Shipping antique gun to Canada?

[nwilliams]

Does anyone here know of a resource that explains the legal procedure to ship an antique firearm to Canada?

I've searched the internet and come up dry.

I recently sold a Husqvarna 1887 made before 1898 to a fellow in Ontario Canada and if I'm going to ship this gun across the Canadian border I want to make sure I do it legally.

 

[kingpin008]

Not to be rude, but why weren't you aware of the procedures for this kind of transfer before you agreed to perform it?

The reason I ask, is that it's likely to be very expensive, if not impossible to do. Knowing the details beforehand may very well have saved you and your buyer a lot of hassle.

 

[nwilliams]

The truth is I didn't expect anyone from Canada to actually bid on it.

Once the auction was listed and I started getting questions emailed to me about having the gun shipped to Canada and emailed everyone back telling the, sorry but no. I then added a note to the auction listing asking that nobody from Canada bid on the item.

Well the item sold and low and behold the winner of the auction was a Canadian.

I suppose it might be easiest just to refuse to sell the gun to him because the terms of the auction were broken. I can resell the gun and try to make even more clear upfront that no sales to Canada will be allowed.

 

[kingpin008]

I'm thinking that might be the best answer. I'm sure someone will come along shortly with the actual statuts relevant to this situation, but exporting firearms (antique or not) tend to be tricky and expensive.

 

[hermannr]

If manufactured prior to 1898, it is not a firearm as far Canadian gun law and as the RCMP is concerned. Same for US. so you do not need and export or import license.

see: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/powder-poudre-eng.htm

 

[nwilliams]

Got in touch with the buyer and got everything worked out.

I was not aware that Canada didn't recognize anything pre-1898 as not considered a firearm. I knew that in the US anything pre-1898 isn't considered can be transferred without an FFL involved but I didn't know that Canada was the same way.

Thanks for the replies.