Posted on 06/20/2011 5:16:46 PM PDT by eastforker
A friend of mine will be traveling to Alaska by car this week.They will be camping on the way. The question is can he legaly carry a firearm into canada with him on his way there.Any help will be greatly appreciated
I wouldn’t do this if I were you. Canada cracked down hard on foreigners playing with guns up there. You would have an easier time taking a gun through MA.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa012601a.htm
From what I understand, no pistols. I may be wrong, but you can easily check online.
I don’t know if this info is up to date but looks like a good start
http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/akforum/akhunting/9151.htm
Canadians HATE BB guns.. god forbid you should have an actual rife.. you’re screwed if you have a pistol...
They may also may despise water pistols.. and gravy syringes..
1. DO NOT bother with trying to present to the US/Canadian border with a handgun. Simply find an FFL from your present location, and have the handguns shipped to a receiving FFL here in the state. There are many FFL’s in almost every community/village that are capable and willing of handling this for you, (at very reasonable expense).
(With many FFL’s, receiving multiple handguns, they will only charge you for one transaction and not each one as a seperate charge..check with your particular FFL)
2. You WILL have to complete the BATFE paperwork to retreive your handguns, including the tele-check process. Just expect this...it’s the law whether we agree with it or not.
3. Long guns: Shotguns, rifles, blackpowder, etc., These can be transported with you AS LONG AS YOU PROPERLY PRESENT the Canadian decleration firearms form already completed upon arrival at the border. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH TO HAVE ALL YOUR DOCUMENTATION COMPLETE BEFORE ARRIVING AT THW BORDER! Contact the RCMP Firearms Registration Dept to obtain the proper customs forms.
( Be prepared in advance to know that your long-gun MUST have a barrel over 18.5’’ long measured from tip of barrel to receiver. Should you own anything shorter than this that you legally obtained here in the US, ship it also as with the handguns. DO NOT have it in your possession at the border station.
4. If you are confused about the process, simply call the RCMP. Dont be that guy that shows up with multiple pistols and restricted frearms per Canadian regulations. This will only create a mess and hold-up for you, including they will deny you entry and possible confiscate your property.
5. Although up to the individual Canadian Customs Officers, be prepared to have the officers inspect your firearms. Although they may not if your paperwork is all in order, expect it anyway. Have them in a locked case/container..obviously unloaded. Do not have any ammunition in the same container as the long-gun.
6. Realize that you are in a foreign nation now, and your same rights enjoyed in the US may not be applicable in Canada. Respect their requirements (you do not have to agree with them as I also do not), but show them respect and that you have attempted to your best ability to satisfy their requirements and this will go a LONG WAY with them at the border.
7. Be forewarned that there are restrictions on types of ammunition and quantities allowed to cross the border. These are broad and technical, if there is doubt about your particular ammo quanity or type....CALL AHEAD AND get the proper info if what you will be importing is allowed.
8. Inform the border officers that you are transversing Canada to get to Alaska and will not be permanetly keeping these weapons on their soil. This is highly important, as the approval paperwork to travel with your guns is usually date specific and limited to a 14 day pass.
9. READ this over and over until you understand.
10. REMEMBER, dont even bother trying to present with handguns. Just ship them via FFL’s to AK. The technical provision and barrel length requirements are too bothersome to fool with from a practical perspective.
So maybe a rifle or shotgun for protection would be ok then?
Check the link at post 2. Good info there.
I would break down the guns to the point where they aren’t easily recognizable, FedEX them to the address in Alaska where you will be staying, and label the box as “drill parts” or something. They’ll be waiting for you when you get there.
Ship them to a FFL in Alaska...all told, it’ll be less hassle and worth the moolah.
Have your proper hunting rifle permits and it’s OK, but it’s a long process. Depends on which province as well, but in B.C., they will run a long check on your background, and if you do it in advance, it saves a lot of time at the Border Patrol. If you’re clean, then it should be OK, regardless.
Check out this website and forward it to your friend.
http://www.biggamehunt.net/articles/hunters-guide-crossing-canada-us-border
Haha!
Are you trying to get somebody into trouble for gun trafficking?
There are much better (and legal) ways to do it.
Yup, will forward that to friend.
Was just the first thing that came to mind. Didn’t think of the FFL transfer. If trying to ship multiple handguns, someone could run into issues if they are shipping back to one of those ‘x’ number of handguns per month states.
Thank you everyone for so much info in duch a short period of time, thanks again.
>I would break down the guns to the point where they aren’t easily recognizable, FedEX them to the address in Alaska where you will be staying, and label the box as “drill parts” or something. They’ll be waiting for you when you get there<
I’ve done that before. A buddy of mine does the same thing with his Ebay and Amazon jewelry online business. When shipping overseas as MOST countries will confiscate jewelry if not registered properly and to avoid the hassle, he just labels them as “bedroom decoration”.
I had been skiing at Mont Tremblant in Quebec; entry point in Vermont...had a heck of a time coming *back* into the US with the skis. US Customs gave me a very hard time. They wanted me to prove they weren’t new skis. [They were old actually.] Oi!
A friend of mine who travels from Nevada to Alaska always ships his weapons ahead of time to his buddy in Alaska whom he hunts with. He never carries across Canada.
I have some gold prospecting friends that go up every summer. It is far easier to take a Canada legal shotgun along for the trip thru Canada, then buy used handguns and ammo up in Alaska. They store them over the winter along with their other equipment.
From the CBSA site.
The gov’t here doesn’t even want the locals to have guns!!
If your buddy is coming up next week, I would say he would have had to get started on this in January......
Firearms and weapons
You must declare all weapons and firearms at the CBSA port of entry when you enter Canada. If not, you could face prosecution and the goods may be seized.
For more detailed information on importing a firearm into Canada, see the publication called Importing a Firearm or Weapon Into Canada or call the BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information”.
For information about applying for a Canadian firearms licence or a firearms registration certificate, or to obtain an Application for an Authorization to Transport Restricted Firearms and Prohibited Firearms (Form CAFC 679) in advance, please contact:
Canadian Firearms Program
Ottawa ON K1A 0R2
Telephone: 1-800-731-4000 (toll-free in Canada and the United States)
506-624-5380 (from all other countries)
Fax: 613-825-0297
E-mail: cfp-pcaf@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Web site: www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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