Getting an antique handgun soon, what documents do I need?

cote_b

cote_b

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So I will soon be acquiring an antique handgun and I intend on taking it to gravel pits and doing whatever else I legally can with it. Just want to gt an idea what I should/need to be carrying with me in the form of documents to produce when I have to prove to a police officer that it is an antique, I can discharge it anywhere an NR firearm can be and that no registration card is required. What do you carry with you when you take your antique out?

Thanks
 
If it is an Antique, I don't think you need anything except money. No PAL, no RPAL, no club membership, no ATT, no nuttin'. (But before you go all misty eyed, check with the RCMP's website for their bulletins on Antiques.)
 
Dave_G said:
Lots of cops don't know about antique pistols, expect to be arrested and charged and have to hire a lawyer to clear the me$$ up.
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Sadly, this.

You don't need to have a PAL to possess an Antique, but having your PAL with you can help establish some credibility. Don't bother carrying legal resources or print outs of the RCMP website. Its all nonsense, and the cop knows how to access that official laws, which he will when its an issue he will have never seen before.

What you might want to consider is being able to carry sufficient evidence that the firearm in question can be proven to meet the legal definition of an antique. Is the cartridge/caliber stamped on the barrel? Have you cross checked that with the list of verbotten chamberings? Can you prove the date of manufacture? Can you prove that the gun was not modified in such a way as to negate Antique status. Are you sure it is not a modern reproduction?

Ideally, when the cop showed up you would wave your antique card and the cop would roll his eyes and be like, ahhhh, another one, you got me.

But in reality, no such card exists, and when the cop sees you doing something that that he normally associates with criminal activity, expect to get treated like a criminal until you can convince him otherwise. And as soon as you get the impression things are going sideways, it is truly best to let a lawyer do the convincing.

Good luck.
 
Cameron SS said:
the cop knows how to access that official laws, which he will when its an issue he will have never seen before.

What you might want to consider is being able to carry sufficient evidence that the firearm in question can be proven to meet the legal definition of an antique.

Ideally, when the cop showed up you would wave your antique card and the cop would roll his eyes and be like, ahhhh, another one, you got me.

when the cop sees you doing something that that he normally associates with criminal activity, expect to get treated like a criminal until you can convince him otherwise. And as soon as you get the impression things are going sideways, it is truly best to let a lawyer do the convincing.
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The biggest thing is discretion; if the gravel pit is anywhere near where others can see / hear you, they are going to have concerns with a person shooting regardless of what type of gun you are shooting. Also in my limited experience, the police will not be able to easily find the pertinent information and that is further complicated by the RCMP having their own unique policies and interpretations of the written law. One current example is that if the gun was in a restricted or prohibited caliber before being modified to an acceptable cartridge / caliber the policy or interpretation is that it remains in its previous classification. In other words a pre 1898 handgun modified from 32 centerfire caliber to 44 russian may meet the written word of the law but will be classified as prohibited by the RCMP. The bottom line is to not come to the attention of the police in the first place.

cheers mooncoon
 
Under the Firearms Act and corresponding regulations, antique firearms must be stored, displayed and transported unloaded.

If an individual is transporting antique firearms by vehicle and needs to leave them unattended*, they should be left in the vehicle’s locked trunk or similar compartment. If the vehicle does not have a trunk or compartment, the vehicle must be locked with the antique firearms inside and out of sight.

Antique handguns must be transported in a locked, non-transparent container that cannot readily be broken open or into or accidentally opened during transportation

straight from the website
 
jmcgee said:
Under the Firearms Act and corresponding regulations, antique firearms must be stored, displayed and transported unloaded.

If an individual is transporting antique firearms by vehicle and needs to leave them unattended*, they should be left in the vehicle’s locked trunk or similar compartment. If the vehicle does not have a trunk or compartment, the vehicle must be locked with the antique firearms inside and out of sight.

Antique handguns must be transported in a locked, non-transparent container that cannot readily be broken open or into or accidentally opened during transportation

straight from the website
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I wish there was a button beside the report button, where you could deliver a shock to everyone who quotes the RCMP website.

Nothing in law specificies that Antique, Restricted or prohibited are mutually exclusive categories.

A handgun can be both restricted AND an Antique, or both a Prohibited AND an Antique.

Antique is a special status applied to a firearm in addition to any other definitions it might meet in the criminal code. It is not a separate class from NR, RES or PROHIB. The only place that Antiques are treated as being distinct from NR, RES, and Prohib is in the Transportation, Storage and Display regulations, but even this fails to create separate and distinct categories. There fore because an antique handgun could meet both the definitions of Antique and Restricted, the transport and storage requirements for BOTH antique and restricted would apply.

If you want to know the law, read the law. http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/FullText.html
 
How could a firearm be both restricted and antique or prohibited and antique if no PAL OR registration are required? Am I way off base here when I say that a prescribed antique handgun can be shot anywhere an NR firearm can be? And if that is correct, what documents should I have on hand when shooting it? FRT info? An antique letter? Some kind of email from the rcmp or cfo stating that what I have is an antique?
 
cote_b said:
How could a firearm be both restricted and antique or prohibited and antique if no PAL OR registration are required? Am I way off base here when I say that a prescribed antique handgun can be shot anywhere an NR firearm can be? And if that is correct, what documents should I have on hand when shooting it? FRT info? An antique letter? Some kind of email from the rcmp or cfo stating that what I have is an antique?
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Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

and, be discreet, follow safe storage + transportation regulations, have a copy of FRT, antique letter, be prepared to articulate what you posses + what you are doing, ie. target shooting.
 
What is it with friken Gravel pits LOL
Join a gun club and you can relax and shoot all day without looking over your shoulder.

I used to drive way out in the bush to target shoot but find the range more relaxing and you can b.s with other gunnuts. ive had cops show up at the range and just watch me shoot and some like to try the old colts out to.

But if I were going hiking or camping way in the bush I would for sure bring my strongest antique and some paperwork.
 
Well a range is definitely where I plan to use it most, just thinking about the times I can take it to someone’s private property to use when we are shooting NRs.
 
cote_b said:
just thinking about the times I can take it to someone’s private property to use when we are shooting NRs.
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Use it like a NR but treat it like a restricted, carry it in a locked box with a trigger lock installed, be able to produce your PAL and the paperwork that says it is what it is and make sure you can actually shoot it on your friends property (the acreage, county, municipality could have a bylaw against discharging a firearm unless is to deal with problem wildlife).
 
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