Gun question: smallest, legal gun allowed in Canada?

[Dash-Ate]

Just curious, what is the smalled sized legal gun we may own (allowed by the Queen/Crown, our ruler) here in Canada?

Many of us live in large cities and may run into a problem with small mammals (under 250lbs in size).

Links are appreciated.

[grimey]

depends what endorsements you have on your PAL. the answer will be different depending on if you have an unrestricted, restricted, or prohinited 12(6) endorsement, or if you receive it as an inheritance.

[Dagwood]

This gun is pretty small, and very legal:

It's a 3 shot, semi-automatic rubber-band gun concealed in an Ipod.
http://ofad.org/blogs/2009/april/30-thu ... r-band-gun

[burhead1]

I have been searching but can't find. there is one that all the pieces come apart quickly and easily and are stored in the stock. great rifle to carry in the plane as it is small and can be put together to protect you from the bears.

i think it may be the AR 7 Explorer

[PanEuropean]

depends what endorsements you have on your PAL.

Grimey:

What is a 'PAL'?

Michael

[Expat]

Just curious, what is the smalled sized legal gun we may own (allowed by the Queen/Crown, our ruler) here in Canada?

Many of us live in large cities and may run into a problem with small mammals (under 250lbs in size).

Links are appreciated.

Lethal?
I'll keep my eyes open...

[Expat]

Better than a gun:

[cdnpilot77]

depends what endorsements you have on your PAL.

Grimey:

What is a 'PAL'?

Michael

Posession and Aquisition License

[grimey]

depends what endorsements you have on your PAL.

Grimey:

What is a 'PAL'?

Michael

What cdnpilot77 said. It's the piece of paper you get after demonstrating that you're less likely to shoot yourself in the foot with an unloaded weapon that has the firing pin removed, because you passed a very basic course in firearm safety. It allows you to buy and keep firearms in accordance with the law. And unrestricted license (actually a highly restricted license) allows you to buy firearms that haven't been prescribed at restricted or prohibited, typically hunting rifles and shotguns. A restricted license allows you to purchase handguns with a barrel length of 106mm or more, which arn't .32 or .25 calibre, some semiautomatic variants of modern military firearms, and carbines. The restricted license requires an additional short safety course, and to possess a restricted weapon you typically have to be a member of a gun club (as that is the only place you're allowed to fire it). A prohibited license, which you can't acquire unless you already had a registered, prohibited weapon at the time the weapon was classified as prohibited, allows you to acquire more prohibited weapons in the same class, provided they were already legally registered in Canada. You can also inherit legally registered prohibited weapons, but this doesn't grant you the authority to purchase any more.

So the answer is one of: a rifle or shotgun with a barrel length of 470mm and overall length of 660mm which hasn't been prescribed as restricted or prohibited, a pistol with a barrel length of 106mm that isn't .25 or .32 calibre and which hasn't been prescribed as prohibited, the smallest currently legally registered handgun in Canada, or the smallest currently legally registered handgun possessed by someone who names you as a beneficiary in their will.

[Dex]

Just curious, what is the smalled sized legal gun we may own (allowed by the Queen/Crown, our ruler) here in Canada?

Many of us live in large cities and may run into a problem with small mammals (under 250lbs in size).

Links are appreciated.

In Canada I think you would be better off using other sources of protection if your reason for buying a firearm is for such a purpose.

[Shiny Side Up]

I have been searching but can't find. there is one that all the pieces come apart quickly and easily and are stored in the stock. great rifle to carry in the plane as it is small and can be put together to protect you from the bears.

i think it may be the AR 7 Explorer

AR -7

Its a neat gun. Wiki pretty much sums up everything about it. Good to have mainly for backpacking, I wouldn't want it for bear defense. Its a bit finicky about the shape of the .22 ammo you use, and is prone to jamming if you aren't meticulous with keeping it and the ammo clean. To the point where you pretty much lose semi-auto capability once you've used up an 8 round mag.

[robertsailor1]

Cool little 22. Used to keep one in my float plane

[Doc]

Obviously a hand gun. As long as the ya da ya da, forms PAL etc., whatever are current.
Barrel length has to be more than 4". Semi-autos can have a 4" barrel, but a revolver must be "more than" 4"
For some reason, .32 ACP ammo is not legal in Canada, but .22 is?

I could be off here, but a "non restricted" ie., long gun must be at least 22" in length with a minimum barrel length of 16"?? Seems short. I'll have to look that puppy up.

[grimey]

non-restricted is 470 and 660mm Doc, which is 18" and 26".

[Canuck223]

non-restricted is 470 and 660mm Doc, which is 18" and 26".

It's actually a little more complicated than that. (Or more simple, depending on how you look at it.)

Handguns are restricted. The definition of a handgun is in the CCC, and I won't try to repeat it from memory, but essentially the criteria is "designed to be operated and fired with the use of one hand", and not derived from a rifle.

Semi-auto center firearms with barrels shorter than 18.5 inches, or with a length of less than 26 inches are restricted by definition.

Otherwise non-restricted firearms with accessory collapsing or folding stocks that reduce the overall length less than 26 inches AND can be fired in that condition are prohibited.

Am otherwise non-restricted firearm with a barrel cut down to less than 18.5 inches, or with the factory stock cut down to an overall length of less than 26 inches results in a prohibited firearm. (Please note an aftermarket or factory replacement stock or barrel is not the same thing.)

The reason I mention the above is because there is a somewhat misunderstood area. While most rifles and shotguns come with 18 inch barrels or greater, it's not a legal requirement in Canada. Currenly you can buy a legal, non-restricted Remington 870 clone shotgun with a 6.5 inch barrel. You can buy an aftermarket barrel for a Ruger 10/22 rifle that's 8 or 12 inches long. Neither is illegal.

In one case, a pump action shotgun sold with a factory 6.5 inch barrel and a pistol grip only stock was reclassified by the RCMP as restricted, because they considered it to meat the CCC definition of a handgun.. The same company currently sells the same gun with a shoulder stock and an accesory pistol grip stock, and it is classified as non-restricted.

[Dex]

non-restricted is 470 and 660mm Doc, which is 18" and 26".

It's actually a little more complicated than that. (Or more simple, depending on how you look at it.)

Handguns are restricted. The definition of a handgun is in the CCC, and I won't try to repeat it from memory, but essentially the criteria is "designed to be operated and fired with the use of one hand", and not derived from a rifle.

Semi-auto center firearms with barrels shorter than 18.5 inches, or with a length of less than 26 inches are restricted by definition.

Otherwise non-restricted firearms with accessory collapsing or folding stocks that reduce the overall length less than 26 inches AND can be fired in that condition are prohibited.

Am otherwise non-restricted firearm with a barrel cut down to less than 18.5 inches, or with the factory stock cut down to an overall length of less than 26 inches results in a prohibited firearm. (Please note an aftermarket or factory replacement stock or barrel is not the same thing.)

The reason I mention the above is because there is a somewhat misunderstood area. While most rifles and shotguns come with 18 inch barrels or greater, it's not a legal requirement in Canada. Currenly you can buy a legal, non-restricted Remington 870 clone shotgun with a 6.5 inch barrel. You can buy an aftermarket barrel for a Ruger 10/22 rifle that's 8 or 12 inches long. Neither is illegal.

In one case, a pump action shotgun sold with a factory 6.5 inch barrel and a pistol grip only stock was reclassified by the RCMP as restricted, because they considered it to meat the CCC definition of a handgun.. The same company currently sells the same gun with a shoulder stock and an accesory pistol grip stock, and it is classified as non-restricted.

The Rossi Ranch Hand is 24" LOA, according to Rossi, available in Canada and is non-restricted. To add more confusion