Importing a shotgun from Canada....

Steve McCullough

Steve McCullough

Active member
Tough question. I have an opportunity to purchase a nice shotgun from a friend in Canada. I have contacted some local friends who have FFL. They both have said I need to find an importer and send the gun there, and then it can be sent to them.

I have looked at the ATF website and I realize I need a law degree to interpret their shit.

Has anyone imported a gun and could share advice?

Thank you,
Steve
 
I don't think you should have too many problems. Here is a cut and paste from the RCMP site:

Exporting firearms to another country

When a firearm is exported to someone in another country, the laws of the other country as well as the laws of Canada apply. In the United States, the laws may vary from state to state.

An export permit may be required by Canadian law or the laws of the importing country. For more information, and to apply for an export permit if needed, exporters should call the Export Control Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade at 1-800-267-8376.

A firearm cannot be shipped to another country by Canada Post. Instead, a carrier company licensed to transport firearms under the Firearms Act must be used.
 
I looked into it for a double gun and gave up-

technically - any FFL can file the required form 6 paper work to import one, and receive the gun once everything is approved
but none of the ones i know wanted to get involved

those that do it as a business charged too much to make it worth while
 
Steve, any FFL with a import license in the US and do it. Not to many around. Those that do it, charge a fee that varies. You can pick it up there or ship to local FFL, another fee. The gun will be stamped by importer by law. Check with your local FFL for the name of a importer.
Ask about all fees before hand, could get expensive.
 
I don't think you should have too many problems. Here is a cut and paste from the RCMP site:

Exporting firearms to another country

When a firearm is exported to someone in another country, the laws of the other country as well as the laws of Canada apply. In the United States, the laws may vary from state to state.

An export permit may be required by Canadian law or the laws of the importing country. For more information, and to apply for an export permit if needed, exporters should call the Export Control Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade at 1-800-267-8376.

A firearm cannot be shipped to another country by Canada Post. Instead, a carrier company licensed to transport firearms under the Firearms Act must be used.
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Note that technically if you buy the gun in Canada you need to have a Possession and Acquisition License (PAL). So to export it may be better for your friend to do it. Check with one of the brokers that handles cross border gun shipping/customs paperwork.
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Steve, I am not certain what is required for a gun from Canada. But I have a bad feeling it might cost a bunch. In the past I have had guns sent from both England and Australia. It certainly isn't cheap! For starters one needs someone with an import permit. Average cost is about $500 for them to do that. Then one needs to pay a custom broker. Another $500 or so. Then there is the shipping charge, along with the gun needed to be sent to someone with a FFL. As a recent example, I just got a Charles Boswell pigeon gun from Australia. I paid $2200.00 for it. But the total fees for getting the gun imported (by a firm in Washington State) was $1700.00! On top of that the law requires the gun to be engraved with the importer's name, location, where the gun was made, and the bore size. Since I didn't want that engraving done on the Boswell, I sent the importer an old set of barrels and they did the engraving on those. While to a degree it was worth the added cost to get the gun, I certainly ended up spending more than I had wished. Good luck if you go ahead. Best, Worth Mathewson
 
have had a PAL for 20 years and hunt in Canada quite a bit, live in NH(live free or die), thought it allowed me to bring back shotguns although I never have, if I can help let me know, no charge.
 
have had a PAL for 20 years and hunt in Canada quite a bit, live in NH(live free or die), thought it allowed me to bring back shotguns although I never have, if I can help let me know, no charge.
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Interesting post ,i shoot quite a bit in the United States, I have to register my firearms that I want to bring into the U.S. With the ATF, every year.
So I might suggest that you check with ATF & see what their take is on a American citizen bringing in a firearm purchased in Canada. Just my 2 cents.
 
wonder why it's called a Possession Acquisition License for non-Canadians if you can't acquire anything? I bring my hunting guns into Canada without individually registering them with this license and have been checked recently for gun locks but never asked for paperwork on the guns themselves. Without the PAL I need to file a paper registering each for a couple month at a time.
Need to register each gun with USA customs once for the life of each gun to prove I own it. So I assume that the US import is the sticky part? Seldom asked for that upon return to US customs. Probably have gone back and forth 10-15 times each year, always glad to comply, even if they tear apart the truck, small price to pay, went over September 12, 2001, that was tight security.
koz
 
P.S. Actually just remembered about 10 years ago you did have to go online with Canada Government site and ID each gun and show that paper with the PAL, no longer required to do that.
Koz
 
wonder why it's called a Possession Acquisition License for non-Canadians if you can't acquire anything? I bring my hunting guns into Canada without individually registering them with this license and have been checked recently for gun locks but never asked for paperwork on the guns themselves. Without the PAL I need to file a paper registering each for a couple month at a time.
Need to register each gun with USA customs once for the life of each gun to prove I own it. So I assume that the US import is the sticky part?Seldom asked for that upon return to US customs. Probably have gone back and forth 10-15 times each year, always glad to comply, even if they tear apart the truck, small price to pay, went over September 12, 2001, that was tight security.
koz
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Ok the PAL is required by Canadians to purchase a gun or ammunition, so I would believe you as a American citizen need a pal to buy ammunition,same as a Canadian citizen, now here comes the sticky part, I believe you could buy a gun in Canada but you must leave it here in Canada ( I stand to be corrected ) ,another example in reverse , I can,t buy a firearm in NY state from a private individual, but at a gun shop I can buy one but then I have to pay a broker fee for them to bring it across the border & do the necessary paperwork , in Pennsylvania by law i can,t even buy ammunition ,confusing isn't,t it ( I know I am) , I find it interesting that you can aquire a PAL in Canada where as we can,t aquire one without taking a firearms course etc.Hope this answers your PAL ? .
John
 
Not directly related, but folks at the border crossings take firearms issues seriously. Some years ago, soon after 911 when border patrols were beefed up, we had a sad incident here in Maine.

Up north of the Quebec border, there are several Maine towns with border crossings where crossing the border has been part of life for a century or more. In many cases, families have members on both sides of the border, cross daily for work, etc.

Canadians frequently cross the border to buy US fuel, as it is considerably cheaper. Some poor Canadian was out partridge hunting, and crossed the border into the US to purchase fuel on his way home. He ended up getting stopped by Border Patrol before he crossed back. As it turned out, he had an old conviction in Canada that led the Border Patrol to believe he was a felon in possession of the firearm. (Aoparently he was not disqualified from possessing a gun or hunting in Quebec. I do not know what the conviction was for.)

The poor guy ended up spending several weeks in a US jail with ridiculously high bail that his family couldn't raise. Eventually public opinion swayed the politicians and he was released back to Canada for time served, but had he been tried and convicted, he'd have been facing years in prison.

So, despite the urge, I'd recommend you not pursue the smuggling option.
 
Not directly related, but folks at the border crossings take firearms issues seriously. Some years ago, soon after 911 when border patrols were beefed up, we had a sad incident here in Maine.

Up north of the Quebec border, there are several Maine towns with border crossings where crossing the border has been part of life for a century or more. In many cases, families have members on both sides of the border, cross daily for work, etc.

Canadians frequently cross the border to buy US fuel, as it is considerably cheaper. Some poor Canadian was out partridge hunting, and crossed the border into the US to purchase fuel on his way home. He ended up getting stopped by Border Patrol before he crossed back. As it turned out, he had an old conviction in Canada that led the Border Patrol to believe he was a felon in possession of the firearm. (Aoparently he was not disqualified from possessing a gun or hunting in Quebec. I do not know what the conviction was for.)

The poor guy ended up spending several weeks in a US jail with ridiculously high bail that his family couldn't raise. Eventually public opinion swayed the politicians and he was released back to Canada for time served, but had he been tried and convicted, he'd have been facing years in prison.

So, despite the urge, I'd recommend you not pursue the smuggling option.
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Yes Jeff you have the Quebec story correctly. Which is why when we went hunting in the USA we made sure we followed all the steps the BATF requires to register our guns and ammo, then declare them at US Customs. We would be pulled over for inspection but never were hassled cuz we had all our paperwork ready.
The BATF permits allowed us to import and export our guns and ammo, but not purchase either.
 
Was joking the smuggling.

Can you buy a gun and ship it back in pieces? Not trying to avoid the law, just seeing if there isn't an easier way within the rule of the law.

Mark W
 
I doubt it

The action is the "gun" so certainly not that

And there are restrictions on gun part. There was a discussion on a gun board about some one having issues shipping replacement gun screws because they were labeled as such. Wood screws or machine screw souls have been ok
 
Steve, just my thoughts, but since you are in Kentucky try contacting Buds Gun Shop in Louisville and see if they can do the importing for you. As a large online gun dealer I would suspect they import guns. I could be wrong, as I have no affiliation with them. Just a thought.
 
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