r/canadaguns • u/jesse_m1414 • May 11 '26

Application / Regulation advice Impossible to get ATC without owning handgun

Hi all, I inquired about getting an ATC for wilderness protection, the CFO called me and said my case is valid, the only issue is I don't currently own a handgun so they wouldn't be able to enter one on the RCMP application - wouldn't be able to apply. Is there any way to get around this? I have a reason for ATC which would get approved but don't currently own a handgun.

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u/KingHarber May 11 '26

Find someone with a suitable gun to lend you and apply for temporary storage and an ATC to your local range. Once you have that, apply for your ATC using the borrowed firearm and then once you have the ATC you can apply for an exemption.

So i've been told

18

u/Khill23 May 11 '26

So hold on, a friend could lend me a restricted for my care temporarily - I can apply for an ATC which I don't think that would work since I work from home and this is only for people that work in forestry or remote applications for work. Then you can apply for an exemption to buy your own, that doesn't make any sense. Is this some sort of loop hole - if it is I think everyone would be exploiting it however I wouldn't be surprised if it's possible with weaseling the clauses.

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u/Kromo30 May 11 '26

You know how rare it is to qualify for a ATC?

You wouldn’t be able to do it because you don’t qualify for a ATC. Along with 99% of the population.

Not much of a loophole…

Not really any different from the Olympic sport shooting exemption. If you join the right club, and start competing using borrowed/rented guns, you can apply to purchase a handgun that way too. Olympic sport shooting is done with .22.. which is all you will be approved to buy… so that’s not much of a loophole either.

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u/ELCguy17 May 11 '26

There are different types of ATC. The one that OP is going for is actually quite common and easy-is to get if you work in specific industries

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u/Kromo30 May 11 '26 edited May 11 '26

>if you work in specific industries.

Forestry, mining exploration, security, trapping, and a few others… which as I said, is a drop in the bucket in the grande scheme.

Easy to get and easy to qualify for are two very different things.

I said they were very hard to qualify for. 99% of the population doesn’t work in a job that qualifies. So they can’t get a ATC.

IF you qualify, yes, they are easy to get. It’s a routine form.

Does quitting your job and switching careers qualify as being a “loophole to handgun ownership” in your mind?

Although it seems I exaggerated a tiny bit. 90k ATCs currently active in Canada. Thats 2.5% of the population. So 95% or so doesn’t qualify.