So in order to sell Black Powder (which we sometimes carry at work - it's a pain to get it) we are required by law/regulation (NRCAN/Explosives Act) to record the name and address of the buyer (we only accept government ID), type of powder, size of container, brand name (ie. 2X500g Goex FF), and date of the sale. We are required to keep the record for 2 years (current regulation - it sometimes changes).
Of note here - nobody has ever come to look at our logs. The regional CFO comes a few times a year to check on the regular ammo sales (Ontario law here) but could care less about my black powder stuff. Nobody has inspected our storage save when we initially applied for our Business Firearms Licence - again though, didn't care about black powder/made no mention and no questions - not "their problem" it's a NRCAN issue.
Should back up here - depending on how much you want to keep "in stock" that determines whether you need an Explosives Licence (issued by NRCAN). The cut-off is 75 kgs of "real black" - since we never carry more that 20 kgs max "ever", don't need any special licence but we did have to inform (someone at) NRCAN that we were selling the stuff.
Also, the 75 kgs applies to a Storage Facility (such as we have at a brick/mortar store). If you are running "from home" whether you store in your house, or garage or some hut out back (same property as your or "a dwelling") the limits are different.
IN your house (or a house) - 1 kg max (so two cans and your at the limit)
IN a building "attached" to a dwelling (so attached garage as an example) - 1 kg of loose powder (again 2 standard cans) or up the 3 kg if it's "loaded in cartridges".
IN a "detached" building/container on the same property as a dwelling - 10 kg max of loose powder.
We keep ours in a "storage unit" along with our small arms ammunition, percussion caps, black powder subs, smokeless powder and primers, but each is on separate shelves (metal wire shelves), in a metal cage which is kept locked.
If you are going to "display" real black for sale you are limited to a maximum of 500 grams (one standard single can of Goex as an example) - so when we have it, it's either a single can with a sign saying that we have FF, FFF, FFFF or whatever OR just a sign say "Goex in stock" or what I have seen at other businesses is "empty cans" on display.
The regulation reads (as best as I remember without looking) - display up to 12 kg of propellant powder of which no more than 500 grams can be black.
Sorry, maybe a little disjointed here but think I got all the main points covered.
PS- dug out the regulation on the logs (note can use your PAL/RPAL number "in place of" name/address - both are acceptable)
[h=3]Q. What is required on the record of sale?[/h]
[FONT="]Sellers must keep a record of sale for all propellant powder sold for two years following the date of the sale. The information that must be kept is:[/FONT]
- the buyer’s name and address, or a licence number issued under the Firearms Act and the expiry date;
- the type, trade name, size of container, and authorization information;
- the quantity of powder sold under each trade name; and
- the date of the sale.
