No more EDguns out of Russia :(
Hi, guys,
Sorry for making a new topic, but it seems to me there is a reason to do it. As I told before — we got some problems with sending out guns out of Russia, all the ways, we used to work were closed. Thanks to our government, for example according to a new law one even cannot send a China soft-air pistol by mail out of Russia. The most stupid thing is they made a list of so called “gun parts”, thing out of that list are not allowed to be sent by mail, one needs to call the special company which has a license to delivery such a parts. Among real parts of the gun like barrel etc, you can find there a gun-stock as well or parts of the guns stock, just a piece of wood but it a real “gun part”! Needless to say we are not happy of such a stupidity.
Anyhow I decided to try an official way of the delivery, we made an official contract with my Estonian’s friend. Executed all the bank papers, allowing us to make a dilivery. Then I gave to the local custom office the whole bunch of papers to proof that everything is according to the law. We discussed many things with them, even if I need a special license from the Ministy of Defence of Russia, allowing me to take my guns out of Russia (I have to say, that according to Russian laws and all the papers I make no the weapon but the “thing like the weapon” I have them all sertified for 3 Joles limit.)
So, it took about 3 weeks to prepare all the documents, to agree all the issues etc. Then I got a permission to begin the execution of the papers, allowing me to take the guns out of Russia. Everybody told that everything would be OK. The truck came from Estonia, we were about to load it already and suddenly the custom officials claims that they need to take few samples for the test if they are real 3 Joles. They did it — took out 4 gun, 2 Matadors and 2 Lelyas. It was las Thursday, 10th of Feb. Needless to say we gave them the real 3 Joles guns, the truck was staying at my place, waiting for them. Couple of days ago Ii got the information that there are some problems with the test. I understood that there will not be any delivery and let the truck go back to Estonia (that cost me 1 500 euro to keep it here waiting for the loading). Yesterday I got a call from the custom office, they are willing to come to my place. I expect they want to arrest the rest of the guns (about 60 Matadors)
I have no intention to give the guns to them. I made an official letter saying that due to the long time of execution and hight cost of all the deal I refuse to delivery the guns out of Russia and will sell them in Russia.
So I evacuated all the guns from the workshop and expect them to come on Monday. I have no idea what will going on but do not expect anything good 🙁
Thus the last legal way of taking the guns out of Russia was cut off 🙁 And I have no option left. So there are two ways:
1. Those who made a deposit to Tony — you can take it back. Those who had paid me — give me a letter of PM we will discuss the way I return money to you.
2. Wait until we made the first 300 guns in Europe (we started to make them already). We expect them to be ready in September-October period of time of 2011.
Yes, there is another option — to come to Russia and take the guns by yourself but I would consider that option rather as fantastic.
I think needless to say how I HATE that bloody Russia bureaucracy, Putin and Medvedev. You even cannot imagine how we live here, we spend about 70 % of all our efforts and power just to struggle the system and only 30 % we can use for the real work 🙁
It became quite popular to make an Internet letter to Medvedev, so if some of you want to do it, you can make a letter to him, asking why the bloody Russia doesn’t allow their people to work and sell the good things out of Russia instead of gas and oil.
You can do it here:
http://eng.letters.kremlin.ru/
Sorry, guys for the bad news but you can trust me I was fighting the system like a lion but fail :(…
All Replies
My money stays with Tony for the R3.
Meanwhile, might I suggest that you check the legality of an American Citizen directly making contact with a foreign head of state, as I believe it is a violation of Federal law to do so.
I dealt with this situation several years ago, when a customer of our corporation wrote directly to foreign heads of state. He got visits from government departments who go only by initials, and received serious examination by other federal agencies.
The State Department takes a dim view of citizens trying to intervene in foreign trade practices, or trying to influence a foreign head of state.
I suggest we wait for the R3. This may end up being a blessing in disguise.
Hoot
Like dvdrw, I do not yet own any air guns and was very excited for the receipt of my Edgun Matador. I have my pellets, scope, rings, bipod, and chronograph, and unless I decide to go with another brand while waiting for my Edgun, it looks like they are going to go into storage for now. I WILL wait for an Edgun in hopes that something will work out through the Russian Bureaucracy to allow these to ship out of Russia and to the US, but it will not be a patient wait! 👿 If I have to wait until September or October of this year then so be it; the reputation of this gun is more than enough to keep my interest…plus, they say good things come to those who wait!
Ed, I am very sorry for what you have to go through and I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that we really appreciate all that you do to satisfy your customers.
Best of luck Ed 😀
I sold mine with the full intent of getting another and now am wishing I had held onto it until all of this was sorted out. I guess I’ll just patiently wait for the ones produced in Europe.
I am sorry as well for the hassle the Russian government has put you through, aside from the obvious time and expense they have incurred upon you.
Your talent and genious is not being appreciated by your motherland.
My money stays with Tony until you are able to regroup. If all of us pull our deposits of $150, THAT will mean you will have to refund us $45,000.
I am not about to kick a good man in the teeth when he is down and needs a helping hand. I can wait!
And… if you find it in your good graces to do a little something special for our band of “300.” We will could perhaps have some unique and collectible airguns? 🙄
Every missed chance in life becomes a new opportunity!
Letter sent n/t
All, – can anybody really tell what’s happening ? 🙄
On Jan 20th I received this, – it was posted on page 7 in the “waiting thread”:
“Your couple of Matadors # 2637 and 2606 are in Saint Petersburg now. They are packed to be shipped directly from Russia, I just got the
call from a man who is responsible for that and he told that it seems to him there is a possibility to do it, will see within few days.”
Yesss !!!! 
It clearly says St. Petersburg, – doesn’t it ?
That’s NOT where his factory is……
And I have received the proforma invoice said to be included in the package……
Something needs a further explanation for me to understand. I lost my first two Matadors in the Estonian customs (#2500 and #2501), and now this ? Another two lost or ?
And hereby officially announced: You may keep my money, but I want my two Matadors paid on September 10th 2010 to be replaced by the new model if you please….
OK ?
ED Please…… ??? 😥
PS: I expect a reply/explanation here or via email/pm….. 😉
Ed
I’m sad for the bad news. I’m In the list with Tony for a Standard in .22. I going to wait to September-October production. Those of us who want to wait what should we do? maybe send a mail to Tony for confirmation?
Thanks for your response.
Very sad news indeed Ed. I feel very sorry for you and your production team while trying to make a living over there in those conditions. If Mother Russia is incapable of helping it’s citizens maintain a working living, then you really need to move out. What a shame for that country, who has came far over the last 60 years, such a pity.
Russia has torn down a wall but a wall remains in the form of Politicians Paperwork Bullshit, strangling the common citizen from being all they can be.
The Edgun is a fine airgun, one of the best in the world. Your talents are very special Ed. Take your talents and move them to a country accepting and appreciative of your hardships.
My deposit for your new R3 is in Tony’s hands. I believe in your product enough to wait until September if you truly think you’ll be able to produce by then.
Tom
Later
Letter sent… hopefully one day youll be able to ship to Argentina.
Hi ED,
sorry to hear this sad and bad news. I was not on the list for getting a Matador or Leyla because at the moment it was too much cash but I’m really sorry for your current situation.
I hope the russian market is already big enough to allow you to keep your business “alive” and you will see that sooner or later there will be a solution.
May be you should find a bigger business partner for the distribution of your products outside of Russia or maybe you yourself should leave your country and start a business somewhere else but I mean to leave your country and not just a way to bypass their burocratic problems.
Considering the success of your products maybe you could just sell your patents to a big western company and make already big money and you could keep the russian market just for yourself.
Stop writing to Medvedev, it’s the kind of guy that seems to me being scared already by an airgun. If you find a way, better try with Putin, at least he knows what the possession of a weapon means.
Sorry trying to tell you what you could do. It’s just trying to support you morally and to give you some hope.
I’m sure not everything is lost, it’s just postponed to better times.
Meanwhile improve your already fantastic products and enjoy.
Take care. All the best.
Pippo
I am sorry guy, I have nothing to tell about R3 now, since I have to sell out these guns in Russia and Russians are very carefully study this forum, saying that I reveal here more then on the Russian forums 🙂 It is better, much, the only thing I can say 😉
Ed
Ed,
Please tell us , at least now, what are the exact changes on the R3 version ?
Maybe that will help me (us) decide if it’s better to wait or not. I really want to stay with your gun but I need help deciding ( to stay with you) .
As for Medvedev, my wife is voodoo punching him as we speak. She doesn’t have anything against him, she just knows that she will not have any action for at least a month because of the depression caused by this topic. You should see her. The anger, unbelievable…
HOOT, as you can see, no double meaning talk here. Any other word of encouragement ?
As for those guns we are going to assemble in Europe — we expect the details to be ready in September, then we need about few weeks to assemble them. They all will be R3 already and R3 are to be assembled at least twice as faster as previous version. Besides, for this first 300 guns we will make reservoirs in Russia (I want to be sure that the regulator and valve system are made based on our high quality standards), thus we will spend less time for assembling and testing in Europe. For those first 300 guns I am going to take all my people to Europe to make the assembling, to be sure everything is made correctly.
As for the letter to Medvedev, in fact he is keen about getting responses by Internet and I know many cases when it worked (though I, myself, consider him as s clown) So if even a couple of dozens of letters will come on his mail (in fact mail of his assistances) that can work either I will be sent to jail or we will have some kind of support 🙂 So, if you write it — you should mention my web site http://www.edgun.ru for them to know what it is about. And the main thought of the letter should be — “We surprisely found out that Russians are so good in making top quality airguns and want them here in the West, and do not understand why so great demanded product have problems with sending out of Russia?” 🙂
I do not give up, I will go on fighting, you must be sure in that!
Yours,
Ed
Sad to hear this, in my opinion the only way to make the Edgun available for Eu or US market is to move your factory out of Russia, for example Finnland.
Initially it wil cost a lot of money but you can save precious time to do business not stupid paperworks!
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Meanwhile, might I suggest that you check the legality of an American Citizen directly making contact with a foreign head of state, as I believe it is a violation of Federal law to do so.
I dealt with this situation several years ago, when a customer of our corporation wrote directly to foreign heads of state. He got visits from government departments who go only by initials, and received serious examination by other federal agencies.
The State Department takes a dim view of citizens trying to intervene in foreign trade practices, or trying to influence a foreign head of state.
I suggest we wait for the R3. This may end up being a blessing in disguise.
Hoot
That’s the first thing that came to my mind Hoot, but then again, I’m a paranoid schizoid 😉