Q:
I have heard of some people having special Prohibited status. How do I get “Prohibited Status” on my PAL?
A: Presumably, you mean how do you get the Orders In Counsel (OIC) (12-2 through to 12-7) “grandfather clause” exemption.
First, let’s clarify what is meant by Prohibited. It does not mean “Frowned Upon”. It means Prohibited. The “grandfather clause” is a special exemption for those that PREVIOUSLY had the type of firearm now deemed prohibited. It allows a person TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT HE HAS DONE BEFORE. If you have not owned a 12-xx type gun, how can you continue to do so?
Q:
What are the different classes that I cannot own?
A:
12-2 is Full Auto (Yes, believe it or not, a very few people can still own Full Auto. They cannot fire them, though)
12-3 is Converted Auto. Soon after the Full Auto rules came into effect in 1978, one lucky owner died. His survivors hoped to inherit his collection, but found that because they were not "grandfathered" to own FA, they could not. They asked if the guns could be converted to fire only semi-auto. This was allowed, which opened the door to further imports. About 50,000 CA guns were imported, according to the National Firearms Association. This was stopped in 1991, and those CA guns became Prohibited - Grandfathered.
12-4 is a small group of named guns, including the Steyr AUG, a "bullpup" design. It is prohibited because it is so named, not because it is a bullpup.
12-5 is a large group of semi-automatic named guns, including the FN-FAL series, AK-47 clones, and HK 91 and 93 types.
12-6 is short barreled handguns, and handguns in various .25 and .32 calibres. (An exception is made for a few limited target grade guns in .25 ACP and .32 ACP.)
12-7 is the one class that can you can get in the future, but your parent has to die first. (Technically, you can inherit while your relative is still alive, but dying first seems to be the most popular route.) If a direct relative (parent, grandparent, sibling, or spouse) has short barreled handguns made before 1946, you can inherit them.
This is lifted directly from the CFC site:
Grandfathering Requirements for Prohibited Firearms
As a general rule, to be able to acquire a prohibited firearm, you need “grandfathering privileges” for that particular category of prohibited firearm. In other words, you must have continuously held a valid registration certificate for a firearm in that category since December 1, 1998. A registration certificate is valid only if you already have a valid licence authorizing you to possess that category of firearm.
Exception: You do not need grandfathering privileges to inherit a registered prohibited handgun that discharges .25 or .32 calibre ammunition or that has a barrel length of 105 mm or less if:
* the handgun was manufactured before 1946, and
* you are the spouse, brother, sister, child or grandchild of the registered owner; and
* the handgun is used for a permitted purpose such as target shooting or as part of a collection.
A list and photos can be found here:
http://members.shaw.ca/tmcveigh/Projects/GunRights/prohiblist.html
Q:
What are my options for OIC 13 (12-xx) ?
A: Option One. Nothing, other than whine and complain.
Option Two. Build a time machine.
Option Three. Get politically involved, so that MAYBE, just maybe, we can overturn some of this stuff.
(***Please note, option one is well covered. Option three still needs more people.)
