When did the deactivation requirements change in Canada for machineguns?
- Thread starter drm3m
- Start date
Thanks Klunk.
I am still trying to find that date.
I found the document below in my records.
April 2005---the date that the game changed for these guns----no further ATTs for these prohibited CAs and FAs. No more shooting them.
This stuff dates back to Oct 1 1992.
REGISTRATION OF CONVERTED AUTOMATIC FIREARMS—OCT 1 1992
Prior to the amendments, some converted automatic firearms were registered as restricted weapons. Where the registrant chose to have the firearm deactivated rather than reregistering it under the grandfathering clause (deadline for application for grandfathering was 1 October 1992), the firearm had to be inspected to ensure proper deactivation and taken out of the registration system. In many cases, the inspection of deactivated and converted firearms or firearms presented for registration could be completed by specially trained local registrars. If the firearm’s legal status was in serious doubt, or if it was the subject of a court procedure, the inspection had to be conducted at one of seven RCMP Forensic Laboratories in Canada or by the provincial forensic laboratories in Ontario and Quebec. In some jurisdictions, the forensic experts traveled from site to site inspecting firearms in order to expedite the process.
Respondents from the forensic labs indicate that they require approximately four hours to properly examine a converted fully automatic firearm presented for examination for registration purposes which requires significant technical expertise to ensure that the conversion has been properly done. This applies only to converted fully automatic firearms. Most of this inspection process can be handled by specially trained lab staff but the actual inspection and testing of the firearms can only be completed by an expert firearms examiner. The RCMP qualified 30 firearm experts to handle the inspection and testing of firearms. It was expected that two additional staff at each laboratory would be required to assist with the examination and inspection process; however, as it takes over two years to train a qualified person to do firearms inspections, it was not possible to add new staff for the actual examination and inspection part of the process.
Respondents provided anecdotal evidence that three and a half years after the amnesty some of the converted fully automatic weapons were still at the forensic labs waiting to be tested as a result of a backlog. It was suggested that the backlog arose because of the number of these firearms brought in before the October 1, 1992 grandfather deadline, rather than from the amnesty.
Secondly, it was observed that many owners of converted fully automatic weapons did not know about the October 1, 1992 deadline for ‘grandfathering’ these weapons (i.e., having them inspected and re-registered). Only a few notices were sent to the owners of these firearms. In some instances, local firearm registrars backdated the registration of these weapons if the owner had started the process prior to 1 October 1992, or if there was some other acceptable reason for missing the deadline (e.g., if the owner was out of the country). It was alternatively suggested by the FCTG that the number of affected owners was relatively small and that many heard about the requirements through their gun clubs. Thirdly, one provincial official stated that in some provinces, there was insufficient technical expertise to examine and certify the firearms during the time period. For example, the Vancouver Forensic Laboratory refused to inspect the 553 possible converted automatic firearms in British Columbia. Some firearms had to be sent to Ottawa because the technical expertise was not available elsewhere; it took about two years for these firearms to be checked. In general, inspection requirements varied across provinces/territories. It was also estimated that there were hundreds of thousands of large-capacity magazines in Canada, (i.e., magazines holding more than five rounds for centre fire semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, and more than ten rounds for all handguns or grandfathered automatics or converted automatic firearms). Several jurisdictions declared an amnesty period to allow owners of large-capacity cartridge magazines to deliver them to a peace officer, local registrar of firearms, or firearms officer, either for destruction or to allow owners the opportunity to convert their cartridge magazines to the new limits.
I am still trying to find that date.
I found the document below in my records.
April 2005---the date that the game changed for these guns----no further ATTs for these prohibited CAs and FAs. No more shooting them.
This stuff dates back to Oct 1 1992.
REGISTRATION OF CONVERTED AUTOMATIC FIREARMS—OCT 1 1992
Prior to the amendments, some converted automatic firearms were registered as restricted weapons. Where the registrant chose to have the firearm deactivated rather than reregistering it under the grandfathering clause (deadline for application for grandfathering was 1 October 1992), the firearm had to be inspected to ensure proper deactivation and taken out of the registration system. In many cases, the inspection of deactivated and converted firearms or firearms presented for registration could be completed by specially trained local registrars. If the firearm’s legal status was in serious doubt, or if it was the subject of a court procedure, the inspection had to be conducted at one of seven RCMP Forensic Laboratories in Canada or by the provincial forensic laboratories in Ontario and Quebec. In some jurisdictions, the forensic experts traveled from site to site inspecting firearms in order to expedite the process.
Respondents from the forensic labs indicate that they require approximately four hours to properly examine a converted fully automatic firearm presented for examination for registration purposes which requires significant technical expertise to ensure that the conversion has been properly done. This applies only to converted fully automatic firearms. Most of this inspection process can be handled by specially trained lab staff but the actual inspection and testing of the firearms can only be completed by an expert firearms examiner. The RCMP qualified 30 firearm experts to handle the inspection and testing of firearms. It was expected that two additional staff at each laboratory would be required to assist with the examination and inspection process; however, as it takes over two years to train a qualified person to do firearms inspections, it was not possible to add new staff for the actual examination and inspection part of the process.
Respondents provided anecdotal evidence that three and a half years after the amnesty some of the converted fully automatic weapons were still at the forensic labs waiting to be tested as a result of a backlog. It was suggested that the backlog arose because of the number of these firearms brought in before the October 1, 1992 grandfather deadline, rather than from the amnesty.
Secondly, it was observed that many owners of converted fully automatic weapons did not know about the October 1, 1992 deadline for ‘grandfathering’ these weapons (i.e., having them inspected and re-registered). Only a few notices were sent to the owners of these firearms. In some instances, local firearm registrars backdated the registration of these weapons if the owner had started the process prior to 1 October 1992, or if there was some other acceptable reason for missing the deadline (e.g., if the owner was out of the country). It was alternatively suggested by the FCTG that the number of affected owners was relatively small and that many heard about the requirements through their gun clubs. Thirdly, one provincial official stated that in some provinces, there was insufficient technical expertise to examine and certify the firearms during the time period. For example, the Vancouver Forensic Laboratory refused to inspect the 553 possible converted automatic firearms in British Columbia. Some firearms had to be sent to Ottawa because the technical expertise was not available elsewhere; it took about two years for these firearms to be checked. In general, inspection requirements varied across provinces/territories. It was also estimated that there were hundreds of thousands of large-capacity magazines in Canada, (i.e., magazines holding more than five rounds for centre fire semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, and more than ten rounds for all handguns or grandfathered automatics or converted automatic firearms). Several jurisdictions declared an amnesty period to allow owners of large-capacity cartridge magazines to deliver them to a peace officer, local registrar of firearms, or firearms officer, either for destruction or to allow owners the opportunity to convert their cartridge magazines to the new limits.
From what I recently found ---the New Deactivation Standards came into effect on November 7 2006.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/bulletins/club/bulletin12-eng.htm
"The basic instructions for deactivating a firearm have not changed compared to previous guidelines. However, the new guidelines now stress that modifications to deactivate a firearm must be permanent, meaning that they must be done in such a way to make it extremely difficult to reactivate the firearm. Further, someone licensed as a gunsmith under the Firearms Act must confirm that the firearm has been modified according to the instructions set out in the guidelines."
Canadian Firearms Program
Special Bulletin for Shooting Clubs and Ranges No 12
November 7, 2006
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/bulletins/club/bulletin12-eng.htm
"The basic instructions for deactivating a firearm have not changed compared to previous guidelines. However, the new guidelines now stress that modifications to deactivate a firearm must be permanent, meaning that they must be done in such a way to make it extremely difficult to reactivate the firearm. Further, someone licensed as a gunsmith under the Firearms Act must confirm that the firearm has been modified according to the instructions set out in the guidelines."
Canadian Firearms Program
Special Bulletin for Shooting Clubs and Ranges No 12
November 7, 2006
