CCFR Answers

Re: Section 74 Reference Hearings for Nullified Registration Certificates Can we win them? (Revision Date: 16 January 2021) A section 74 Firearms Act reference hearing is how a Canadian challenges a decision they don’t agree with that was made by a Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) or the Registrar of Firearms (Registrar). ...Continue reading

Re: Will there be Grandfathering for Guns Caught by the Ban? (Revision Date: 3 January 2021) So far, no.... The Order in Council that banned our guns was technically the "Regulations Amending the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted: SOR/2020-96" (the "OIC"). Attached to the OIC is a "Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement" (the "RIAS"), and we'll note immediately that an RIAS is not part of the actual regulation/OIC. It's just something they do in the process of making regulations, which they published with the OIC but which has no force of law (unlike the OIC which is law - for now). The RIAS included the following statement: "During the amnesty period, the Government intends to implement a buy-back program to compensate affected owners for the value of their firearms after they are delivered to a police officer; however, until a buy-back program is offered, affected owners will not be eligible for compensation. An option to participate in a grandfathering regime would also be made available for affected owners. Further public communications on the buy-back program and the grandfathering regime will follow later." Because this RIAS has no force of law they are not obligated to offer grandfathering, even though they refer to it. They might still do it, but so far they haven't. To be clear, it will take another regulation to grandfather these guns. In a separate CCFR Answer we will deal with the C-71 "Mystery Class" that was created by C-71 (the new s. 12(9) of the Firearms Act), which we've said all along was being staged for a future gun ban, including our ARs, so watch for that CCFR Answer. If the government decides to grandfather the guns banned by the May 1, 2020 ban, they will likely be put in the s. 12(9) prohib class by the required further regulation. They just haven't done it yet. http://gazette.gc.ca//2020-05-01-/html/sor-dors96-eng.html

Re: Can I store a shotgun with ammo in a side-saddle? (Revision Date: 2 January 2021) To answer this we need to do some groundwork first with the basics of storage. ...Continue reading

Re: Moving with your Freshly Banned Guns Post-OIC (Revision Date: 2 January 2021) You are moving and can't get an ATT to take your previously-restricted/now-prohibited or previously-non-restricted/now-prohibited guns to your new home. What do you do?... The easy part is that for the now-prohibited guns no ATTs are required. The Amnesty Order 2020 (linked below) provides for the right to transport them when you are moving, but... CAUTION: watch out for the significant differences from the old transport methods!!! It's not the same as it used to be. From the Amnesty Order 2020: "Purpose (2) The purpose of the amnesty period is to permit the person to ... (g) before doing any of the things described in paragraphs (a) to (f), store the specified firearm in accordance with section 5 or 6 of the Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations according to the classification of the firearm on the day before the day on which it became a prohibited firearm; (h) transport the specified firearm by vehicle, for the purpose of doing the thing described in paragraph (g), by a route that, in all the circumstances, is reasonably direct, as long as, during transportation, (i) the firearm is unloaded and no ammunition is present in the vehicle, (ii) the firearm is in the trunk of the vehicle or, if there is no trunk, the firearm is not visible from outside the vehicle, and (iii) the vehicle is not left unattended; ..." Pursuant to the OIC Ban and the Amnesty Order you can only do limited things with the guns (as in export or destroy them), and until then you must store them in the way you had to on "... the day before the day on which it became a prohibited firearm." That's subsection 2(g) of the Amnesty Order. If you move, you can take the now-prohibited guns without an ATT, BUT the rules for that transport are not the old rules. This is subsection 2(h) of the Amnesty Order. Please carefully note section 2(h)(i) - Your ammo needs to go separately, and cannot be transported in the same vehicle as your now-prohibited guns. Please also carefully note section 2(h)(iii) - You can make no stops along the way where you leave the vehicle unattended - not even for even a bathroom break along the way. This is new. Don't forget to update your address with the CFO in accordance with the rules. Once you arrive at you new home, the now-prohibited guns need to go directly into storage again per subsection 2(g) of the Amnesty Order. Please let us know if you have any follow-up questions on this. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca//regulations/SOR-2020-97/F