Snowflake Pest Control with the EDgun Leshiy
- Thread starter KDX
- Start date
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Love it. Fookin' beauty. 
Sadly, it seems the Leshiy was reclassified by the RCMP as a 'restricted' firearm in Canada. I haven't been able to find the exact reasons why. Which is an upsetting turn of events for me, as I've wanted one for some time and was planning to purchase one earlier this year, when I found it no longer available from the one online retailer who had previously sold it. Such a shame. Seemed ideal for use on rodents. I got a chance to take a few shots with one last spring and was very impressed with the accuracy at 50 yards. Seemed I couldn't miss a 3" metal plate with it, shooting off hand, standing.
How is the Leshiy a bullpup? The pellet loads into the barrel directly above the grip, not from a magazine far behind the grip. There is no magazine, just single loading like any break-barrel pellet gun. The guy who told me about them being changed to restricted status offered some vague thought about the RCMP saying the Leshiy could be 'shortened' somehow to restricted overall length, but that's ridiculous, as the thing can not be fired without closing the stock... which IS the air supply, so you can't just chop it shorter.
This airgun appears to be really excellent. The reason for reclassification is not particularly mysterious though.
1. this air rifle meets the criteria of a regular firearm: muzzle velocity of more than 500 feet per second or has a maximum muzzle energy of 5.7 joules (it exceeds both)
2. since it is a regular firearm, then its overall length (630mm) in firing configuration must be considered; it is less than the minimum of 660 mm (26 inches) required for a non-restricted rifle.
Therefore, it is restricted. According to the rules in place since the 1990s, it should never have been allowed into Canada under the sub-500fps or sub 5.7j energy airgun exemption.
I'm not suggesting I think this is how it should be, I'm just citing why the Leshiy airgun is restricted in Canada and requires RPAL to own.
If the overall length from Leshiy extended this airgun to 26" (any fake can or "brake" threaded to the end of the barrel to extend it does not count in the overall length) and there is no silencer, then it will be allowed into Canada as a non-restricted firearm. The easiest way to bring a non-restricted version into Canada is to buying one in person in the US and declaring it at the Canadian border crossing. US ITAR doesn't kick in because it's not considered a firearm there and is not controlled. At the Canadian border the buyer will have to pay taxes, obviously, and show PAL. It's actually pretty straight forward.
1. this air rifle meets the criteria of a regular firearm: muzzle velocity of more than 500 feet per second or has a maximum muzzle energy of 5.7 joules (it exceeds both)
2. since it is a regular firearm, then its overall length (630mm) in firing configuration must be considered; it is less than the minimum of 660 mm (26 inches) required for a non-restricted rifle.
Therefore, it is restricted. According to the rules in place since the 1990s, it should never have been allowed into Canada under the sub-500fps or sub 5.7j energy airgun exemption.
I'm not suggesting I think this is how it should be, I'm just citing why the Leshiy airgun is restricted in Canada and requires RPAL to own.
If the overall length from Leshiy extended this airgun to 26" (any fake can or "brake" threaded to the end of the barrel to extend it does not count in the overall length) and there is no silencer, then it will be allowed into Canada as a non-restricted firearm. The easiest way to bring a non-restricted version into Canada is to buying one in person in the US and declaring it at the Canadian border crossing. US ITAR doesn't kick in because it's not considered a firearm there and is not controlled. At the Canadian border the buyer will have to pay taxes, obviously, and show PAL. It's actually pretty straight forward.
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Ah. Silly me for overlooking the 30mm under the limit. Thanks for that clarification.
So considering how excellent an airgun is the Leshiy, and the potential for selling at least a few hundred of the things in Canada (guessing), it seems a bit obvious that the next step is for Edgun (once they've got production up to levels supplying all the many other countries importing them like hotcakes) to put together a silly long-barrel Canadian edition. With mock-silencer shroud to match of course, to keep it from looking entirely too silly.
So considering how excellent an airgun is the Leshiy, and the potential for selling at least a few hundred of the things in Canada (guessing), it seems a bit obvious that the next step is for Edgun (once they've got production up to levels supplying all the many other countries importing them like hotcakes) to put together a silly long-barrel Canadian edition. With mock-silencer shroud to match of course, to keep it from looking entirely too silly.
I'm certain this is incorrect. Muzzle devices definitely do not count in barrel length but they do contribute to overall length.
Sadly, this doesn't even matter in practical terms. This isn't an AR or some other popular firearm that will have multitudes of owners and potential owners clamouring for a re-re-classification. The market for such a specialized item...an expensive and unique air rifle in Canada...is so small that the Mounties can say, do or decide just about anything regarding its classification with practically zero pushback.
