VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRO #0325 0781030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191030Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1790

UNCLAS ROME 000325 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PM/DTCC: BALLARD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC IT
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN CHECK ON LICENSE 050109951: RIFLES 
 
REF: SECSTATE 1420 
 
 ¶1.   (SBU) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 
¶6. 
 
¶2.    (SBU) Summary: Post performed a Level 3 Blue Lantern 
Post Shipment End Use Check on Ditta Individuale Adriano De 
Rossi, a Rome-based bona fide gun dealer.  The sensitive 
items -- license number 050109951 -- were properly secured 
and the company's management professed familiarity with US 
export controls as well as restrictions on re-transfer of 
sensitive items.  The company asked for clarification on why 
certain high precision rifles were approved for export 
licenses by the State Department, while others that in the 
company's view were almost identical, were rejected.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶3.    (SBU) Econoffs performed a site visit to Ditta 
Individuale Adriano De Rossi, a Rome-based gun dealer on 20 
January, 2009.  De Rossi is the exclusive dealer for McMillen 
rifles in Italy.  It is also the exclusive supplier for EDM 
Arms, Pedrot Ordinance Factory, US Optics, and Ebelstock. 
The company was founded in 2004 as a shooting range called 
"Shooting Paradise," and in 2007 began selling weapons.  It 
began to import sensitive weapons from the US in the summer 
of 2008.  It has annual revenue of about 90,000 Euros, though 
its future revenue will be highly dependent upon securing 
export licenses from the State Department, De Rossi said. 
The other services sold by the company are sniper training 
for Italian Special Forces and production of reactive still 
targets for long-range shooting.  De Rossi said his company 
refuses to provide sniper training to civilians.  The company 
also imports and tests rifles for the Carabinieri, Italy's 
paramilitary police service. 
 
¶4.    (SBU) Econoffs verified the presence of 3 McMillan 
TAC-308 Bolt Action Rifles, .308 WIN Caliber.  One gun listed 
in Ref A --a McMillan TAC 338 Bolt Action Rifle, serial 
number 732 RLL - was not present; De Rossi said it was 
serving as a demonstration unit with the Carabinieri.  De 
Rossi had imported one of the rifles as a demo unit for the 
Italian Ministry of Defense, and hoped to secure a larger 
contract if the Italian government gave it favorable reviews. 
 De Rossi explained that the Italian government prefers to 
purchase weapons through Italian intermediaries rather than 
buying directly from a non-Italian foreign-based supplier. 
De Rossi was familiar with the regulations governing the 
import of US-origin defense articles, including restrictions 
on re-transfer or re-export. 
 
¶5.    (SBU) De Rossi's regular customer is the Italian 
Ministry of Defense and, to a lesser extent, the Carabinieri. 
The company also sells via gun shops to civilians who have 
the appropriate licenses.  The gun shops are located in 
various provinces of Italy.  De Rossi said Italian law 
prohibits selling a weapon to a non-resident.  He also noted 
that all purchases had to be accompanied by a form from the 
buyer's local police station, to ensure the authorities knew 
the location of all rifles.  According to De Rossi, civilians 
typically use the guns he sells for target practice, and 
occasionally for the hunting of wild boar.  De Rossi noted 
that many customers wished to purchase .50 caliber versions 
of high-precision rifles, but he was restricted under Italian 
law to selling .223 or .308 caliber rifles. These types of 
rifles are typically sold to individual customers for sport 
purposes. 
 
¶6.    (SBU) De Rossi said he would like to import more 
McMillan rifles but the State Department restricts these 
imports, except on a pre-sold basis.  He noted that Remington 
rifles of the same quality, size, and technical 
specifications were imported without this restriction.  Post 
requests guidance on this question. 
 
¶7.    (SBU) Post judged the security of the facilities to be 
sufficient.  The rifles were stored in a locked gun safe, 
within a locked and alarmed building.  The owner kept the key 
to the safe with himself at all times.  The alarms, one of 
which was silent, were connected directly to a local police 
station.  Records seemed to be in good order.  The enterprise 
had only two employees, but the duo seemed capable and 
legitimate. 
DIBBLE