Is it legal to cut down a factory barrel to 18 " for tactical project

from the CFC website www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca

Non-restricted firearms are ordinary rifles and shotguns, other than those referred to below.

Restricted firearms include:

* handguns that are not prohibited;
* semi-automatic, centre-fire rifles and shotguns with a barrel shorter than 470 mm (about 18.5 inches);
* rifles and shotguns that can be fired when their overall length has been reduced by folding, telescoping or other means to less than 660 mm (about 26 inches); and
* firearms restricted by Criminal Code Regulations.

Prohibited firearms include:

* handguns with a barrel length of 105 mm (about 4.14 inches) or less and handguns that discharge .25 or .32 calibre ammunition, except for a few specific ones used in International Shooting Union competitions;
* rifles and shotguns that have been altered by sawing or other means so that their barrel length is less than 457 mm (about 18 inches) or their overall length is less than 660 mm (about 26 inches);
 
The reason they came up with 18.5 inches was because of the M1 carbines that were released by the U.S. a number of years ago. Many came into Canada.
They were legal & non restricted until the limit was made to be 18.5" to " deal with the bad carbines ".
 
Restricted firearms include:
* semi-automatic, centre-fire rifles and shotguns with a barrel shorter than 470 mm (about 18.5 inches);

Prohibited firearms include:
* rifles and shotguns that have been altered by sawing or other means so that their barrel length is less than 457 mm (about 18 inches) or their overall length is less than 660 mm (about 26 inches);

so to remain non restricted, it looks like 18 (or just a tad over) for pumps, 18.5 for semi auto.
 
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and legally you could cut a semi down to 18, but it would become restricted between 18 and 18.5

so cuting a semi down to 18.6 = non res. 18.3 = restricted, and 17.9 = prohib. oh the horror of 7/10's of an inch.
 
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Anything under 18.5 in a semi is restricted. Undeclared it is prohibited. Factory or manufactured barrels on rimfires do not have this restriction, they have to exceed 26" OAL however.
 
So if it's a pump action shotgun you can cut it down to 18" or buy a factory barrel of any length you want as long as the shotgun is over 26" OAL.

But a semi shotgun needs to have atleast a 18.5" barrel, altered or from factory.

Like scott said, I didn't know how scary fractions of an inch can be.
 
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