Good day. I am downsizing a collection of Civil War and earlier antique guns (couple of carbines, few pistols). I will send to Borderview to transfer across the border and to the auction house in the U.S.. Can I just box the weapons and send regular post from Alberta to B.C. without any issues or are there some further legal requirements mailing antique firearms within Canada. Thanks in Advance for any information.
Shipping antique firearms
- Thread starter spencers
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Better yet, since you plan to mail the items, perhaps look at Canada Post website or ask them about their requirements to mail a firearm.
Considering no export permit from Canada or import permit to the US is required I'm somewhat baffled about what service the broker actually provides. Going the other direction, someone in the US can simply mail an antique to Canada. Safety of items and insurance are the real issue but all the brokers do is receive from one postal system and throw it into the other one. It also seems a shame the big auction houses don't provide some help with getting items to them.
milsurpo
milsurpo
From the horse's mouth - so to speak.
https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/personal/sending/parcels/restrictions/firearms.page
https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/personal/sending/parcels/restrictions/firearms.page
If a gun is considered antique by law, it is not considered to be a firearm.
You are not using it in an unlawful act, so it's still not a firearm.
Be sure the guns are actually Antique and so are not covered by rules for shipping firearms within Canadian Borders because they are not considered firearms.
For what it's worth IMHO
You are not using it in an unlawful act, so it's still not a firearm.
Be sure the guns are actually Antique and so are not covered by rules for shipping firearms within Canadian Borders because they are not considered firearms.
For what it's worth IMHO
Do you know that to be a fact, or are you making an assumption? Please provide a reference to documentation to support your assertion. Antique firearms are definitely referred to as "firearms" (not simply as antiques) on the GC website and the transportation requirements are similar to those for non-restricted firearms (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-98-209/FullText.html). Refer to sections 14 and 16. Certainly doesn't sound to me as though they are considered non-firearms. To my mind, an antique firearm is simply another CLASS of firearm and I have not seen anywhere in the Canada Post instructions where they differentiate between classes of firearms.
Canada Criminal Code 84(3): Certain weapons deemed not to be firearms
(3) For the purposes of sections 91 to 95, 99 to 101, 103 to 107 and 117.03 of this Act and the provisions of the Firearms Act, the following weapons are deemed not to be firearms:
(a) any antique firearm;
But it also looks like you're right. According to the criminal code, they are not considered a firearm, but there is an exception for 117(h) of the firearms act (dealing with transportation and shipping) that says they are considered a firearm for that. That makes things really clear, ha ha!
That might make it a grey area as there’s certainly lots of grey in the firearms act.
I would just use snap ship as it goes expedited with a small discount and you don’t have to declare there’s a firearm or non firearm in the box. Easy Peazy …
