is it legal to cut my 18 inch barrel to 16 inch

mmattockx said:
You can if it is a handgun, not if it is a rifle or shotgun. People cut handgun barrels down to 4.2" on a regular basis with no problems. Read the wording:






Don't go getting all logical on us. That is too simple for your typical bureaucrat to follow and doesn't add in the required obstacles to civilian gun ownership.

Mark
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I seem to recall people shortening restricted VZ's down from 16 inches to what ever they thought looked good...but maybe they were re barreling.

To me if a gun is restricted it's in the same category as a handgun at that point so things like 18" barrels and 26" overall would no longer apply.
 
Danimal247 said:
so how did that other guy who cut his friends shotgun barrel get away with it?
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My interpretation of the law is that you CAN cut down a barrel or swap for shorter factory parts but only to the legal limits. Ie. I can cut 4" off my 24" barrel or I can order a 20" barrel NO problem I could even take off another 2". BUT.... If I go below 18" wether with a hacksaw or a new 16" Green Mountain barrel then I'm breaking the law. If I want a 16" barreled gun then I have to buy it like that.
I know this sounds stupid but there is no provision in the law for altering a rifle or shotgun to have a barrel length less than 457mm (18") with factory parts. It simply says making a long gun have a barrel less than 18" is a no no?!
 
Can-down said:
Why can't you cut restricted barrels down to 4.2 inches?
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Don't confuse a restricted firearm with a handgun or restricted rifle. Although they both fall into the restricted category, different rules apply in terms of cutting and required barrel length. As mentioned, you can cut a pistol barrel down to 4.2". Also, you can replace a rifle barrel with a newly manufactured one of less than 4.2".
 
ciphery said:
Actualy what it says is "Any rifle or shotgun altered to make the barrel less than 457mm(18") ......."
So technically me ordering a 16" barrel from factory to replace my 18" stock barrel is "modifying a rifle or shot gun to have a barrel less than 457mm(18)"." If I bought the gun that way new that's one thing. If I modified the gun no matter how I accomplished the modification it would be illegal wouldn't it? The law apparently has no provision for how the GUN came to have a short barrel. It states that THE GUN has been modified not the barrel.
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ciphery said:
My interpretation of the law is that you CAN cut down a barrel or swap for shorter factory parts but only to the legal limits. Ie. I can cut 4" off my 24" barrel or I can order a 20" barrel NO problem I could even take off another 2". BUT.... If I go below 18" wether with a hacksaw or a new 16" Green Mountain barrel then I'm breaking the law. If I want a 16" barreled gun then I have to buy it like that.
I know this sounds stupid but there is no provision in the law for altering a rifle or shotgun to have a barrel length less than 457mm (18") with factory parts. It simply says making a long gun have a barrel less than 18" is a no no?!
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That may be your interpretation, but it is wrong. Take a 10/22 and put a short Dlask or Green Mountain barrel on it. Now call the CFC and tell them you installed a new barrel and it is 12" long. They will simply pull up the FRT for a 10/22 with a 12" barrel and issue you a new certificate with the correct barrel length.

Changing the barrel is not considered altering the existing one. How else would it be legal to swap barrels on shotguns (which it most certainly is), where you can legally have a 12" barrel, an 18" barrel and a 26" barrel all fitting your one receiver?

Danimal247 said:
maybe im just a newb, but this looks pretty short?

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That looks like around 18". Figuring it probably had a 30" barrel originally, that cut piece looks like around 12", based on its size next to the hacksaw. Take a tape measure and see how short an 18" barrel really is on a break action shotgun, it results in a very compact package.

Mark
 
What about the ruger bolt actions with the 16" barrels- they are non restricted right? Isn't the minimum barrel length on manual rifles 16"?
 
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M1shooter said:
What about the ruger bolt actions with the 16" barrels- they are non restricted right? Isn't the minimum barrel length on manual rifles 16"?
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Nope. You can go as short as you want as long as you meet the 2 following criteria:

1) If the barrel is under 18.5" then it MUST be a manufactured barrel.

AND

2) The over all length of the firearm MUST be over 26"

Follow both those rules and you are still non-restricted.
 
Non-restricted = Overall length equal to or greater than 26"
(From factory it doesnt matter if the barrel is 8 inchs or 24 inchs, it will be non-restricted (some exceptions such as AR's and guns they dont like))
Restricted = Overal length less than 26"


-If you cut a non restricted down, there are a few limitations:
1) Semi's/rifles cant be cut down lower than 18.5 inchs and, Non-semis/rifles cant be cut down lower than 18 inchs. No matter what, if you do its changed to prohibited, not restricted.
2) Both semi's/rifles and non-semi's have to be 26" or greater.

Heres an example. A pump shotgun comes from factory with a barrel thats 8 inchs, and an overall length thats 30". Yes you can cut it down without changing the non-restricted status to 26", but since the barrels below 18" already (8 inchs) you can ONLY cut down the stock to reach that 26".

EDIT: Now that being said, im not going to guarantee this 100% because just as the guy below said, it is what I understand from the law and not actually whats worded. Its open to interpretation. Always double check
 
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Ok that info goes beyond the wording of the laws I read, but I'm positive that there are more indepth cryptic variations of the law not readily available to the average guy. And even then I'm sure there is a confusing clause statement which allows them to have the interpretation suit themselves
 
ciphery said:
Ok that info goes beyond the wording of the laws I read, but I'm positive that there are more indepth cryptic variations of the law not readily available to the average guy. And even then I'm sure there is a confusing clause statement which allows them to have the interpretation suit themselves
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You can take the tinfoil off, the Criminal Code of Canada and the Firearms Act are public domain and the government doesn't keep extra special versions behind locked doors just to screw you over.

Directly from the online Criminal Code:

“prohibited firearm” means

(a) a handgun that

(i) has a barrel equal to or less than 105 mm in length, or
(ii) is designed or adapted to discharge a 25 or 32 calibre cartridge,

but does not include any such handgun that is prescribed, where the handgun is for use in international sporting competitions governed by the rules of the International Shooting Union,

(b) a firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, and that, as so adapted,

(i) is less than 660 mm in length, or
(ii) is 660 mm or greater in length and has a barrel less than 457 mm in length,

(c) an automatic firearm, whether or not it has been altered to discharge only one projectile with one pressure of the trigger, or

(d) any firearm that is prescribed to be a prohibited firearm;
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http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/C-46/page-3.html#anchorbo-ga:l_III


Note that if you cut your rifle or shotgun down so that it is less than 660mm long, it does not become restricted, it becomes prohibited. Factory made rifles and shotguns that are less than 660mm will be restricted, not prohibited. Complicated and confusing? You bet.

Here is the actual restricted firearm definition from the same page, for your info:

“restricted firearm” means

(a) a handgun that is not a prohibited firearm,

(b) a firearm that

(i) is not a prohibited firearm,
(ii) has a barrel less than 470 mm in length, and
(iii) is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner,

(c) a firearm that is designed or adapted to be fired when reduced to a length of less than 660 mm by folding, telescoping or otherwise, or

(d) a firearm of any other kind that is prescribed to be a restricted firearm;
Click to expand...

Mark
 
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