Moving and Canada

We have just the prep for a short-notice move. It was a really tough decision, because we love Alaska; however, professionally, there was a great opportunity for me if we were willing to move and I felt like I had to take it. We do hope to return to Alaska in the very near future (our spring bear hunt for next year is still on!) and come back here to live permanently as soon as it can be arranged!

In addition to all the normal pain-in-the-neck of moving, we're also dealing with our firearms and Canada as we'll have to drive the ALCAN. Most of the guns will get moved with our furniture in such, but we want to have a few handy as we'll be separated from our shipped goods for a few months (including the fall hunting season).

Bringing long guns into Canada seems pretty simple; you declare them at the border, pay $25, register them, then are goo to go. Of course, they reserve the right to refuse entry to any weapon for basically any reason, or to "detain" the weapons for quite awhile without any cause, so maybe it isn't that easy.

Handguns are problematic, though. First off, anything with a "short" barrel is just outright prohibited (M&P compact, I'm looking at you). The other handguns require an "authorization to transport." To get this, you need to ask the provincial firearms office very nicely for permission. The form to fill out is not on their websites (US residents need a different form than actual Canadians). Of course, they don't publish an email address or direct phone number; all you can do is leave messages on their 1-800 number. I will say that they're pretty good at returning calls promptly, however, they seem incapable of emailing or faxing me the form I need to fill out. It is also impossible to talk to a real person, regardless of when you call. Hopefully I can get the stupid form so I can comply with their pointless laws.

The other option is to mail the guns to an FFL in the Pacific Northwest then pick them up once we transit Canada. This is going to be more expensive but may be what we end up doing, at least for the handguns. After all, if they seize a $300 shotgun and don't let us bring it in, then whatever.

Standard capacity magazines are also verboten, but we can mail those ahead easily so we'll just do that.

Ammunition might be problematic. I've seen several Canadian sources quote both a figure of 200 rounds and 5000 rounds. If its 5000 rounds, no problem. But if it is 200 rounds, then we'll have to have a fire sale on some ammo before we leave I guess.

Frankly, these laws are retarded. I could probably drive right through the border with an undeclared arsenal in my car, and they'd never know. Heck, compliance rates with the registry among their own citizens are very low, the registry is incredibly expensive and has solved no crimes, and the provinces themselves don't bother to enforce the useless laws. But, I'm a law abiding professional so I'll make sure to be in compliance to the best of my knowledge with their customs and firearms laws, as stupid as they may be.