Gun Club or Range Membership Requirement

[Waltech]

Would a gun club membership satisfy the restricted rules or is an actual range membership required?

It appears some clubs do not have ranges but are associations.

[chillyrabbit]

Short answer: maybe,

Long answer:

What the law says and what the CFO's do is different.

Legally speaking you just have to satisfy to the CFO that you are acquiring the restricted firearm for a valid purpose (target shooting or collecting)

Permitted purposes

28 A chief firearms officer may approve the transfer to an individual of a restricted firearm or a handgun referred to in subsection 12(6.1) (pre-December 1, 1998 handguns) only if the chief firearms officer is satisfied

(a) that the individual needs the restricted firearm or handgun

(i) to protect the life of that individual or of other individuals, or

(ii) for use in connection with his or her lawful profession or occupation; or

(b) that the purpose for which the individual wishes to acquire the restricted firearm or handgun is

(i) for use in target practice, or a target shooting competition, under conditions specified in an authorization to transport or under the auspices of a shooting club or shooting range that is approved under section 29, or

(ii) to form part of a gun collection of the individual, in the case of an individual who satisfies the criteria described in section 30.

Collecting is just a declaration and possibly a test/question on asking what is collectable about that restricted firearm as a collector must satisfy and comply with s.30 of the Firearms act.

Gun collectors

30 The criteria referred to in subparagraph 28(b)(ii) (acquiring restricted firearm for gun collection) are that the individual

(a) has knowledge of the historical, technological or scientific characteristics that relate or distinguish the restricted firearms or handguns that he or she possesses;

(b) has consented to the periodic inspection, conducted in a reasonable manner, of the premises in which the restricted firearms or handguns are to be kept; and

(c) has complied with such other requirements as are prescribed respecting knowledge, secure storage and the keeping of records in respect of restricted firearms or handguns.

Now no where in the Firearms act does it say you need a range membership for target practice, just that you prove to the CFO that you are going to use it for a lawful purpose. Most CFO's take the stance that you need a range membership but some people have pushed back. Notably R. v Gould where the Judge agreed that a range membership is too narrow a requirement and offered alternative proof such as participation in a shooting competition.

/u/JeffinCalgary2 has posted on reddit his journey in trying to get the CFO to agree that declaration that a target shooter will use a range on a drop-in basis. (That letter was only to the Justice and Solicitor General and not the CFO as the CFO position was in the process of being filled)

“…in order to confirm your declared purpose of target shooting, the CFO may ask for proof of membership to a shooting range. Declaring you use “drop-in” services at an approved range is also permissible.”

[Waltech]

Thank you for the excellent reply.

It appears that more than a single monthly visit to a local indoor range would justify the cost of a yearly membership.