Shipping to Canada

[T*O*F]

I put this here because delivery of the gun is the final step in gunbuilding.

I am building a rifle for a customer in Ontario.  He came to Friendship this past spring, we discussed the build, and picked up some parts there.  He was going to swing by the shop in Dec. on his way to his annual vacation in FL.  Now he's all bent out of shape because of stuff he's read on the internet about getting the gun back to Canada...but most of the stuff he's sent me relates to cartridge guns.

I searched the archives but only found a couple of threads, one of which said it was not necessary to use an agent for a single item purchase.

I need proper advice on several scenarios:
a.  Using customer purchased parts, I provide gunsmithing "services" to build the gun and mail it to him.
b.  Using customer supplied parts, I provide gunsmithing "services" and he picks the gun up here to take back home.
c.  Same two scenarios, but I provide everything and deliver a completed gun.

How do I deliver the gun and what is required on his part to take delivery?

[doug]

       If the gun is a flintlock longarm, include in the package, xerox copies of cc84 1 (b),  SOR 98-464, and cc 84 3.    I will email them to you shortly.  The above sections of the criminal code define modern flintlock longarms as being prescribed antiques and exempt from registration.  They are also antiques under US law.  If the gun is a percussion longarm, it will be stopped at the border and have to be registered to the new owner.  In both cases the source of the parts and how they became a gun in unimportant.
     Perhaps more important I don't think that US export restrictions apply to antique guns.
     Finally, absolutely do not ship via a courier such as UPS or Fedex because they will not take them accross the border.  Use the US Postal service

cheers Doug

[T*O*F]

The gun is a percussion English sporting rifle.  My question concerning performing gunsmith services on customer provided parts was with the intent of saving him some duty fees, since he would only be paying for my labor to build the gun, and not a complete finished gun.

He also mentioned I would have to sign and serial number the gun on the barrel.

[doug]

       I am not sure if you have to prefix the serial number with USA for the country of origin.  Government has been fussing about a UN regulation but I am not sure if it has been implimented.   I would imagine that you would declare the gun as "return to owner" on the declaration and include an invoice inside the package.  Once in Canada it could be registered as "home built" or "home made" and in the past did not have to have the maker's name stamped on it.

cheers Doug

[doug]

     Almost forgot; for your name to be recognized as the manufacturer, you have to be a licensed gun manufacturer.  I tried a few years ago, to register a percussion rifle with my own name as the maker/manufacturer.  That was not accepted because I am not a licensed manufacturer and did not want to pay the $1000 per year fee for the license.  In Canada, there are no skill qualifications to become a manufacturer or a gunsmith, just pay the money and get the license.

cheers Doug

[bob in the woods]

Technically, he will have to register a percussion firearm. It is his responsibility to do so. I would send the lock via USPS in a separate package, and send the gun minus the lock on its own. List as antique parts.
You are not a manufacturer. You made a gun..it's yours, and you can sell it if you want to.
Do not use a courier. To do so is asking for trouble. I speak from experience. At the very least, it could end up taking you a couple months to get your package back..and it will cost !!!

[Kentucky Jeff]

Flintlock guns are fine.  I shipped a flintlock to Canada this summer with no issues--the Custom's form read "Replica antique flintlock firearm".   My understanding, however, is that in Canada percussion guns are treated as modern guns.