Possible travel to Canada by car... where to leave firearm?

[JonInNY]

I am traveling on vacation next week to Washington (state) and Idaho, and possibly Victoria, Canada.

While I am legal to CCW in both Washington and Idaho, and will bring it from NY, obviously I cannot carry my firearm into Canada. This raises the question of what to do with the firearm while I venture north of the border.

I remember a while back, someone suggested leaving it at a large gun store, like Gander Mountain, for a "cleaning", before heading north.

Does anyone have experience with traveling outside the states and leaving their firearm somewhere safe while out of the country?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[INccwchris]

Personally, I would read up on the rules and requirnments to enter a foreign country with a firearm, you might be able to take it with you, but it would have to be cased and in the trunk with ammo separate from the firearm, or even dissassembled and rendered inoperable temporarily, otherwise, I would advice leaving it with a close friend or family member who also carries and has a safe to store it in, actually on second thought, the latter would probbabley be best

[Bark'n]

I am traveling on vacation next week to Washington (state) and Idaho, and possibly Victoria, Canada.

While I am legal to CCW in both Washington and Idaho, and will bring it from NY, obviously I cannot carry my firearm into Canada. This raises the question of what to do with the firearm while I venture north of the border.

I remember a while back, someone suggested leaving it at a large gun store, like Gander Mountain, for a "cleaning", before heading north.

Does anyone have experience with traveling outside the states and leaving their firearm somewhere safe while out of the country?

I like the idea of leaving it with a gun smith or large sporting store to have cleaning or any work done which may be needed if that's your only option.

Last time I went to into Canada I was attending a Homeland Security program with the Coast Guard and I was staying in a hotel just south of the border in Michigan's UP.

I went into Canada a few times as a tourist during my trip and left my guns in my hotel room safe and had no problems. I specifically looked for a hotel which had room safes when I made reservations for the trip.

It would really be nice if Customs provided storage lockers for just such needs at the border similar to what they have at bus terminal's and airports, only a little more secure.

[tommy3rd]

declare it and pay a fee.

Visitors to Canada

If you are a visitor to Canada, and do not have a Canadian firearms licence and registration certificate, you are required to declare your firearms in writing.

Visitors must declare all their firearms in writing. This can be done by filling out Form CAFC 909 Non-Resident Firearm Declaration and paying a CAN$25 fee. Once confirmed by a border services officer, it has the same effect as a temporary licence and registration and is valid for up to 60 days.

If you are importing restricted firearms, you need an authorization to transport (ATT). You can get an application for an ATT by calling the Canada Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000. Normally, if you are a visitor declaring your restricted firearms in writing, you should plan to come to the CBSA office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in order to apply for an ATT, as you will need a Non-Resident Firearm Declaration confirmation number to apply. If you are unable to come to the office during these hours, please make arrangements in advance by calling the Chief Firearms Officer of the province you will be visiting, as listed in Appendix A.

For more information on declarations by visitors, please call the Canada Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000, or visit their Web site at Royal Canadian Mounted Police - Canadian Firearms Program | Gendarmerie royale du Canada - Programme canadien des armes à feu.
i just checked that application and it's not looking good for you if it's a CCW firearm:

A prohibited firearm is:
- A handgun with a barrel length of 105 mm (4.1 inches) or less.
- A handgun designed or adapted to discharge 25 or 32 calibre ammunition.
- A rifle or shotgun that has been altered to make it less than 660 mm (26
inches) in overall length.
- A rifle or shotgun that has been altered to make the barrel length less than 457 mm (18 inches) where the overall firearm length is 660 mm (26 inches) or more.
- An automatic firearm and a converted automatic firearm.
- Any firearm prescribed as prohibited.



Note: You must not enter Canada with a prohibited firearm.[/B]

[sharpetop]

Correct me if I'm wrong, aren't handguns banned in Canada? I have taken long guns to Canada on fishing trips with no problem [years ago], but I'm sure times have changed.

I once talked to a guy who claimed he left a revolver with Customs and then retrieved it coming back to the U.S. I, personally, have done this with pepper spray while crossing into Manitoba. [Both sides can and will search your vehicle if they are suspicious.]

The last time I crossed at the Port Huron/Sarnia crossing into Ontario, They asked about guns, knives and any other weapons.

Your best bet is to call U.S and Canadian Customs at your crossing point and find out. Don't put yourself in what could become a bad situation.

[tommy3rd]

i got all that info from the canadian gov't website.

either way, he can't bring in anything other than a full size or competition handgun. compacts and subcompacts are basically prohibited.

[dukalmighty]

I went to Montreal,I found a gunshop just prior to crossing into canada in Michigan by looking on the Internet and calling in advance,I was in Canada almost 30 days,as I came back into the states I stopped by and retrieved my 45,then had to disarm again about 2 hours later when I passed thru Illinois

[Eagleks]

They used to have lockers at the border you could lock your gun in at the border, and then get it back when you left Canada. You may want to check ahead if they still exist.

When we went to Canada , they asked me if I owned firearms, and I answered "yes". They asked if I ever carried them on vacation, answer ; yes.
Do you have any with you now ? answer : NO.

That was the beginning of about at least a 2 1/2 hour ordeal of them asking them drilling me with the same questions over and over and over and over. They kept "advising" me that if I had one, I had better tell them now. I offerred them to inspect my car and anything in it just as much as they wanted , if it made them feel better.

It ended, when I expressed my opinion of the whole thing.... telling them either search the car, allow us to go in, or I would just turn around and spend my money eslewhere... but the discussions and the "baggering" was OVER.

In Canada, every time someone asked if I was an American, I got drilled about "how bad guns were in the USA ", but in the newspaper every morning I was reading articles about how someone the night before was stabbed to death, strangled , or beat to death with a baseball bat. After that, I told them I would rather be shot.

I have no plans to return to Canda.... ever.

[Will B. Droopy]

When I visited Canada in the early 1970's, there were -- believe this or not -- specific U.S. gas stations in northern WA that would store your pistols (for a small fee) while you traveled to lovely gun-phobic Canada.

I don't know if this is still the case (or whether I would still trust a gas station with my valuable firearms), or how you can track down the specific gas stations that may still do this, but that is what I did "back in the day".

-Bill

[rmodel65]

stop at a bank and rent a safety deposit box....problem solved

[Colin]

Certain parts of Canada and the government are not gun friendly, however there is a estimated 21 million legal guns in Canada, with currently 1.8 million gun owners, although under the old system there was 4 million, which was 12% of the population (30 mil)

[Mikhail]

Correct me if I'm wrong, aren't handguns banned in Canada?

In short no. In NS I have shot Glocks and Sigs that were registerd to its owners.

[drkangl6]

I am traveling on vacation next week to Washington (state) and Idaho, and possibly Victoria, Canada.

While I am legal to CCW in both Washington and Idaho, and will bring it from NY, obviously I cannot carry my firearm into Canada. This raises the question of what to do with the firearm while I venture north of the border.

I remember a while back, someone suggested leaving it at a large gun store, like Gander Mountain, for a "cleaning", before heading north.

Does anyone have experience with traveling outside the states and leaving their firearm somewhere safe while out of the country?

I'm going to hazard a guess that you will be taking the I-5 Peace Arch crossing? Or do you plan to take one of the ferries directly to Victoria?
If you're driving I-5 through the Peace Arch and want to store your firearms I have a couple of places about an hour south of the border in mind that you may want to contact, one is the range I shoot at and the other is a gun shop I've done business with. PM for details if you'd like.

Also don't forget, even though it may be spring/summer on the calendar wacky western Wa weather totally ignores the calendar, you may need a heavy sweatshirt even in July!

[JonInNY]

I'm going to hazard a guess that you will be taking the I-5 Peace Arch crossing? Or do you plan to take one of the ferries directly to Victoria?

Probably the ferry, either from Port Angeles, or Anacortes. Have not decided yet. I've done this trip many times before, but since I am now legal in WA and ID, I was thinking about travelling with my firearm.

[WHEC724]

They used to have lockers at the border you could lock your gun in at the border, and then get it back when you left Canada. You may want to check ahead if they still exist.

When we went to Canada , they asked me if I owned firearms, and I answered "yes". They asked if I ever carried them on vacation, answer ; yes.
Do you have any with you now ? answer : NO.

That was the beginning of about at least a 2 1/2 hour ordeal of them asking them drilling me with the same questions over and over and over and over. They kept "advising" me that if I had one, I had better tell them now. I offerred them to inspect my car and anything in it just as much as they wanted , if it made them feel better.

It ended, when I expressed my opinion of the whole thing.... telling them either search the car, allow us to go in, or I would just turn around and spend my money eslewhere... but the discussions and the "baggering" was OVER.

In Canada, every time someone asked if I was an American, I got drilled about "how bad guns were in the USA ", but in the newspaper every morning I was reading articles about how someone the night before was stabbed to death, strangled , or beat to death with a baseball bat. After that, I told them I would rather be shot.

I have no plans to return to Canda.... ever.

Back in the early nineties, I managed a software consulting group that spanned North and South America. The first time that I visited the Toronto office, Customs asked what my purpose was, which I disclosed. That earned me 2 hours in a cubicle getting grilled. Apparently they didn't like the idea of a Canadian reporting to an American on Canadian soil.

The very next trip up there, I thought I had learned from my previous lesson. One of the reasons for my visit was to conduct a training class, so that is what I described for the reason for my visit. Clearly, I'm in the slow-learner group; an American pretending to train Canadians on Canadian soil is just as bad as pretending to manage them. Another two hours in the cubicle...

After that, my story was that I was just a stupid schlep, there to be trained by my kind and benevolent corporate office.

I love my Canadian brethren, and we could certainly learn a thing or two from their border security. I surely won't be back though.