City Kid *waves*

HeadlessChicken

New member
Location
Toronto
Greetings from Toronto.

I've been on here for a few months reading and diving deeper into the idea of firearms. I come from an airsoft background, been playing to 2 years almost. I had asked questions on my local airsoft forum (many are into real steel) who directed me here. I've been toying with this idea and I might make it come true this summer, or at least try to as my current priority is to school, test, and hopefully pass my driver's license exam (I currently only hold a G2).

So as I understand it and forgive me if I sound too general and...well green. PAL allows me to purchase some long barrel firearms after finishing a safety course. RPAL is a bit more extensive but will allow for the purchase of firearms labeled restricted like pistol sized weapons. Once licensed in either, I can purchase any items (within restrictions of my license) I please even online with a longer wait period for restricted firearms. CP is allowed to make delivery but I would require a transport firearms permit if I should miss the postman and need to pickup my purchase at my local post office. A restricted firearm is required to be used at a range an X number of times per year to justify the possession of an RPAL with an accompanying restricted firearm. Joining of a gun club is also required.

Question time
1 - I was going through the gun club list, how up-to-date is it? Are all the said clubs still in business. I noted a long while ago that the gun club in Union station was to be shut down but it still seems to be up on the list. And of those listed, how many offer the (R)PAL licensing course?
2 - How much should I expect to pay for my schooling into either license?
3 - Any recommended reading prior to taking the course? I don't like walking in completely oblivious and blind.


Thank you for your patients and I appreciate whatever help that can/would be offered.
 
Well 1st welcome to gun nutz. second welcome to the wonderful world of firearms. and third i'll walk you through my experiences. yours may differ....

When you take your firearms exam/course you pay a deposit (or in full) and you are given the textbook. This is the best reading material for you to read before you go into the classroom.

The PAL allows you to purchase non-restricted firearms and the RPAL allows you to purchase all non-prohibited firearms. You do not need 2 seperate licences.

To transport non-restricted firearms you only need you have your PAL and the registration certificate of the firearm. To transport a restricted firearm you must also have an ATT (Authorisation to transport).

All provinces have their own CFO (Cheif firearms officer) who gives out the att's and each province has their own interpetations of the firearms laws and polocies.

In alberta you simply tell them you are target shooting/competing and they will grant you an att that is valid to and from any approved range, gunsmith and border crossing in alberta. You do need to be a member of a gun club/range, however you need never go to the range if you don't want to. There is no minimum number of times you must go.

I hope this carified some of your questions. I don't know everything but i can sure try and help you along in the process. feel free to pm me. The entire site is here to support you and help answer your questions. we, or at least i, love to see new shooters!
 
Here are the PAL and RPAL courses in PDF, online, in full, for free ;)


http://fseso.org/index_files/Page322.htm


They repeat a little, but worth reading. Can never be too safe. I would recommend getting the both of them regardless of if you think you'll want a restricted. Just a good liscence to have.

I don't know about Ontario, but I don't think you HAVE to go to the range to justify owning a restricted. In BC, once the restricted gun is in your name you can let the ATT lapse if you don't plan on taking it anywhere. In that case, it essentially is then treated like a legally held prohib (prohibited gun aka 12.1, 12.2 12.3 etc classes), since the ATT is the only way of getting it out of the house.

Also, take note that while the CFC will not process Restricted transfers or grant ATT's without range membership, there is considerable doubt in many provinces if it's actually a law. The CFC says it is law, but no one has ever seen it in legal writing, at least for BC. I believe Quebec has it, but they have yet to prove it for anywhere else.
(They say it's law on the phone, but I've also been told that 15rd mags for bolt action center fires are illegal, so they really just make it up as they go)
 
hey i shoot at the grange in stoffville, im 25 been shooting for 3 years. seen on your profile your 27. if you get licence im always looking for friends into shooting around my age(no offense to other shooters out there reading this).....young guys into shooting 19 - 29 are hard to come by. the RPAL is about 80 bucks at least when i took it. and you dont have to go to the range an x amount of times a year. but you do need to be a memeber in good standing with a gun club to have a LTATT. if your worried about not getting to the range a lot the RCMP wont take your guns from you.
 
Pistols seem to be my thing. In my airsoft games, I tend to ditch my primary for my pistol back up. I will be going to Vegas in late August, I'll be hitting some of the local gun ranges to try out some handguns, see what fits me. My first time there, I only tried a Glock17 and an MP5 so I intend to up the calibre on top of trying out other handguns. I may look into IPSC or CAPS.
 
Welcome to CGN!
Be sure to check out Canadian Reload Radio as well. You can find our threads stickied under General Firearms, or on iTunes!
 
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