Antique Pistol - Legal Question
- Thread starter CourtenayBoy
- Start date
On the government site you will find the regulations relating to the storage and transport of antique firearms.
You will not find anything that says you can pack it on your atv in the bush. You will not find anything that says you can't.
You will not find anything that says you can pack it on your atv in the bush. You will not find anything that says you can't.
BlackPowderBurner
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- the chesterfield
This is not unique to Canadian firearms law, there's just a difference between prescriptive and descriptive law.
The big question is are you prepared for all of the legal hassle if someone sees you with the gun and reports it ? At least part of the equation is that even if it is legal, many or most game wardens and cops will not believe that and while you might win in court, you will also be out of pocket thousands of dollars
cheers mooncoon
cheers mooncoon
tumbleweeds13
CGN Regular
I have spoken with a firearms lawyer from the company that offers legal defense insurance for firearms related charges. He said it is legal as long as it’s not concealed (or it’s in a locked case). Therefore, if you were charged by a less informed LEO and you had that insurance, they would defend your case. So you at least wouldn’t be out of pocket for thousands of dollars. My 2 cents
Insurance is a good idea.
It's the YEARS of hidden costs that get ya.
It's Your Personal time spent preparing to go and going to court for YEARS.
Transportation and parking to downtown Toronto for years.
It's a big commitment, that will cost you in time and money.
tumbleweeds13
CGN Regular
True. Except he won’t be going to Toronto. Pretty sure that flag is from B.C. From what I’ve heard the B.C. & Alberta LEO’s are more educated about this issue. Still there’s an excellent chance that you’ll run into one that isn’t and get charged. So ultimately, it’s back to what are you willing to endure. Eventually there will be a scrapper who will take this to the Supreme Court and we’ll win and the next day they’ll plug the loophole. Sigh
I don't think Van is any cheaper than To but whatever.
This commie dictator won't need to wait for any supreme court ruling.
Your "scrapper" is simply going to get attention from turdesceu and an ioc will be issued and antiques will be shut down for good. IMHO
This commie dictator won't need to wait for any supreme court ruling.
Your "scrapper" is simply going to get attention from turdesceu and an ioc will be issued and antiques will be shut down for good. IMHO
+1 on this.
Get a modern rifle. Not an antique that you will know work if ever needed.
I guess you want to enjoy your trip in the bush..not worry about might happen about a gun.
If not absolutely necessary, avoiding trouble is always a better option with crooked gun laws that are not designed in our favour.
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I asked the our area representative from the chief firearms office of B.C. about carrying a antique, he advised me to keep it out of the public's sight and to carry the letter issued by the Canadian firearms center , when I asked about carrying a concealed firearm he said
The letter you were issued states that it is not considered a firearm ! but that the transportation in or on a motor vehicle /atv must be
Unloaded and In a locked container as stated in the letter
I was out in the woods with my buddy about 15 years ago.
He had a French revolver shaved to accept 45acp. He had the RCMP letter with him when he trotted through the bush.
He was doing some plinking and along came the "game police" and he showed them the letter and explained it all to them.
They called the rcmp witch showed up 1/2 hour later.
After a bunch of talking and a bunch of phone calls, they took his gun.
Days latter he was able to pick it up with a locked case.
NOT sure what happened before or after that,....but he sold it soon after.
This took about 2 hours in the bush and didnt end well.
Like others have said,..its a real Grey area !
He had a French revolver shaved to accept 45acp. He had the RCMP letter with him when he trotted through the bush.
He was doing some plinking and along came the "game police" and he showed them the letter and explained it all to them.
They called the rcmp witch showed up 1/2 hour later.
After a bunch of talking and a bunch of phone calls, they took his gun.
Days latter he was able to pick it up with a locked case.
NOT sure what happened before or after that,....but he sold it soon after.
This took about 2 hours in the bush and didnt end well.
Like others have said,..its a real Grey area !
I suspect that any "clarification" made to the law, given today's political climate, would simply result in more restrictions. As well, if you were taken to court, and actually won the case, it might attract the attention of those in power who would want to change the law. Best to remain stealthy about any activity involving an antique handgun.
southwest maddog
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Narrow Ranch
Exactly, in fact that is the advice I give about all firearm use. Don't put yourself in a position to cause conflict and speak with the police.
Same law in Ontario, so no holster carry on an atv. We can hunt with an antique pistol in Ontario but there’s lots to think about. It’s illegal to hunt 2 species at the same time so big game season requires a rifle, muzzleloader or bow so no pistol allowed when a big game season is open and you have a tag for it.
About the only time I carry an antique in the bush is during maple sap collecting and boiling in the spring. And that’s only for occasional plinking to relieve the boredom of staring at a syrup boil for hours on end, lol
For some reason, people are under the impression that Police Officers are familiar with all of the regulations within the Criminal Code of Canada.
Some are very well informed on specific issues, not usually firearms related.
They tend to run on "common sense" most of the time, but some are a bit off the wall in their approach to just about everything, thankfully they are the "odd" ones.
I was reported, about a decade back, while shooting at floating bits of wood floating down a creek.
It was crown land and there weren't any free mining claims on this section. It was also close to 20 kilometers back in. Lots of logging roads and old clear cuts but not an area that saw much use or traffic.
A hunter had called the Conservation Office to report that he had seen me shooting a handgun in the area.
He must have seen me unload, take the pistol out of the locked container, load and shoot. I never did see him.
The COs showed up about an hour and a half after I started shooting.
There were two of them, which is unusual.
I put the Webly No1 down on the ground and stepped back.
They were both very nervous and one was MAD.
I showed them the paperwork and neither of them had even heard of the loophole. It took less than twenty minutes over their communications to get things settled. I wasn't hunting, which is illegal in BC, with a handgun of any type. The angry one, stayed angry, while the other was more interested in the revolver than looking to lay charges.
I had another altercation about five years back, that took a couple of hours to sort out, because a female rookie kept insisting that I had to be breaking some law, shooting a handgun, off an approved range, on private land.
She almost rolled her pick up racing across an alfalfa field to get to where a few friends and I were shooting. One owned the property.
She kept it under control enough to call for another officer to come to the scene, when I showed her the documentation.
Again, it all worked out OK and the OIC of the detachment actually asked if he could shoot one of the antique revolvers. He loved it and I believe he purchased one a while later.
It's the luck of the draw how these things work out.
Losing your cool is going to get you nothing but trouble. Then again, people being people, in or out of uniform, can make some negative decisions and it goes on from there.
Yep. Keep the status letter with you just the same as if it were an actual ATC. Wardens especially, are versed to first ask whether you have papers or authorization to be carrying whatever they see you carrying... so when asked, provide the status letter on your antique, and any competent officer will recognize you're legal and be on their way no different than asking if you had a fishing license. Been there done that, was checked out with mine by 2 wardens and had no issue at all.. I don't get why some guys are so petrified of something so simple. Keep your papers with you and enjoy it as though it were a 410, a 30-30 or whatever else you might've legally taken along instead as a non-restricted. The rules for either-or are pretty much identical once you get right into them, out in a rural/backcountry setting or private land.
The concealed comments from your contact (are) interesting though, I always understood open carry only. If that discussion was in an email with BC CFO, I think I'd print it and keep THAT with me too, in the event if I was going to conceal. If it was over the phone though, with no name or contact-address to pin it to for proof it was factually said, then stick to open carry only. You will be fine that way for sure.
