Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Thoughts with Used Gun For Canadian Hunt?

Through a relative I may find myself in Canada next Fall for a deer hunt. The numbers may be down but it's more of a family and friend event, the big buck isn't essential.

I was just thinking about the favorite firearm, which would be my 284 Winchester. I bought it used about 10 years ago, from a respectable fellow. It's a very small likelihood but I have read about arms brought into Canada that have come up stolen with a SN search, as is required on the border crossing form.

Again, I have no reason to believe this gun was stolen, bought legally FTF off an older gentleman. That said, is my tinfoil hat to tight to contemplate my 2nd best rifle, a compact 7mm-08? I realize only I can answer this for myself. Is this something anyone else has ever thought about, heard, or run into?

Have The Numbers Run At Your Local P.D. Easy As That..

I was also wondering how accurate any online checks would be? Again, I have no reason to believe, just something I was thinking about.

One case that comes up in a search is a guy who bought a used rifle at a sporting a goods store, 4473 and all. When he got to the border it came up as stolen.

Why not save alot of red tape and just borrow a rifle once in Canada, I'm sure your relatives have a spare deer gun for you.

For this hunt we all would be coming from the States. I'll just lean towards the new X-Bolt 'Micro-Hunter' in 7mm-08. Even if it was an option, I'd rather take my own gun and jump through a few hoops.

Just buy a "throw away". Most guys here, that I know of, buy Remington 700's (for dirt cheap) for this purpose... Chances are, they won't even run the serial number, if it is ugly enough...

I remember a hunt with a 'borrowed' 223. I admit I hadn't slept real well the night before. There were 3 of us, I called in a coyote that stood broadside at about 70 yards. I was in the best position to take the shot.

I shot and expected a dead coyote, he had said the gun was sighted in. The coyote trotted off, one more shot a little longer range, same result.

Maybe it was sighted in for him, I guess not me. No I didn't have time to check it at the range before the hunt.

Contrast that with last Winter in IL on an anterless deer hunt. I called in two coyotes that sat down at the field edge 100 yards away, not planning to come any closer. I took one center chest with MY Knight muzzle-loader.

I will chime in with some personal experience and a family experience. I have competed in rifle competitions in Canada for over 30 years and it has gone from being as easy as stating that "I am going to a competition, or I am going hunting", to requiring paperwork on both sides of the border these days.

Taking a rifle into Canada while not overly difficult can be a bit daunting to someone who has not done it before. First you need to stop at U.S. Customs and fill out a form listing the rifle along with its serial number, at this point they will run a check to see if it has been reported as stolen, if so it will be taken from you. If there are no issues then your next stop will be Canadian customs where you will fill out another form and pay a fee of $35 (the fee rate changes from time to time), at this point you can take your rifle into Canada. Be aware that they have very strict safe-keeping requirements for firearms, even when traveling. I suggest going to the CFC website for a full explanation of the procedure.

Two years ago my brother was going to Alaska, he had a CZ 22 with him that had been purchased from a very well known gunstore in S.D. When the serial number was checked at U.S. Customs the rifle was reported as being stolen in California five years before, needless to say it was taken from him. Fortunately there was no real hassling of him personally because the gunstore verified that he had legally purchased it and the proper paperwork had been done, but it did cost him a days delay and a great deal of stress. The good part of the story was that Customs let him keep his scope which was on it. And the best part of the story is that the gunstore offer him a refund of the purchase price or an equal amount of credit for his loss of the rifle.

Go on line to the BATF and CFC sites and familiarize yourself with the proper procedures so you, hopefully, won't encounter any surprises.

A couple of other things - if you do take your own rifle download and prefill the forms that Canadian Customs require, it makes them happier and easier to deal with.
The other thing to be aware of is to be prepared for a possible hassle at U.S. Customs when re-entering the states. This seems to be dependant on the individual officer you encounter on re-entry. My sense on this is that there are so many agents now that most of them are trying to make a mark and will hassle folks over anything just to be sure that they are getting noticed. I have never had any trouble coming or going from the Canadians but it has reached the point with U.S. Customs that I limit myself to just a few major matches there rather than put up with some surly Customs agent.

I am not trying to discourage you but am offering real world advice. Hopefully it all goes smoothly regardless of which avenue you choose.

drover

Thanks Drover for the detailed response. I have flown a private plane into Canada within the last two years, no firearms. I was on guard about the Customs experience, but it was great both ways.

If this hunt does materialize, I think I will just take a gun I bought new from a dealer. Again, I have no reason to believe any used gun I have was ever stolen.

Yes, I am aware of the paperwork drill, and would print and fill out ahead of time.

Things have drasticly changed since we went to Canada in 2013. We pulled up to the customs booth with paper work filled out, agent looked it over and said sign here and that will be 25 dollars. Took ten minutes and about the same coming back into US.

Its easier for an American to bring a gun to Canada than the other way around.

A friend lost a rifle years ago that he bought brand new at a sporting goods store. It was stolen from a warehouse, then got back into the retail system again.

do yourself a favor and run the number at the local pd don't bring the gun with you just bring the number. Then go the local customs agency near you and get the form that shows you took it with you both are free as stated above. Then fill out the Canadian forms in triplicate. When you get to Canada give them the forms. I believe now you can prepay before you get to Canada and just have to have them out a stamp on it when you get there. This is not really that big of a deal if you do it the way they want it done just follow the rules and you will be fine.