Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska In an attempt to be frugal

I am thinking it would be much less weight, and therefore less cost, if I tore my rifles down so that the barreled action with the SS# was the only parts to be mailed to myself there - from the lower forty-eight.

The rest of them, stocks, bolts, mounts, magazines, screws, floorplates, etc I am thinking I'll pack on my truck.

There shouldn't be any issue at justine's border if I'm just hauling the pieces, but not the numbered parts - should there be.?

probably lots of questions...

Yes, there will be problems. The US border agents are wonderful. In 3 decades of of border crossings, i can only recall one dirt-bag. But he wasnt even respected by his u.s. border higher-ups or fellow co-workers.

The Canadian agents are aweful. The most demeaning, belittling, direspectful little fks ive ever dealt with.

Privately record your conversations with them and keep handy, contact info for their bosses as well. If you are harrassed excessively, file complaints to the upper management.

They need to root-out the bad apples at the border, BIG TIME.

U.S.Army Engineers built that fkn road to Alaska, only for future generations of Americans to be harrassed by boarder dudes who are bored, and watch too much crime t.v.

As a former Army Engineer, only had to be part of one aweful road building mission: annete island near ketchican. Could only imagine what the old school army engineers went through, opening that route to Alaska.

Dont take their bllsht, be legal with your personal possesions, and cross that border with some American Pride.....

When I crossed the border into Canada 6 yrs ago that Canadian border guard could not get it through his head I did not have any pistols. I told him I shipped them in household goods. He asked several times where my pistols were at. Dude all I want is to get through Canada back to Alaska. He finally stamped off on my paperwork, but right before he did it he looked at me one more time asking “do you have any pistols” because I declared some rifles and me and the daughter got the hell out of there. Crossing into the US got a hearty welcome back to the United States... People don't realize how good that sounds.

The best when my daughter asked why they have a pictures of queen Elizabeth ..

John,
I feel your pain brother. Youve done over 20 yrs serving this country, you shouldnt have to deal with that bullsht.

My brother in law has a gold claim in Hyder, goes up annually, the interrogations and grillings he goes through are unbelievable. The main takeaway form this is Canadian Border personnel know exactly which firearms he owns as a resident of Arizona. Descriptions, serial numbers, all of it on newer guns with a paper trail. There is only ONE place where they could get that...from 4473's he filled out, voluntarily ( I assume) given to Canada. Four years ago they literally tore apart his truck and trailer at Peace Arch, 2 1/2 hours of constant searching and interrogation. Undid the trailer spares and rolled them around and wanded them. He hates them now.

Hey..

Thanks...been less than an hour and you guys have been all over it.


Yeah, I think I just need to to clarify and perhaps say that
I am not going to be advertising of volunteering any unasked info.
I am not going to bring any firearms.

This way I can eliminate one variable, of having to declare anything.

Just boxes of tools, gear, random households...that's it.......we'll, besides those boxes with the 'parts' in them.


I'm just trying to flow like water over that line,
and not draw attention to myself as anything but some dude bringing my belongings back home, and to live, to work after a season south.

The chances of them searching your vehicle and finding those parts are very high- 6 crossings in 30 years and searched 5 times… same experience as the others “we know you have guns, where are they? Who can we call at your house to verify your guns are there?”

When they do find gun parts, prepare to not reach Alaska on schedule.

Even “parts” of a semi-auto are restricted, and the Canadian Border guard likely doesn’t know the difference between a bolt rifle magazine and a BAR magazine.

Crossing in to Canada, and I have used different crossings.

What I have done was have a typed list of what was placed in each bag, cooler or box.

After they looked the list and then laid out a few boxes and they matched 100% they did not search the others.

They asked and I said that they could look at any item that was in my pickup, a list was in each one.

The cab, was an easy search for them.

Just answer the questions and usually you will be fine.

Where are you from?
Where are you going?
Where do you plan to stop?
How many days do you think you will be in Canada?
Do you have any alcohol or drugs?

If you have to stop and straighten up your interior, before you are going to cross the border do so before you come into the line of sight of the border.

The only time i have been searched was at beaver creek in a empty motor home, apparently no one drives anywhere in a empty motor home. Disassembling firearms sounds like a pita and will undoubtedly raise a red flag.
The way Canada is right now i would probably ship everything except a shot gun

Know a fella few yrs back crossed into beaver creek. Pulling a rv trailer, they give him the 3rd degree. He gets smart with them, you guessed it tore his trailer apart. They found a 30rd magazine now they are really on him, wanting to know where the AR15 is at.. When they didn’t find anything, they walked off and left him to repack his trailer..

Know another guy gets to sweetgrass pulls up to Canadian check point, says he has firearm to declare. Gets inside says he has a pistol to declare, well needless to say pistol became property of Canada. Surprisingly they let him threw. He got bad intel, was told he could declare the pistol at the border.

Between biden and turdeau, bringing many parts across the border is getting to be a pain.

Stocks and screws should be fine with no hassle. Proof that the barreled actions with magazines and bolts are/were shipped would be best.

Our mag policy is (pinned to) 5 round max for semi autos. There are talks of new laws coming in, limiting ALL mags to 5 rounds. As someone pointed out, many guards probably couldn’t tell you the difference in mags so best to just ship them as well.

Firearms, especially handguns are a big issue for our dictator and his friends. Doesn’t matter who you are (civilian). There is a lot of paperwork to have done on BOTH sides before ever leaving home.

As far as crossing borders and being hassled. It’s the same for us. Miserable dealing with US border guards, good dealing with Canadian. It’s all about which side you live on when dealing with them.

Wouldnt think its worth the aggravation at the border, nor the issue of sure to lose a couple parts when you put them back together.

Once when I entered Canada at Haines, the border gal came up to me and started speaking french. I have no idea what it was about me or my vehicle made her think that was the thing to do. I answered her back in german, figuring that if spoken to in french at any international border the best way to get though quickly would be to speak german. Things became uh, awkward at that point. She began using our common language pretty quickly and I got the standard 50 questions about "Where are your handguns and pepper spray?" routine.

As another mentioned I have heard plenty of stories of concerns over stocks, scopes, magazines, bullets (not ammo) and anything military firearm related.

My experiences run heavy to issues with the US rather than Canadian sides... but even that has been extremely minor.

Yeah....well......it's one thing to be frugal, quite another to have to deal with Justina's minions, coupled with the potential of confiscation.

The thought of that alone bout makes me sick...

After having listened to you gents, it just sounds like a Really Bad Idea...

.....a foolish move, an unnecessary risk.

I brought my holster's pistol ammo and accy. with me a major hassle convincing them I did not ship them. Bud had to produce a receipt that he shipped his guns.

Because I cross the border frequently for canoe and fishing trips, I took the training to acquire a PAL [Possession and Acquisition License] for firearms in Canada.
It has saved me a pile of questions and I've even received a few positive comments from Canadian Customs folks.

I wonder why they don't bother pilots like that. Spent a fair number of years off and on ferrying airplanes to and from lower 48 and never got hassled. Just two or three questions.

And of course, your required to have a firearm onboard, they just ask what it is. Never had them even ask to see it. Typically, just carried a old cheap single shot, break action shotgun.