Is it Law or Policy Colt Canada can't sell to Civilians?

Not too sure it is true or not, the rumor I heard was Colt pull out of Canadian civilian market because distributor at the time was under cutting local dealers, so not a lot dealers was willing to carry their after awhile.
 
From what I understand and have heard through multiple inquiries is that Diemaco, at its inception, signed an agreement with the Canadian Government that they would not sell firearms to civilians in Canada. The reason Diemaco existed was to allow for the Canadian Forces to outfit its soldiers with C7's (M16's) through a domestic supplier in order to fulfill the governments policy of purchasing Canadian products as much as possible for the CF. They bought the license to manufacture M16's from Colt and maintained a relationship with them. Once the CF was fully supplied and Diemaco's manufacturing department became less taxed by the CF, they began to produce firearms for other nations (Norway, US, UK, etc). Diemaco had made some improvements to the C7 over the M16 and therefore their products became popular. Once their international appeal and manufacturing ability became more profitable, Colt decided to purchase the company and renamed it Colt Canada. The initial agreement to not sell to Canadian Civilians was sustained through the purchase. Word on the street.
 
#### Proenneke said:
From what I understand and have heard through multiple inquiries is that Diemaco, at its inception, signed an agreement with the Canadian Government that they would not sell firearms to civilians in Canada. The reason Diemaco existed was to allow for the Canadian Forces to outfit its soldiers with C7's (M16's) through a domestic supplier in order to fulfill the governments policy of purchasing Canadian products as much as possible for the CF. They bought the license to manufacture M16's from Colt and maintained a relationship with them. Once the CF was fully supplied and Diemaco's manufacturing department became less taxed by the CF, they began to produce firearms for other nations (Norway, US, UK, etc). Diemaco had made some improvements to the C7 over the M16 and therefore their products became popular. Once their international appeal and manufacturing ability became more profitable, Colt decided to purchase the company and renamed it Colt Canada. The initial agreement to not sell to Canadian Civilians was sustained through the purchase. Word on the street.
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That makes it sound like it might be part of their licensing agreement with Colt to leave civilian markets alone.
 
Such a ####y deal. We should have a much stronger firearm industry. We could provide local jobs for manufacturing our own ammo consumption. Frankly if someone had the funds, they could open up a new business. I do not see Liberal Policy reaching any further. I hope the cons will do whats right and let Colt Canada sell to us.
 
I have heard the thing in the past when I, through work, had some dealings with a Diemaco Rep. However, what #### P posted, was the reponse we got back then, and what I believe people still get now. We even asked if we could just purchase parts and not the registered lowers. Back then, around 2002 or so, we got a resounding NO.
 
The licence agreement is to produce military technology (anything in the TDP) for government end users only.

I would like to have one as much as the next guy, but I can't see it happening in Canada. Para stopped building here for a reason.

Consider all the infrastructure a small company would have to put in place to register every firearm, whether for export, military or police, and then deregister all the exported firearms.

A civilian model would have to be "created" and sent to RCMP for identification and classification. Neutered magazines would have to be "created". This needs model numbers and drawings and $$$$.

Insurance would have to be purchased $$$$ for civilian sales.

Someone would have to deal with all the customer service/distribution details and warranty issues, and spare parts sales. I recall a thread here where someone's AR blew up (pics looked like bbl was obstructed). Lots of cgnr's posted that he should sue the manufacturer for sure. So now they have to spend time and $$ dealing with that.

On top of that, customer #1, the Government of Canada, is just not very likely to be happy about it's small arms arsenal supplying assault rifles to the general public - what with all the wendys and iggys around.

All this for a high end rifle or carbine that would likely cost more than the most expensive available ARs do right now and would sell maybe 500 a year?

I always try to buy Canadian, and after carrying one for 20 years would love one, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
I'd be willing to bet it's a combination of law, corporate and government policy.

(Defence Production Act and the Controlled Goods Regulations)

http://ssi-iss.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/dmc-cgd/publications/presentations/srvl-ovrvw-eng.html#a
 
C77 said:
The licence agreement is to produce military technology (anything in the TDP) for government end users only.

I would like to have one as much as the next guy, but I can't see it happening in Canada. Para stopped building here for a reason.

Consider all the infrastructure a small company would have to put in place to register every firearm, whether for export, military or police, and then deregister all the exported firearms.

A civilian model would have to be "created" and sent to RCMP for identification and classification. Neutered magazines would have to be "created". This needs model numbers and drawings and $$$$.

Insurance would have to be purchased $$$$ for civilian sales.

Someone would have to deal with all the customer service/distribution details and warranty issues, and spare parts sales. I recall a thread here where someone's AR blew up (pics looked like bbl was obstructed). Lots of cgnr's posted that he should sue the manufacturer for sure. So now they have to spend time and $$ dealing with that.

On top of that, customer #1, the Government of Canada, is just not very likely to be happy about it's small arms arsenal supplying assault rifles to the general public - what with all the wendys and iggys around.

All this for a high end rifle or carbine that would likely cost more than the most expensive available ARs do right now and would sell maybe 500 a year?

I always try to buy Canadian, and after carrying one for 20 years would love one, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Actually they produce Semi-Auto only C8'S for law enforcement throughout Canada that are essentially Colt 6921's. From my last conversation with our purchasing agent and training officer our purchase price is just over a $1000 per unit. So, they could easily sell those units without modifying them in any way for the civilian market. Colt Canada would, no doubt, dominate the AR sales in Canada, and pretty much negate the need to import AR's, as most other manufactures would have a higher retail cost and be of lesser quality. Of course this will never happen.
 
Ever try to get something in and out of the US? If you were Denmark would you want to use them and their wheel of export as an arms supplier?

Both Colt and IVI don't want to deal with retail due to liability concerns and scale. They don't want to sell a rifle or 1K of ammo to individuals who are going to do stupid things. They don't want to be shipping a rifle or a couple hundred rounds of ammo to individuals. So if a company had a need for dozens of rifles and support or a few pallets of ammo
now they might listen. I have a bunch of IVI .40S&W brass because they sell to certain civilian companies.
In England the NRA buys Radway Green ammo and resells it to members at cost. When the DCRA got their free DND ammo cut off they should have been pushing for a similar bulk purchase for members from IVI.
 
#### Proenneke said:
Actually they produce Semi-Auto only C8'S for law enforcement throughout Canada that are essentially Colt 6921's. From my last conversation with our purchasing agent and training officer our purchase price is just over a $1000 per unit. So, they could easily sell those units without modifying them in any way for the civilian market. Colt Canada would, no doubt, dominate the AR sales in Canada, and pretty much negate the need to import AR's, as most other manufactures would have a higher retail cost and be of lesser quality. Of course this will never happen.
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Bummer, I'd love a semi-only C8. Even if they were to charge $1500/rifle, I bet they would still beat out most imported Ar's.
 
They do sell to civilians...........




South of the border.

When it was purely Diemaco I could understand because of the arrangement made but now that it is purely owned by Colt, who does business in Canada already, why not? But then they don't seem to sell AR15s up here. When you see them they're probably third party imports and the prices reflect that.
 
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