Canadian Gun Law Questions

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WRT self defense, Canadian law states you are only allowed to load firearm at a location where you may lawfully discharge it. I'm sure the bureaucrats who crafted that detail had hunting or a range in mind. However, Canadian case law has affirmed that discharge of a firearm in self defense in your residence *is* lawful. There are also regulations with criminal penalties for safe storage too.

All this means that if you want to solve not just problem 1 but problem 2, you should plan compliance with the safe storage regulations with a strategy for how to quickly retrieve and load a firearm if exigent circumstances would demand same.

For an example of how much prosecutorial resources were expended in pursuing problem 2, see the recently adjudicated Ian Thompson case.

Short summary:

Ian Thompson fired over the heads (into a tree trunk) of thugs firebombing his house while they shouted death threats at him. All recorded on A/V surveillance equipment, presented in evidence later. Content not disputed. The Crown attempted to prosecute him alleging that he was able to retrieve and load the firearm he used to defend himself too easily.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/01/31/matt-gurney-ian-thomson-case-shows-how-the-crown-feels-about-self-defence/
 
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Can a Canadian citizen send ammo to a US citizen as gift like for Christmas or their birthday present? How much ammo can you bring across the border into the US for a hunting trip or shooting competition? What is required to do so, of allowed?
 
InkEd said:
That ammo price is awesome!

It looks like there is pretty much no concealed carry for regular people? What about keeping one in your car? (Handgun.)
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Forget leaving a handgun anywhere but your safe at home.
To be real honest I live in a city of 3 million people and random violent crime is extremely rare.
If you don't count murders between organized crime figures and domestic violence you may have 5 murders a year.

Yes I would like the ability to CCW but I doubt I'll see it in my lifetime.

I'd be happy to get standard capacity mags and AR's off the restricted list.
 
Seriously! You cannot just shoot a perp throwing Molotov cocktails at your house!

How do you have to store your firearms in your own home? You can't just have them loaded and anywhere you want in your own home?
 
InkEd said:
Can a Canadian citizen send ammo to a US citizen as gift like for Christmas or their birthday present? How much ammo can you bring across the border into the US for a hunting trip or shooting competition? What is required to do so, of allowed?
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No I can bring ammo in to shoot. I must bring back with me whatever I don't use.
 
As much ammo as you want (I ask because if the event was like a 3-Day IPSC or USPSA that could be a lot of ammo)? Just throw it in the car and go? End of story?
 
InkEd said:
What is required to do so, of allowed?
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A foreign national temporarily in the U.S. A non-immigrant alien may obtain an approved ATF F 5330.3D (Form 6 NIA) to temporarily import firearms and ammunition (other than firearms subject to the controls of the National Firearms Act (NFA) for lawful hunting activities, to attend a qualified shooting event, or for exhibition at a qualified trade show. The event or trade show must be sponsored by a national, State or local firearms organization devoted to the collection, competitive use, or other sporting use of firearms. The non-immigrant alien must attach to his or her Form 6 (NIA) permit application, as appropriate, a copy of a valid hunting license or permit issued to him or her by a jurisdiction within the U.S., a copy of his or her invitation to participate in a qualified hunting or shooting event, or a copy of his or her reservation for exhibiting at a qualified trade show.
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http://www.atf.gov/firearms/guides/...n/general-information-types-of-importers.html
 
Canadian availability of firearms and ammunition *will* be affected by what is happening in the US, but because there is a longer distribution pipeline feeding the Canadian marketplace, the effects will be felt later and the subsequent recovery will also be later. Part of this is due to the greater amount of paperwork needed for any exports, and US State Department (ITAR) approval turnaround times too. Two different sets of hazmat paperwork for both sides of the border for any primer,l propellant or ammunition shipments would also tend to compel larger shipments. This would tend to result in larger, less frequent shipments, since the paperwork is the same for a thousand or a million primers in a shipment, for example.

Canada also receives some firearms, ammunition and reloading components direct from non-US mfgr, and some US mfgr have extant contracts for supply that they apparently choose not to abrogate, which means that we continue to get some US shipments. For example, I have seen *some* restocking of Hornady reloading components at the larger Canadian resellers that had onhand inventories of select products drawn to zero earlier.
 
Is that a form you could just pick up at like gun store near the border and show them when crossing or is it a lot of red tape?
 
After learning so much about Canadian Gun Laws

It makes me realize that our laws are better in general. However, it does point out some really obviously goofy things within our own system.
 
The US ATF application should be submitted a few months in advance to ensure you'll have the approved application in hand when traveling to the US.

No legal limits on amounts of ammunition purchase. I haven't heard of retail stores imposing purchase limits yet, but it won't surprise me if they eventually do.

The smarter Canadian buyers who can see the US demand tsunami cresting in the distance (thank-you internet) are doing "strategic buying" now. I've been thru at least one earlier "primer famine", at it's peak we saw Fiocchi (Italian) primers being sold in the local channels since they couldn't get any US brands.

The Canadian ammunition and reloading components marketplace will probably recover six months after the US marketplace does. There will be fewer shortages for products where the US isn't the primary volume source.
 
Am I right to assume that there is no concealed carry in Canada? Or if there is it is restricted to those in power?
 
The law provides for CCW, but even the anointed employees of the power structure can't readily access it either. (assistant Crown prosecutors receiving a single credible death threat would be ineligible, for example).

The approval form I saw reproduced required 4 (or more) separate verified threats required, and signoff by local law enforcement on those incidents and confirmation that they could not provide adequate protection. I suspect signoff for same by police in an urban centre would be problematic.

Which begs the question why would you need CCW if you can survive 4 separate prior incidents :-(

Makes Los Angeles or NYC CCW issuance rules seem permissive by comparison.
 
Sounds like about a 30-40% mark up compared to normal prices here. Of which I guess about 20% of which due to the exchange rate. Isn't 1CND worth about .85USD?
 
InkEd said:
Sounds like about a 30-40% mark up compared to normal prices here. Of which I guess about 20% of which due to the exchange rate. Isn't 1CND worth about .85USD?
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$1.00CDN=$.98US
The cost of US export permits, exclusive distribution of most brands, and lower sales volume are the reasons for higher prices.
 
Wow, I didn't recall the. Being that close. I remember growing up it was like 1CDN:.65USD then it got closer when I was in highschool. For some reason, I thought it was about 1:.90 back when I was in Victoria last Summer. (Beautiful city btw)
 
Very interesting laws.

Does anybody know whether Canadian retail prices for Enfield #4s or Russian SKS are similar to our pre-panic prices?
Enfields #4/Mk. 1s have often been about $300 US (reload. Prvi was .75/round), and a nice Russian SKS approx. $425-500
(Russian ammo about .25/rd.).
 
Exchange rates have been up and down a lot over the years. Money traders consider the Canada dollar a petroleum-based currency, so they value it highly when oil prices are high.

You can find out current exchange rates on xe.com

There is a big controversy about "Cost of Doing Business in Canada Factor" (compared to US pricing). Parliamentary hearings have been held on the topic.
With more people shopping on AMAZON.COM and the like for non-firearm related products the differences become very obvious.

Probably the classic example is pricing for the same book titles in the US versus Canada.

It used to be the publishers printed both prices on the dust jackets, but the obvious difference annoyed their customers so much they stopped doing that. The price differential continues.

If you want to see Canadian pricing on firearms and accessories, check out vendors like:

cabelas.ca
wholesalesports.com (Canadian side)
lebaron.ca
wolverinesupplies.com

The front page of this forum also has a bunch of sponsor vendor links:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/forum.php
 
Ignition Override said:
Very interesting laws.

Does anybody know whether Canadian retail prices for Enfield #4s or Russian SKS are similar to our pre-panic prices?
Enfields #4/Mk. 1s have often been about $300 US (reload. Prvi was .75/round), and a nice Russian SKS approx. $425-500
(Russian ammo about .25/rd.).
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Russian SKS $200 non refurbished about $275
There is a pic of my SKS along with some of my other toys here
EDIT my Norinco AR is also pictured with its Magpul and YHM accessories.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Thump_rrr/GroupPhoto2.jpg
 
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Wait a min. are you saying you can buy full auto rifles in Canada but have a problem with purchasing handguns?

Jim
 
Those cheap Norinco prices make me jealous. I wonder if we would EVEN HAVE a shortage if they lifted the ban on their stuff.
 
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