Antique Guns in Canada.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

To make a long story short, there is a chance I can travel to Canada next year and participate in a Cowboy shoot there with a friend of mine.   Said friend did shoot a match with me when he visited a few years ago. and now that I am on the way to visit him, he found out there is a SASS club in his part of Canada.   He asked if I could bring guns.   He knows nothing of the ins and outs of me doing so.

I am assuming that the smartest thing for me to do is contact a Canadian consulate and ask them what the rules are, as well as US Customs to make sure I won't have trouble bringing my things back.   

About the only generic thing I know about Canadian laws is that .32's are a no no in handguns, and that their "antiques" go to 1899 whereas ours go to 1898.   I have no idea though how Canada treats "antique" guns compared to the way we do in the US, where they are essentially considered to not be firearms.   

This is not a post about how to go about going into Canada for a shooting competition, and how to get the proper permissions.   As I said above, I plan to contact the proper government agencies.   

I merely thought that there might be someone here who knows what the rules for antique guns in Canada are in general terms.  It is something that I am simply curious about.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Ah, thank you, PaleWolf.   That gives me even more information than I was looking for and is very informative. 

[Arbitrator]

I can also add a bit regarding “antique” classification in Canada.  First, to be considered an antique in Canada it has to be an actual antique.  Meaning actually made before 1899.  If it is a reproduction of an antique, it is still a firearm under Canadian law.  Also, I believe an antique firearm in Canada needs to have  its serial number registered as an antique for it to have antique status under our laws, but I will let more knowledgeable people correct me there if I am wrong.

[Sarge]

I was in Canada last week on a hunting trip.  There were documents I had to prepare in advance describing the firearm I was taking over.  At the border I declared the rifle.  The Customs officer reviewed my paperwork, then directed me to a desk inside the Customs office.  There, I paid $25 Cdn.  They signed the form and gave it back to me.  I was told to keep the form in my possession any time I was in possession of the firearm.  They never asked to look at the gun and directed me not to take it inside the Customs office.  There was no hassle, and I thought they were very professional during the entire encounter.  There was no problem returning to the US with the rifle.