Bringing "Guns" into Canada

July 28, 2009 2:27 PM

Can one legally bring these into Canada as a Canadian citizen? If so, will customs "illegally" confiscate them?

• an antique, cast-iron, replica handgun. It's solid, with no holes to put bullets in.
• a transparent, plastic BB/airsoft gun (orange tip, fires 6-mm BB's at 304 ft/sec, 30.0 x 2.1 x 10.8 inches) bought at Walmart. (They're not bringing the ammo.)

I've read the recent article CBC: About Canadian Law and Gun Ownership but I'm still not sure. They'll be flying in checked luggage from the States. Any advice will be appreciated.

posted by jayne to law & government (13 comments total)

There's some info here.
posted by meerkatty at 2:48 PM on July 28

The airsoft should be fine. If you are importing restricted firearms (I believe all replica handguns are restricted), you need an authorization to transport (ATT). You can get an application for an ATT by calling the Canada Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000. More info can be found here.
posted by chugg at 2:53 PM on July 28

Call them, then you know for sure. They may also be able to give you paperwork to speed the process at the border.
posted by Kickstart70 at 3:18 PM on July 28

The replica handgun is right out: they are prohibited in Canada. You might want to read this regarding Airsoft.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 3:53 PM on July 28

The replica handgun is right out: they are prohibited in Canada.

Considering I've seen them being sold openly in the store windows in Calgary, I don't think this is necessarily the case.
posted by Kickstart70 at 4:11 PM on July 28

It might be worth your time and piece of mind just to pack and ship these items back home. You can do it from a post office, or swing by a UPS store.

Even if someone on the phone assured me these items were fine, it wouldn't surprise me one bit to show up at the airport only to be told they were contraband.
posted by wfrgms at 4:20 PM on July 28

Kickstart: there is the law, and there is everyday life. Are replica handguns available via retail in Canada? Yes. Are they legal? No. (Read meerkat's link if you want confirmation on that). On that basis, I wouldn't want to have one on me crossing the border.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 5:28 PM on July 28

Well, the line that states "Replica Firearms...are not reproductions of antique firearms" from meerkatty's link might mean jayne's antique, cast-iron one could be fine.
posted by waterandrock at 5:51 PM on July 28

It might be worth your time and piece of mind just to pack and ship these items back home. You can do it from a post office, or swing by a UPS store.

CBSA works at major postal facilities as well. If you can't fly/drive back with it, I doubt you can legally mail it.
posted by aclevername at 8:46 PM on July 28

My friend has a couple antique replicas. Two look like a Mauser C-96 and Luger 'Parabellum'. These should be fine.

His others are pistols that I can't identify, but they definitely look like more modern. I said not to risk bringing these ones.

He had considered phoning to ask about this question, but they would probably never give a definite answer, saying, "We'll have to see it in person in order to decide..."
posted by jayne at 8:58 PM on July 28

The law and the reality may differ. You might want to consider not bringing them.

I know someone whose husband was prohibited from entering Canada because, when the customs officer asked if he owned a weapon, he said, "Yes." The guard ordered him out of the car. The guy said that he had not brought any weapons with him. He was still subjected to a full-on search of his car and delayed for an hour or two. And then sent back to the US. This was a professional who was just going across for lunch with his wife, who was a VP at a software company in Canada.
posted by acoutu at 11:22 PM on July 28

I know someone whose husband was prohibited from entering Canada

Minor point: if the person bringing these items is a Canadian citizen, they may have to worry about being searched and subjected to penalties under the law, but the border agents will not and cannot deny that person entry.
posted by oaf at 8:05 AM on July 29

He wasn't a Canadian citizen. He was a US citizen and US resident who was just coming across the border to Canada for dinner -- and his guns were at home in Blaine.
posted by acoutu at 5:01 PM on July 30