About twenty years ago (prior to the latest antigun legislation), I was the executor of a Canadian estate. Among other estate items located in Canada was a collection of firearms which ranged from from the sublime (SAA 1st issue with a single digit serial number up through Colt Detective's Specials, a Win 52B Sporter built as a custom order in 1935, new S&W revolvers, and on and on. I believe it was 109 firearms in all.
My cousin and I (heirs to the guns) and I dug into this: The problem wasn't importation; it was the exit requirements from Canada. Export permits were required, and eventually we got them all except for the sporterized Mauser 98s--they were "weapons of war." My cousin was a lifelong US Gov't employee, and we believed this helped as well--more credibility.
My cousin and his father drove out to personally transport them back to MN. The RCMP, IIRC, prepared the export list and sealed it; they were required to check in at certain stations along the TransCan, and check them out at the border. I also believe they found a fairly heavy RCMP highway patrol presense as they drove Eastward....
Further, on the US side, these had to be processed through an FFL--although that may have been a discretionary requirement because of the estate transfer. In effect, my cousin and uncle functioned solely as a licensed carrier.
So, start by reading up on the Canadian export requirements, and then read up on the US import requirements as they apply to your resident alien status.
UPDATE: SEE CFriesen's post following this one.
Jim H.