Antique Firearm Status Determination Flowchart
- Thread starter 41 Colt
- Start date
The cartridge that the pistol is manufactured to fire, or altered to fire, is the one to compare to the list.
A Colt in .45 is going to take the Colt .45 cartridge; if it were in .450, .455, etc, that would be different. A vintage S&W in .38 will almost surely take the .38 S&W cartridge.
.45 Colt aka .45 Long Colt is the one on the list. .45 Schofield isn't.
Tube, box, whatever, doesn't make any difference.
A Colt in .45 is going to take the Colt .45 cartridge; if it were in .450, .455, etc, that would be different. A vintage S&W in .38 will almost surely take the .38 S&W cartridge.
.45 Colt aka .45 Long Colt is the one on the list. .45 Schofield isn't.
Tube, box, whatever, doesn't make any difference.
As a matter of policy, if a firearm is registered as a repeater, it cannot be altered to single shot, even if over 8.3mm caliber, and reclassified as an antique.
Also as a matter of policy, if a firearm is registered as restricted, because it is classified as a handgun, it cannot be reclassified as non-restricted by being turned into a carbine.
You can call the CFP, get patched through to the folks in Ottawa who make these decisions, but I am pretty sure that neither of these policies has changed.
Also as a matter of policy, if a firearm is registered as restricted, because it is classified as a handgun, it cannot be reclassified as non-restricted by being turned into a carbine.
You can call the CFP, get patched through to the folks in Ottawa who make these decisions, but I am pretty sure that neither of these policies has changed.
You can do it yourself and it's free and easy:
- download "CutePDF Writer";
- save the file (it's a JPG);
- open the JPG; and then
- print it to "Cute PDF Writer".
A good example is the Mauser M71/84 which can easily be "converted" to single shot and often is in the mistaken belief that it is now an antique.
The other side of the equation is that an antique non-restricted can be made to lose its antique status through conversion. A common example is the Swiss Vetterli (a 11mm rimfire repeater), which is frequently converted to centrefire. Since it's only the bolt that is converted and bolts can be moved between rifles, I suppose the bolt must stay with a specific rifle after conversion (and registration).
You are going to have to ask the authorities in Ottawa.
The only antique revolving rifles seem to be either prescribed antiques which do not use cartridges, or rimfires.
I suspect that a centerfire revolving rifle made prior to 1898 would be classified as a repeating firearm, the cylinder being considered a magazine, and would not qualify for antique status.
But you would have to ask.
The only antique revolving rifles seem to be either prescribed antiques which do not use cartridges, or rimfires.
I suspect that a centerfire revolving rifle made prior to 1898 would be classified as a repeating firearm, the cylinder being considered a magazine, and would not qualify for antique status.
But you would have to ask.
Okay so the idea of blocking off an antique to only load and fire one round seems to be out of the question. Thanks for the clarification.
It seems you might have misunderstood my other question however, probably my fault as I gave a bad example. If I took a antique .41 colt SAA and turned it into a carbine, would the cylinder count as a magazine?
Basically I'm wondering if I can make that and have it classified as an antique? I was reading a cowboy action magazine in the supermarket yesterday and it outlined how to remove the grip and install the stock, and extended barrel.
As I now understand thanks to some clarification here. As long as you keep the frame, stay away from the forbidden calibers, and for carbines keep it above 8mm, it's an antique. So then the final piece of this puzzle for me is does a cylinder count as a magazine?
Obviously a cylinder is a magazine, in the sense that the gun is a repeater and the cylinder is the cartridge storage device which allows the firearm to be a repeater. Don't get too tied up with semantics, but if you insist - just call 1-800-731-4000.
Now the next question: why would anyone convert a .41 colt revolver into a rifle???
Okay, please forgive these most likely newb antique questions, I'm doing my footwork before commiting to purchasing anything I'll later regret.
Are all calibers out of a named firearm assumed to be the caliber on the chart? For example if I'm looking at a colt revolver and all the data stamp says is .45cal do I assume it to be .45 colt, or a smith and wesson revolver in .38cal assumed to be .38 smith and wesson?
Do calibers like the .45 colt extend to all .45colt, like .45 long colt for example?
Also, any form of magazine automatically requires a rifle to be licensed? So that would include tubular mags, internal box mags, etc?
Thanks in advance
If a gun is stamped ".45", it's up to you to determine which .45 cartridge it is. There is no hard and fast rule, obviously. You need to research the gun you are looking at, build up some small degree of competence and make that determination yourself.
A magazine is a magazine, whether it refers to antique firearms or non-antiques. Tubular, box, or anything that makes the firearm fit the definition of "repeater".
A cylinder doesn't count as a magazine. Also, a handgun under Canadian law is always a handgun even if you mount a rifle barrel and stock.
In the context that the question was asked, you're saying a revolving rifle is not a repeating rifle and would qualify for antique status if it met the other requirements.
Here's an excert from the regulations: A rifle manufactured before 1898 that is capable of discharging centre-fire cartridges, whether with a smooth or rifled bore, having a bore diameter of 8.3 mm or greater, measured from land to land in the case of a rifled bore, with the exception of a repeating firearm fed by any type of cartridge magazine.
I have always taken that to mean that a centrefire repeating rifle, whether fed by revolving cylinder, box, or tubular magazine would not meet the regulatory definition of antique.
Forgive me for being sceptical, but is there a factual basis for your statement? I will be happy to be proven wrong, however forgive me for wanting to see proof before i start celebrating. So please show me.
Last edited:
Avalonthas
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toronto ON
Great tool kudos to the OP
I made up this flowchart based on SCDL's suggestion, which was a great idea. This may make it a little more straight forward in determining whether a firearm falls under Antique Status or not.
Important Update: Recently the RCMP had a "policy change" in that firearms that have been converted from calibers listed below to acceptable calibers are no longer being deregistered to antique status. This is obviously BS but is something to be aware of when buying a gun you intend to deregister.
This is a letter I wrote up with details from the NFA website written by the late David Tomlinson as well as the CFC website. It outlines the laws concerning antique guns, both original and black powder reproductions, and how they fall into that status. I converted it to a PDF file and uploaded it to a hoster that should allow immediate download. I edited it slightly to allow you to fill in the blanks by hand once printed.
Canadian Antique Status Firearms Letter PDF Download
Scanned Copy:
Why does the middle table say shotgun in 22 short long or LR? It's right above the real shotgun calibers. We're there multi caliber shotguns? Or is is basically any rim fire shotgun cartridge is antique?
If it was multi caliber both would need to qualify to make it antique status, like a 14ga & 32rf OU. If it was a rimfire shotgun it must be something other than .22 s/l/lr, like just a 32rf or 44rf or whatever.
That fascinating chart does nothing to explain why the gentleman who sold me my Snider was required by the RCMP to first have it registered as a firearm so that they could DE-register and declare it an antique before he could ship it to me.
Do they make this stuff up?
tac
Do they make this stuff up?
tac
