r/canadaguns • u/oilfieldschmuck • Jun 08 '26
Application / Regulation advice Export questions
Im a Canadian living in the US. I wouldn’t normally bother because I can just buy guns hassle free south of border, but there is an old Colt pistol of a relative in Canada that I may inherit and would be worth going through the importation into the US process. It doesn’t look too bad using an export service like Borderview or Irunguns, except one thing, the Canadian Law. As this is an heirloom piece (collecting dust hasn’t been shot in decades) I’m not sure if it is registered, and I also am not entirely sure the relative is licensed correctly. Hence my questions.
- Obviously there is going to be no possible way to export until it is registered if it isn’t already. If it was registered, the person exporting it from Canada would also need their restricted to arrange transport to the customs broker? Any way around that to still have it transported to broker without restricted?
- I do have friends with RPAL in Canada, can someone with an RPAL could go about the process of having an old unregistered pistol registered with the RCMP? To turn around and help me with an export.
Trying to stay fully above board here and see what would be lawfully involved , quite a bit more hoops to jump through on the Canada side to even have it leave there.
Anyone experienced anything like this?
2
u/DoYouGetSarcasm Jun 08 '26
*the person exporting it from Canada would also need their restricted to arrange transport to the customs broker? *
If this is an estate, the executor should should fill out paperwork about the guns found in the estate. Then they can store them and legally deal with them as needed (give/sell/export/forfeit/deactivate/destroy/whatever). Assuming it's a restricted handgun, the executor can't sell/give to an individual in Canada but they can get it to the exporter.
I'm not sure how the executor filling out paperwork for a gun that's unregistered but should be registered goes.
Also check how old it is, there's s chance it might be and antique and not subject to licensing and the handgun freeze.
2
u/SpectreBallistics Spectre Ballistics International (Verified) Jun 08 '26
You'll need more info about the gun, and you should contact an exporter for how to proceed.
1
u/waitwhatnothing Jun 08 '26
If it turns out to be unregistered only a business can register it. The handgun freeze makes it impossible for a licensed individual to register something in order to bring it into compliance with the law.
Whether a business would take possession of an unregistered handgun in order to do that and then export it… I’m not sure.
1
u/oilfieldschmuck Jun 09 '26
Ok I thought properly licensed individuals used to be able to do it…That also change with the new handgun freeze? What a gong show
1
u/waitwhatnothing Jun 09 '26
Yeah it was something that used to be possible. I had an older relative who owned a handgun that was originally bought with a handgun permit before FACs or PALs and he never registered it in the modern system. He gave it to a friend who had their RPAL like 10-15 years ago and they registered it no problem.
8
u/KorporalKarnage Jun 08 '26
I think you've answered your own questions here.
Contacting said relative and getting more info on the pistol and owner would be prudent. Then contact an importer on how to procede.
Personally I'd be more concerned about US import law than worrying about Canadian law. Doing due diligence on both is still worth avoiding any headaches.