilian with me in case something happened and I had to get out of country as a civilian.

 

I would never step foot in Africa for several reasons. I just had a really good friend spend 6 months in an Africa jail. He was going to be partners in a resort. He hired a "handler", which he was told was required for licensing, to get all his property in country. He had jet skis for the resort, personal stuff as well as a few weapons that he was told he could bring. When the container hit the shores he went to get it and he was arrested for trying to import items without proper paperwork. And guess what? His handler fell off the face of the earth with the $30K my friend gave her to make sure everything went smoothly. In the end he was able to buy himself out of prison but not until he had been there for like 6 months. That friend and I had been through a lot of stuff together.

 

I do regret the one time I had a chance to go to Liberia and did not go. I would never step foot anywhere in west Africa now no matter how much they paid me.

[Cherokee Slim]

I've had carry permits in three countries; Colombia, Mexico and Peru.  In every case the permit was directly tied to a specific firearm, purchased through their government approved sellers.  Rifle, shotgun or pistol, each had their own permit, with my name, picture & resident visa # on them.

Cherokee Slim

[300winmag]

The guy probably has a license from the country he is working in.

[Omega]

Now I will say that they do hire security for places in Africa. I was looking at doing security for some sort of African oil company at one point but it seemed a bit to sketchy for me. I also met a guy who does a religious mission in Africa who was back in the states picking up some supplies and he said they were ALWAYS armed. Heck, the guy might even have a gun license for the country he works in but I seriously doubt it is an "international" license. And anyone who talks about those things is generally a braggart with 90% of what he says being embellishments.

 

As far as stamped passports mine is not stamped for any of the places I went. I traveled on a different passport but kept my civilian with me in case something happened and I had to get out of country as a civilian.

 

I would never step foot in Africa for several reasons. I just had a really good friend spend 6 months in an Africa jail. He was going to be partners in a resort. He hired a "handler", which he was told was required for licensing, to get all his property in country. He had jet skis for the resort, personal stuff as well as a few weapons that he was told he could bring. When the container hit the shores he went to get it and he was arrested for trying to import items without proper paperwork. And guess what? His handler fell off the face of the earth with the $30K my friend gave her to make sure everything went smoothly. In the end he was able to buy himself out of prison but not until he had been there for like 6 months. That friend and I had been through a lot of stuff together.

 

I do regret the one time I had a chance to go to Liberia and did not go. I would never step foot anywhere in west Africa now no matter how much they paid me.

I got the opportunity to deploy to Botswana, Africa.  We landed at Sir Seretse Khama International during one of their diamond shipments and almost started an international incident.  Seems their security personnel did not appreciate a Military C-130 with fully armed US Rangers (I am not one) landing at that time.  We had to stay onboard under guard while the shipment was completed...fun times.  But they did get our passports and stamped them for us, but no exit stamp.  We also landed in the Ivory Coast which was a little more tense IMO, we slept in the hanger and maintained guards.  Every other country never even asked for a passport.

[Dolomite_supafly]

When I said my passport I meant my civilian passport. The other passport I travelled on was stamped with almost every place I had been.

[Cherokee Slim]

There used to be a place that made real looking fake passports from a fake European country whose name escapes me now.  We carried them in Colombia all the time for fake roadblocks.  FARC was always trying to kidnap Americans so we used them anyplace that wasn't an official Government port of entry.  Illiterate police & bad guys and no computers made them a viable option for travel within the country.

Cherokee Slim

[E4 No More]

Ok, what's the other passport that you speak of? I have heard nothing of anything other than a regular passport which I was not required to have in order to travel to Okinawa while in the Marine Corps. Enlighten me. :)

[Cherokee Slim]

This is the kind of place.  you just have to hunt what you want.  They would never pass muster at any port of entry anywhere, especially since they were from a country that didn't exist.  They were just good enough to get past the roadblocks the guerrillas would put out to fish for rich Americans to hold for ransom.  

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/videogamedunkey/comments/2txibh/buy_fake_us_passport_buy_fake_uk_passport_buy/

 

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/parsons-tn/TA3U13I0JRRHRBR9V

 

With modern printing capabilities you could make your own from the country of Outer Mundalhamptonshire if you wanted.  The idea is not to deceive the authorities, but to deceive the bad guys that want to do you harm.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Cherokee Slim

[Omega]

Ok, what's the other passport that you speak of? I have heard nothing of anything other than a regular passport which I was not required to have in order to travel to Okinawa while in the Marine Corps. Enlighten me. :)

We had two passports, a brown official military (DOD) passport, and a civilian blue passport.  Depending on the country and mode of travel decided which you would present.  Many times it was only the Mil Id card that was needed.  Since I was in civies many times, I would only carry and use my blue one. 

[Guest mechanically]

I've had carry permits in three countries; Colombia, Mexico and Peru.  In every case the permit was directly tied to a specific firearm, purchased through their government approved sellers.  Rifle, shotgun or pistol, each had their own permit, with my name, picture & resident visa # on them.
Cherokee Slim

I'd love to hear more! No worries if you'd rather not share...

Were the permits obtained for business or pleasure?

[Dolomite_supafly]

I travelled on a diplomatic passport. It was the one that was stamped, not my civilian passport.

When I was home it was turned in because some jackass, not me, got in serious trouble on another country and tried to claim diplomatic immunity. I also had a military ID even though I was a civilian. That raised some eyebrows because on that military ID was the picture of a scraggly looking person.

[Cherokee Slim]

I was a missionary church planting pastor for just over 30 years.  Tennessee State Trooper for ten before that.  Colombia required a diplomatic visa in a civilian passport for other responsibilities that I had.  Being a gun owner, target shooter & hunter allowed us to work with a middle class & up demographic group.  (They had the money to actually buy guns & ammo) They were the community, military & political people needed to actually start a self supporting church with a national pastor.  I actually shot a Cowboy style match in Peru with some military guys, using autos because it was what everybody had.

Cherokee Slim

Edited March 12, 2015 by Cherokee Slim