It wasn’t that long ago that taking firearms into or out of Canada was fairly easy. I recall that long guns were no problem, and even handguns only required a simple seal showing that you hadn’t used the handgun while in Canada. That all changed in the late 1990’s.
Now transporting a firearm, especially a handgun, into Canada, without severe criminal penalties, can be daunting.
A couple of years ago, I was talking to a Canadian firearms and defensive handgun enthusiast (yes, they exist). He told me that handguns that were made before 1898 were exempt from the licensing laws. Another proviso was that they couldn’t be chambered for certain cartridges. There were some very effective handguns made before 1898, so I started watching for a nice functioning Webley, or Tranter, or maybe something more exotic. I recently discovered, though, that the task became even more difficult two years ago.
In 2014, the RCMP unilaterally changed their interpretation of what constitutes an antique handgun. From the National Canadian Firearms Facebook page:
ANTIQUE PISTOLS RECLASSIFIED
Recently there have been a number of questions regarding the RCMP’s reclassifications of antique handguns. This issue is particularly troubling due to the misunderstanding surrounding antique handguns in the first place. Lets start off with how the antique firearms regulations have historically been applied in Canada. Here is the exerpt from the RCMP’s site:
- manufactured before 1898 that can discharge only rim-fire cartridges, other than .22 Calibre Short, .22 Calibre Long or .22 Calibre Long Rifle cartridges;
- manufactured before 1898 that can discharge centre-fire cartridges, other than a handgun designed or adapted to discharge .32 Short Colt, .32 Long Colt, .32 Smith and Wesson, .32 Smith and Wesson Long, .32‑20 Winchester, .38 Smith and Wesson; .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, .38-40 Winchester, .44‑40 Winchester, or .45 Colt cartridges.
Ever since the act was introduced, this has been interpreted the same way. If the firearm in question was produced prior to 1898 and is not chambered in the calibers listed above, or the firearm has not been altered to fire those calibers, it was recognized as an antique under the firearms act. As an example, If you owned a Colt revolver built prior to 1898, which was rechambered from 38 Long Colt (on the exemption list) to 38 special, or 44 Special (not on the list) It was recognized as an antique. This firearm can be bought and sold without a license, and shot anywhere you can legally discharge a non restricted firearm.
Several weeks ago at the same time that the Swiss Arms and CZ858 became prohibited, the RCMP changed their interpretation of the law, affecting the classifications of many antique firearms. Now, the RCMP does not recognize that same firearm as being antique because it was originally built in a non antique caliber. The FRT #’s which historically showed these firearms as antique, have now been changed to restricted and prohibited. There are a number of issues with this, including the fact that antique letters have been issued for these guns for many years, showing them as antiques.
That still leaves a number of pistols and revolvers that would work, but you may have to document them. The Tranter that Tia is holding in the picture above is chambered in .442 rimfire, so it fits the bill. The Mauser in her right hand was made after 1898 so it’s out. There were, however, about 15 thousand of them made before 1898, so if you have one, consider yourself fortunate. The 7.65 X 25 Mauser isn’t on the prohibited list. It would be just the thing to keep around the cabin for black bear protection in the great white north.
Canada doesn’t have much of a problem with gangbangers holding up liquor stores using antique Colt revolvers. Their regulatory change was made out of animosity to gun ownership and shows the danger of creeping bureaucracy. In spite of long-standing precedent, our brothers in Canada lost a chunk of freedom to the RCMP at the stroke of a keyboard. I hope they can reverse it, but with another Trudeau now in power in Canada, it may be a while.
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.