Distress flares and border crossing

Ken O

Ken O

Member
I will need to be crossing into Canada and then back into the U.S. carrying marine distress flares (aerials and handheld)--not guns. Does anyone have experience or links about any border crossing issues? I have searched all over the web and can't find any answers. I don't want to assume that since they are required they will be allowed...
 
See this url. The important part is the part that reads

"Devices designed exclusively for signalling purposes (e.g., flare guns), and intended to be used solely for that purpose, are exempt from the requirements set out below. However, some flare guns that are based on the same frame or receiver as a firearm are considered to be firearms and are not exempt from firearms controls."
 
Hunkydory":3phx9kx9 said:
I have crossed the Canadian Border many times with them. From my experience they are non issue items except as Roger noted.
Click to expand...
Jay, This is off of the subject a little but I have watched every u tube video I can find about your trips to Alaska. ( you guys are an inspiration to me and my wife, we hope to follow in your footsteps as soon as we can get her retired ) I've noticed that you pack a nice piece of " bear repellent " during your walks on the beach. Could you tell me what kind of hoops do you have to jump through to get comply with Canadian Customs.
Cint
 
Hi Clint, glad you enjoyed the videos & thanks for the kind words. I wish more C-Brats would post both write ups & videos of their cruises, especially the extended ones. I'm doing planning now on the area between the San Juan's & Prince Rupert & more write ups like I have done further north in Alaska would really help, though I've been recieving very good information from "colobear" Barry & plan on lots more from him & others at The Friday Harbor Gathering.

Crossing the Canadian border on the road with a firearm that's not on their restricted list is a fairly simple process. I've always declared my shotgun at the border & payed the now $25 for the two month long in effect non-resident firearm declaration permit, CAFE 909, issued & payed for at the border. They would prefer you go on line & have your portion of the permit filled out before you arrive & I believe on the water it's mandatory. This year I will have mine with me & my part filled out before reaching the crossing & paying the fee. The form can be printed from this web site PDF & it shows how to fill it out.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/form ... 89-eng.pdf

My Mossberg 12 gauge pump with its 18.5 inch barrel is not restricted. Some if not all semi-auto shotsguns are restricted. For sure any semi autos with over a 5 round magazine are. I would like to purchase a Bennelli M2 tactical to replace the Mossberg, but won't until I can find out for sure whether it's restricted or not.

This list the prohibited & restricted firearms & maybe I'm being obtuse, but I get conflicting information on whether the Bennelli M2 tactical is ok from the combination of this & other sources.
http://search-recherche.gc.ca/rGs/s_r?s ... d+firearms

Jay
 
Ken O,

Another squishy area is pepper spray bear repellent. IIRC, it is verboten entering Canada, forcing you to purchase it after crossing. A PITA, far as I am concerned.

Other items which are officially forbidden (some fruits and vegetables, for example) are frequently waved through if the quantity is small and you agree to dispose of cores, etc., in a trash can. I always declare every foodstuff I think is questionable and let the customs people sort it out. Worst case, they confiscate it.
 
Dave, I've brought bear spray across the border just as many times as the shotgun without a problem. The bearspray just has to be specifically stated as such on the container as is this type, which is what I carry.
http://www.udap.com
 
Both "UDAP" and "Counter Assault" make "Canadian" Bear spray. As far as I can tell, the difference is that the Canadian is only 1% Capsaicin and related Capsaicinoids (the active ingredients. I have taken the Canadian purchased bear spray back and forth across the boarder. I have my proof of purchased (receipt from the Canaidan store, and the can is labeled with the canadian approval. There was one park on Queen Charlotte Islands where the ranger insisted that we have the Bear Spray.

We have also carried a .44 magnum, but we had it shipped from our US firearms dealer to a dealer in Ketchikan. Another option is if you have a guest who is coming by air to AK, and not stopping in Canada, is to have them bring the firearm in their checked in luggage. (Has to be empty, and declared). We purchased ammunition in Alaska. We had two labs, and I did not want to manage the two dogs and a shotgun going ashore. In six trips to AK we have never had a dangerous bear encounter. That does not mean that we didn't see and be close to Grizzley bears. We were very cautious, made noise, shined the spotlight at night etc--but on occasion you may come fairly close by accident. We were also in Alaska for 4 months on the majority of our trips.
 
I've crossed into Canada 17 different times carrying pepper spray (UDAP) for bear protection. On most of those crossings, I wasn't asked whether I was carrying it or not, but when asked about it they wanted to know if it said on the container it was specifically for bears. When I answered yes, which was the truth, they never then even asked to see the container. Now, due to the statements of Dave & Bob, I searched the web for any information saying Canada allowed a Capsaicin level of only 1% where as UDAP sold here in the US is 2%. I wasn't able to find any pertinent information on the web, so I called UDAP & both Dave & Bob are correct. Canada is regulated at 1% & they sell that level to their Canadian customers, so they could have stopped me from crossing with it.

Jay
 
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/form ... 89-eng.pdf

My Mossberg 12 gauge pump with its 18.5 inch barrel is not restricted. Some if not all semi-auto shotsguns are restricted. For sure any semi autos with over a 5 round magazine are. I would like to purchase a Bennelli M2 tactical to replace the Mossberg, but won't until I can find out for sure whether it's restricted or not.


Jay[/quote]
Jay, Thanks for the link to the Canadian Firearms Regs. I'm still a little confused about what's restricted, but the way I read it any shotgun with a barrel length of 18 inches or less isn't allowed. I guess that makes my wife's Winchester Model 1300 Defender 12 gauge pump with its 18 inch barrel restricted??
Clint
 
ckcpony":1lephinq said:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/form-formulaire/pdfs/5589-eng.pdf

My Mossberg 12 gauge pump with its 18.5 inch barrel is not restricted. Some if not all semi-auto shotsguns are restricted. For sure any semi autos with over a 5 round magazine are. I would like to purchase a Bennelli M2 tactical to replace the Mossberg, but won't until I can find out for sure whether it's restricted or not.


Jay
Click to expand...
Jay, Thanks for the link to the Canadian Firearms Regs. I'm still a little confused about what's restricted, but the way I read it any shotgun with a barrel length of 18 inches or less isn't allowed. I guess that makes my wife's Winchester Model 1300 Defender 12 gauge pump with its 18 inch barrel restricted??
Clint[/quote]

Clint, Yes & why I had to give up my Remington 870 with its 18 inch barrel & purchase the Mossberg. That & I wanted the Mossbergs ability to fire the 3 inch mag slugs.
 
This is what I found reading Canadian gun laws so where does everyone stand on this.

Short-barreled, manually operated shotguns (non-semi-automatics) are non-restricted as long as the barrel remains unmodified from the original factory length. There is no legal minimum for shotgun barrels as long as they are not handguns, and so shotguns with barrels as short as 8.5 inches are available in Canada.[4][5] Despite this, the act of reducing the barrel of a shotgun with a greater than 470 mm (18.5 inch) barrel below this length by sawing, cutting, or "otherwise" (by anyone other than a recognized gun manufacturer) is prohibited.

Jay if you put a dowel down the barrel of the Mossberg what does it measure? The Remington 870 measures 18-1/2" but the way I read their ruling is that if it hasn't been modified from the factory it's ok.
 
Jody, the barrel does have to be 18.5 inches or 470 mm & that doesn't include any type of suppressor & is measured from the end of the actual barrel to the start of the chamber. I have read many different examples stating this like this one.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/restr-eng.htm And have been told this at the border, so I don't think your Remington will pass. The chamber on my Mossberg stops where the ejection port begins & is 18.5 inches. What appears to be the barrel is only 18 inches. I have had it measured at the border crossing & they passed it at 18.5 inches, which is also engraved on the barrel. Some of the border personnel I have dealt with appeared to know very little about guns, but they do have the last word, so I'm always on my best behavior at the crossings.

I had bought the 18 inch barrel for my Remington 870 on sale at Cabalas & it had 18 inches engraved on the barrel & measured the same, which is the minimum legal barrel length here in the States.

I also think my hope for the Benneli M2 is not realistic due to all semi-auto firearms, shotgun or rifle, that shoot center fired ammo from what I read appear to on the restricted list.

Jay
 
Jody, after more thinking on this, I looked up where you got your barrel length reference from in Wikipedia & then went further to this site https://nfa.ca/resource-items/barrel-an ... ms-lengths which back up your point & I now think you are right about the Remington 870 with a 18 inch barrel being legal. The problem one may still run into, as the last link I added says, is though legal, the RCMP & border personnel may deem it otherwise. This does answer for me something that I thought very strange on my 1st Canadian border crossing with a firearm which was with my old Remington 870 shotgun & it's 18 inch barrel. At the border crossing they did the non-resident firearm declaration permit on it including writing in the permit it had a 18 inch barrel, then after telling me the barrel was to short, let me take it on in where I crossed two more times during this road trip to Alaska without problems, though at each successive crossing the permit was checked. I thought I was just lucky at the time & wouldn't chance it on future trips so purchased the Mossberg. Then the idea that it was definitely restricted confirmed on future crossings when they so meticulously checked barrel length, while telling me it had to be 18.5 inches in length. For sure, Canada has some very confusing firearm laws, which not only confuses me, but also their own personnel charged with enforcement.

Also upon reading the above link the Bennelli M2 does have legal specifications, but still may be restricted if it's been added, like many others similar to it on there list of specific restricted firearms.

Jay
 
A little more reading this is from Bsf-5044 Border services document.

Non-restricted firearms include:
semi-automatic rifles and shotguns with
barrels that are at least 470 mm (18.5 inches)
long, and do not otherwise fall into a restricted
or prohibited category; and
single-shot or manual repeating rifles and
shotguns of any length, as long as they are not
designed or adapted to be fired when reduced
to a length of less than 660 mm (26 inches) by
folding, telescoping or other means.

Barrel length is measured as follows:
a revolver is measured from the muzzle of the
barrel to the breech, immediately in front of
the cylinder;
all other firearms are measured from the
muzzle of the barrel up to and including the
chamber, but not including the length of any
part or accessory added to the barrel, including
those designed or intended to suppress the
muzzle flash or reduce the recoil, such as a
flash suppressor (eliminator) or muzzle brake.


If I measure both of my 870s this way they measure 18-1/2" they are not stamped with the barrel length. So maybe Remington made they later models just a little longer however I couldn't get them to confirm that. They said they don't keep up on Canadian laws. Do you think if you showed up at the border with your iPad and the PDF of their document and showed them how you measured it that they would except that or would they get upset that you were trying to prove your case?

Ps: sorry for taking this thread a little sideways.
 
Jody, from what you describe it appears your Remington 870 is completely legal & I don't think you will have a problem. I have never had them check what length is stamped on the barrel & sometimes not even the gun. Most of the Canadian border personnel, I have found very polite & great to deal with, but not all. As a last resort the IPad idea with the PDF file couldn't hurt with a low profile presentation, but really, I think it will pass anyway.

Jay
 
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