Bringing components into Canada?

[Jim~]

Hello Everyone,

I cannot find on any Canadian government site prohibitions from bringing through primers, powder, and bullets into Canada. Can anyone PLEASE help me find a way to make sure I'll be OK when I get to the border, that I'm not bringing in "prohibited" items when I move home? Also any info on magazine capacity would really help. I have an M1A I can transport through Canada, but I can find no information on my mags for it.

Jim~

 

[ADfields]

Here you go, from here http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5044-eng.html



Ammunition

You may import authorized sporting and competitive ammunition and reloading components for your personal use.

Quantities that may be imported for personal use and not for sale without requiring an Explosives Importation Permit from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) include:

• small-arms, sporting ammunition, up to a maximum of 5,000 rounds;
• primers, up to a quantity of 5,000;
• empty primed cartridge cases, up to a quantity of 5,000; and
• propellants, smokeless powder in containers not exceeding 4 kilograms and black powder in containers not exceeding 500 grams, up to a maximum total combined quantity of 8 kilograms, (17.66 pounds).

Consult with the Explosives Regulatory Division at NRCan to determine if the ammunition you wish to import is authorized and approved for importation and use in Canada. Note that tracer, armour-piercing and similar military cartridges are prohibited under Canadian law.
Within these limits, non-residents can import 200 rounds duty free for hunting purposes, or up to 1,500 rounds duty free for use at a recognized competition.
You can make arrangements to import larger quantities through a Canadian shooting association, committee or federation for team practice and competition at meets. For information on permits to import quantities of ammunition in excess of those mentioned above or for the purposes of sale, contact:
Explosives Regulatory Division
Natural Resources Canada
1431 Merivale Road
Ottawa ON K2E 1B9
Telephone: 613-948-5200
Fax: 613-948-5195
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.nrcan.gc.ca

 

[HUNTERKJL]

I just moved back up in Oct and brought my components with me. They never asked about how many rounds or pounds of powder, ect.. I tried to keep my numbers within their allowable amounts just in case, but they seemed much more worried about the firearms I had with me. They are very concerned about hand guns and if you have them with you, they asked my 3 or 4 times in different ways to see if I would slip up?? All I had was hunting type rifles and shotguns. Had the forms filled out in triplicate like advised on the website, but still had to pull over and go inside. One guy was being a real jerk and I thought they were going to go through my 28' cargo trailer that was packed full. When I got inside, the other guy was real nice, said from now on to just declare the weapons and come inside to fill ot the forms and pay the $25 fee (I had used the forms off the internet and they have changed so had to fill out new ones)

Bottom line was it was no problem. I just behaved politely and other than the one jerk who asked if I had handguns 4 different times then disgustedly told me to pull over, I was treated decently. Not sure about your M1 and magazine capacity size, but I would seriously check that out.

 

[ADfields]

M1 will be a big no-no n Canada, a double whammy as it's a military weapon and a high capacity auto . . . I was asked flat out by 2 border guys if I had any "M1, M14, M16 type guns" when I came up and that was before 9-11-01. Thing to do is mail it from yourself to yourself . . . on the receiving end f you don't have an address just use a friend/family address to Jim~ care of your friend/family. Handguns can only go FFL to FFL through the mail which is about the only “real” way to ship them to/from Alaska, there are $10 FFLs that will help you out so holler if you need help finding an FFLs for handguns.

 

[HUNTERKJL]

That was my thoughts too on the M1, but was not for sure. About the only weapons a guy is safe transporting through Canada IMHO are hunting type rifles and shotguns. I have done that on 3 moves up and back and never had any problems. Just make sure the weapons are unloaded, accessable in case they want to see them (they never have with me) and claim them on the appropriate forms + pay $25 fee. In return, you will get a signed copy of the papers which serves as a 60 day permit to get through Canada.

They never asked about my ammunition, powder, or primer cash and I never mentioned it (hard to know exactly how many rounds of ammunition, primers, primed brass, partial and full pounds of powder a guy actually has and I dedicated some of that supply to the wife and 2 children over 18, could not find rules breaking down for each individual). Each time, I had them well burried in a cargo trailer stored appropriately, but no guarantee they would not want to inventory??

 

[Smokey]

ADfields is correct - the M1 will be bad news. The Canadians have a very lengthy list of prohibited guns. One on the list is the Benelli shotgun - the old models could hold 4 if ya knew how to do it
So, don't just assume "hunting" guns are OK - if they want to be nasty they can - I cross a couple times a year and most times are pretty easy - however they have a job to do and can be jerks.

 

[HUNTERKJL]

Very sound advice ADfields and Smokey. I don't think they play games concerning transporting guns through their country. The long guns I brought were either bolt, lever, or pump actions. Was leery about anything semi-auto and did not want to take the time to research. Releaved when I hit Alaska again!

I actually got stopped 2 years ago coming back from AK to lower 48 at Montana border and pulled into the building. The reason was I did not fill out forms at US Customs leaving AK to declare what long guns I had with me (I declared them legally with Canada). The US guys said I needed to prove I did not aquire them while driving through Canada?? They were also upset about 3 black bear and a caribou hides I had in cargo and did not fill out the US forms for (they were legally harvested in AK). I was fortunate and just got lectured for about 20 minutes, then told to have a safe trip! Not exactly my favorite thing to do crossing customs check points, would hate to think of how nervous I'd be if I was not a law abiding citizen!

 

[Jim~]

Hey guys, thanks for the thoughful replies. Here is what my research and calls to RCMP, Canadian Customs, and the Chief Firearms Officer (his office actually) told me concerning the questions in my OP.

ADfields Canadian government site and brief synopsis is 100% accurate and up to date concerning components themselves. In addition to the components a person may transport a total of no more than 5K rounds of actual ammunition through Canada. This information was given to me from a Canadian Customs agent. It was stunning to me as I was talking to this agent how ignorant he was of the difference between components and actual loaded rounds, and I'm not completely convinced that his information is correct on ammuntion ammounts. I tried to get clarification from the CFO's office on this issue, but I believe after talking to them about my M1A, they just wanted to pass me off back to customs, saying "We are responsible for firearms specifically. I'll transfer you to Customs." OK..click....

On my M1A. Both RCMP and the CFO in Alberta acted really weird. According to the laws (which I urged I wanted to comply with) an M1A may be legally transported through Canada. It is not a resricted weapon, nor is it on any Canadian prohibited weapons list. Both officers grilled me at length over the phone (almost like they were trying to catch me in a lie, like they do when you declare weapons at the border) if it was a "scout" or "socom" over and again. The Mountie asked me why I'd need to bring it through Canada.
Right there I decided (even though I was right, and they knew it)screw it, I'll just mail it.

The magazines would have had to be mailed seperately anyway (5 rounds max for detachable magazines).

Some things are just not worth the hassle, so I'll take ADfields up on his offer some time and send it with my pistols. Might just as well get it all over with at one time.

Thanks y'all,

Jim

 

[ADfields]

Glad you are getting it sorted out let me know when you need FFL info.

On the M1A, I’m dead sure it’s prohibited in the catch all wording of Canada’s law. Their low is worded in such a way as to exclude anything auto feed that was not designed 100% as a hunting rifle as at least restricted and military designs are prohibited. They just don’t want to bother looking up the law till they need the info for the arrest form.

Even in this abbreviated FAQ thing from the customs website your are sunk, M1A is an M14 design altered to semi-auto.
Prohibited firearms include:

• handguns with barrels less than or equal to 105 mm (4.14 inches) long;
• handguns designed or adapted to discharge a 25 or 32-calibre cartridge;
• firearms adapted from rifles or shotguns by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, that, when adapted in this way, are less than 660 mm (26 inches) long or have a barrel that is less than 457 mm (18.5 inches) long;
• automatic firearms, whether or not altered to fire in the manner of a semi-automatic firearm; and
• firearms prohibited by regulations.