Which dealers can import vintage Surplus Ammo from the US?

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grelmar

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The title pretty much says it all.

There's some specific ammo I'm looking at, that's very reasonably priced in the US, but unobtanium in the Great White North.

I wouldn't be ordering a huge quantity, maybe a $200 US worth of it, was just wondering who's been through the process and if there are any opinions on who I should go through.

Thanks.

Okokokok.... I know you guys, and can't leave it hanging at that... This is what I'm after:

AS41001b.jpg


AS41001f.jpg
 
It would not be worth it. They would have to submit it for testing before they could bring it in. That costs money. There aren't enough of the Indian prison shotguns in Canada so that a importer would spend that kind of money to bring it in.
 
They are basically a surplus .303 that has been bored out to a .410 smoothbore. A unformed .303 casing has the same dimensions as a .410 hull and the Indian prison system used to load a ball as a riot load.
 
mr.e moose said:
They are basically a surplus .303 that has been bored out to a .410 smoothbore. A unformed .303 casing has the same dimensions as a .410 hull and the Indian prison system used to load a ball as a riot load.
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You nailed it. I don't have one of the Indian Prison Guns, but I've been messing about with fireforming .303 brass into .410 shotshells. So far, it's working out slick. I have a spare .410 shotgun I'm willing to risk turning into scrap to see what would happen if you fired some of these old ball rounds out of a modern .410. From what I've been able to figure out, it should actually be fine - the chamber pressures and pressure curve should be well within (lower actually) then the 3" .410 magnum slugs you can get over the shelf nowadays.

But until I light a few of them off (I'd use a remote firing bench rig - basically a benchrest rig with a string attached to the trigger - to test it out).

For something that was used fairly extensively for a number of decades post WWII in India, there's pretty scant info about the ammo and rifles around. Just makes me curious.

CanadianAR said:
Prophet River will import it.
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Thanks. Will contact them.


p.s. This was my first batch of .303 brass converted to .410 brass. I wrecked 3 cases getting it right, which was less than I was expecting to ruin. I've reloaded these cases a number of times since, testing loads. They seem like they should be reloadable near indefinitely now that they're formed.

410_brass_small.JPG


The prison gun thing was what got me interested in the whole project to start with. Now that I know the actual ammo is available.... I want some.
 
you can import 5000 for personal use, but you would likely have to do it yourself, using a US exporter.

A dealer may be able to get a 1 time import permit based on it being used personally by you, but NRCAN may see it as a commercial import if a dealer does it.
 
Thanks for the info all.

I'm "working it".

If all goes through, I'll let you know. I might end up with more than I need in order to make it happen. If that ends up being the case, I'll make some available at my cost to interested parties. Don't expect to hear back about this for a couple of months, at least, by the time all the paperwork and import and shipping etc. dust settles.
 
CanAm said:
you can import 5000 for personal use, but you would likely have to do it yourself, using a US exporter.
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This exemption does NOT absolve the ammunition of being authorized, only the requirement for an explosives import permit. If the ammunition is not on the List of Authorized Explosives it is not importable.
 
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Where can we find that list of authorized explosives ?! We need a sticky for that, I always looking for 303 and 8mm surplus !

Thx a lot
 
Duff350 said:
Where can we find that list of authorized explosives ?! We need a sticky for that, I always looking for 303 and 8mm surplus !

Thx a lot
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Here you go:

http://www2.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/mms/lae-lea/index.cfm?lang=eng

Just select "C - Cartridges" and hit search, it will return 3,000+ results to browse through.

The authorization process is time consuming, expensive, and complicated in the sense that you need to submit a fairly thorough technical analysis of the ammunition, which for most surplus is not available. This limits surplus offerings in Canada to only those available in large volume from manufacturers/nations of reasonable reputation (i.e. well-established defense industries with attention to quality and consistency). Given the source of the ammunition in question I'd be skeptical that CERL would give it a pass.
 
wbaad said:
Hopefully it will already be on the list
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I can almost guarantee that it won't, however if it was ever on the list in the past it can usually be reauthorized easily enough. The list is actively culled of expired entries so you would need to contact the Explosives Regulatory Division directly and ask them to search their database.

Richard Dupuis in Ottawa should be able to check, phone: 613-948-5200.
 
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