Pepper spray is one of the things customs seems to frown on.
I see "dog repellent" at Canadian Tire.
Is pepper spray as such sold?
wabigoon;
I trust that this finds you acceptably well this wet December evening sir.
Pepper spray is one of "those things" that make some of us who travel both sides of the medicine line shake our heads more often than not.
We can buy many of the same sprays up here as you can down there - there may be some brands not available up here, but believe it or not I think it's because of a restricted propellant and not the capsicum levels.
We can not however cross into the US with it, so the cans of bear repellent hanging on the coat rack at the entrance have to stay home. Unless I missed something, I could have bought the same stuff in Montana that we can get up here and carried it while we were there, but again I can't bring it back home to Canada.....
Clear as mud, no?
Regarding the nomenclature used for tools that shoot bullets, as a long time Hunter Safety examiner in BC and a currently in hiatus Federal Firearms examiner I try to not call any of them weapons as I tend to think it might send the wrong message to the less informed.
I totally agree with my cyber friend troutfly in that if I could play afield with a black rifle it would be an FN in 7.62, but I also agree with kutenay that we should be able to pack what we want as free citizens.
When the whole mandatory PAL system was in it's inception I trained a few RCMP recruits as they didn't have in house trainers at first or so I was told anyway.
The irony of me being OK in the eyes of the federal government to train them in order so they could possess a sidearm, but not being OK enough to be trusted to carry a sidearm myself was not lost on me - not once.
Anyway with all that said, many years ago the late Col. Jeff Cooper ran a bunch of tests at ranges from conversational to about 200yds, with shooters of various skill levels using an AR variant, an AK variant and a 94 equipped with a receiver sight and a trigger job. The 94 made a pretty fair showing for itself in terms of hits, even with rapid fire - but of course is slower to recharge when dry.
I hope and pray to never need it for anything serious but if called upon in time of need, in the back of the safe rests a very slicked and tweaked mid '70's 94. It's my saddle gun when chasing cows and accompanies our family on tenting trips, so it's a bit of a favorite of mine that has proven terminal for enough live targets that I'd bet on it being as deadly a tool as I'd hopefully never need.
All the best to you and yours this Christmas wabigoon and all the best to you in 2013 as well.
Regards,
Dwayne
