Driving through Canada on Sunday, advice needed

[12GA00buck]

Good Evening, it has been awhile since my last post, but I was hoping to get some advice regarding a driving through Canada. I’ll be heading back to Juneau in a few days, and have decided to drive my car up to Alaska. I’ll be driving straight through Canada and probably wont be more than 48hrs.

1. Can you fill out the firearms declaration at the boarder, or is it necessary to fill it out in advance?
2. Are they serious about the 200 round limits? I could understand if they were referring to center fire cartridges, but applying that limit to .22LR cartridges seems a little over zealous.
3. Does the 200 round limit apply to each vehicle, or each person traveling.
4. Is the 5 round limit for rifles and shotguns strictly enforced. The reason I ask is that my shotgun falls within the limit, 5+1, however, my .22 will only except 10 round magazines. My only thoughts are trying to put a spacer under the spring in order to reduce the capacity, or “losing” the magazine” and using the firearm as a single shot during my brief stay.
5. Does the 50 cigar limit apply to each vehicle or person? The thought of saying goodbye to half my humidor puts me in a huff.
6. Do the small gas stations along the way accept visa or cash only? For safety reasons I prefer not to travel with large amounts of cash. If a credit card gets stolen it’s easy enough to cancel it.

Your advice and input is sincerely appreciated,
Thanks in advance,
Josh

 

[Bob R]

1. It is easier to print it off and fill it out except for the signature, which has to be done at the border.

1a. You may want to print out the US form for taking high value items into Canada. Stop on the US side to have it verified, and they will run the ser number of your gun. The last time I went into Canada it took longer on the US side doing that than it did going into Canada. Then you won't have any problem getting the gun back into the US.

2. It is Canada, they may not look for more than 200 rounds, but if they did I sure wouldn't want to have more than that. I always stick to the 200 round limit.

3. Call them and ask.

4. See number 3. I wouldn't take a chance on losing my guns, going to jail, or paying a fine if I decided to "lose the mag".

5. See number 3.

6. Most will take credit cards. No need to carry wads of cash.

bob

 

[Andrewsky]

The magazine limit in Canada does not apply to .22s. For example, if you're a Canadian and you have a 10/22, you can have 25 round magazines for it.

 

[bogie]

I thought they charged you to take guns in?

Buy an igloodor for the 50 cigars you are allowed to bring home. When you get to Alaska, ship the cigars you are allowed to bring home to yourself, and when you get back to the states, take the other 50 on home...

If you can afford more than 100 Cubans, just splurge and buy Dominicans...

 

[12GA00buck]

Adrewsky, Thanks for the information regarding .22’s, that puts my mind at ease. I hope the border guard is also aware. If I could find the official Canadian firearms laws I could bring a copy just in case.

Bogie, All my cigars are ,unfortunately, not from Cuba (Dominican, Honduran, Nicaragua) Don’t think I risk taking any Cubans back into the states, but while I’m in Canada I may as well enjoy a Montecristo no. 2 and a Cohiba Churchill. Mailing the cigars to myself is a good idea.

Bob R, Thanks for heads up about filling out the high value form for going back into the US. I think I’ll bring all my center fire cartridges with me and stock up on .22’s when I get back to Alaska.

 

[SDC]

Here is what our benevolent overlords have to say about this issue, including a phone number to call: http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/factsheets/visitin_e.asp

 

[Blackbeard]

Found this bit interesting:

Replica firearms, except for replicas of antique firearms, are prohibited and cannot be brought into Canada. Replica firearms are devices that look exactly or almost exactly like a real firearm but that cannot discharge a projectile or that can only discharge harmless projectiles. As a rule, to be prohibited, a device must closely resemble an existing make and model of firearm, not just a generic firearm. Many of these devices have to be assessed case by case.

You can bring your real guns but leave the fake ones at home!

 

[1 old 0311]

Remove the bands, and put the cigars in another box.

 

[SDC]

Found this bit interesting:


Quote:
Replica firearms, except for replicas of antique firearms, are prohibited and cannot be brought into Canada. Replica firearms are devices that look exactly or almost exactly like a real firearm but that cannot discharge a projectile or that can only discharge harmless projectiles. As a rule, to be prohibited, a device must closely resemble an existing make and model of firearm, not just a generic firearm. Many of these devices have to be assessed case by case.

You can bring your real guns but leave the fake ones at home!

It gets even more screwed up than that, Blackbeard. For example, you can imagine that you have 4 different "guns" that look exactly the same:
1) a non-firing "replica" that has NEVER been a gun;
2) a non-firing "dewat" that was ONCE a gun, but is no longer a gun;
3) a pellet-firing airgun that fires a BB or pellet slower than 500 feet per second, but looks the same as the rest; or
4) a real, live firearm that looks the same as the other three.
In this case, the first item is prohibited, the second and third are simply "property", that require no special permits to own or use, and the last requires a Possession & Acquisition Certificate to be able to buy or own. "Messed up" doesn't even BEGIN to explain how ludicrous some of this garbage is.

 

[12GA00buck]

Well, made it into Canada without a hitch. Said the ammunition and magazine needed to be stored separate from the firearms, also, asked the firearms be kept in their case for the duration of my stay. I found it a little peculiar, all the boarder agents were wearing Kevlar, carrying mace and a flashlight, but no gun? Anyone know if the regular officers carry firearms.

 

[GRIZ22]

Remove the bands, and put the cigars in another box.

Not a good idea. If you remove the bands there is no way for Customs to determine origin and they will be seized.

Does the 50 cigar limit apply to each vehicle or person? The thought of saying goodbye to half my humidor puts me in a huff.


The tobacco and alcohol limits apply to each adult. You can't declare an extra 100 cigars if you bring 2 kids.

 

[Andrewsky]

Good to hear they were reasonable about it and didn't find your full-auto stash.

 

[Trebor]

I found it a little peculiar, all the boarder agents were wearing Kevlar, carrying mace and a flashlight, but no gun? Anyone know if the regular officers carry firearms.

The Canadian customs agents have never been armed. My understanding is that is just starting to change and the agents will start being armed as they complete the firearms training.

 

[bogie]

I think you can bring back a box...

Personally, I don't really like Cubans...

The nice maduro fuentes tho...