A sensible reply to a closed thread, Guns

[pbiJim]

Gary,
I'm glad to hear that you have your paperwork in order as best it possibly could be. I hope that you never need to pull those papers out.

Please be aware that when my brother moved from MA to NJ, he called the NJSP to find out what the rules were. A few days later, he called back to get a clarification on a particular detail & the second person that he spoke to gave him a very different set of rules from what the first guy had said. I believe that there are a lot of cops in NJ that don't know what their own rules are. Its good that you have something in writing for when you go through that particular state.

Safe cruising, & thank you for posting this useful information.

Regards,
Jim

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by The Other Gary

I understand that some people have no use for firearms just as much as I enjoy target shooting but hate golf.
I do not advocate banning golf clubs just because Tiger's wife used one on him.
It was the person, not the golf club that did the deed.

But if she had a gun instead of a club, Tiger would likely be dead.

Another great use of guns: Keeping the CF Moderators employed.

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

But if she had a gun instead of a club, Tiger would likely be dead.

I guess that it's also a good thing that Tiger was a golfer, rather than a lumber jack.

[Tellie]

"I guess that it's also a good thing that Tiger was a golfer, rather than a lumber jack."

"Another great use of guns: Keeping the CF Moderators employed."

Got a nice chuckle two posts in a row.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

But if she had a gun instead of a club, Tiger would likely be dead.

I've been an occasional butcher time to time and a club or a hammer is 100% fatal when you know how to use it. Small caliber gun aint..

Thanks to The Other Gary for sensible replies

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by The Other Gary

The OP in the original thread asked a specific question pertaining to liveaboards about a situation that is not that relevant to weekend cruisers but got dumped on.
I thought this forum was bigger than that.

It is , just not on guns (or politics or religion or Anchors or Monos vs Cats).

In any event, the difference with this thread is that the OP (this time you!) put the effort in to guide the discussion back on track, when it started to veer off (predictably - all threads do). The value of info from a forum is generally in proportion to the effort put in.....and even then not everything will be of value to the OP (even if of use to others), but that just be normal for a Forum............If folks want a simple spoonfed answer better off with a book.

[Kahuna George]

Other Gary,

Thanks for the info. I wanted to share on the other thread but it was locked.

Mahalo !!!

[pbiJim]

Gary,
You seem to have done your homework on the subject of the legal aspects of a Canadian bringing guns into the US aboard his boat. By chance, would you also be similarly well informed on the subject of an American bringing firearms into Canadian waters aboard his boat? If so would you please be so kind as to share with the rest of us?

I understand that some guns that are commonly available in the US, fall into some sort of "prohibited" category in Canada. I seem to remember that snub nosed revolvers & carbines were on that list. I seem to remember that there was some sort of provision for US hunters to bring rifles into Canada to hunt deer & the like, but I never looked into the possibility of importing a firearm aboard a cruising vessel. I would like to know more about this.

Thanks,
Jim

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by pbiJim

Gary,
I'm glad to hear that you have your paperwork in order as best it possibly could be. I hope that you never need to pull those papers out.

Please be aware that when my brother moved from MA to NJ, he called the NJSP to find out what the rules were. A few days later, he called back to get a clarification on a particular detail & the second person that he spoke to gave him a very different set of rules from what the first guy had said. I believe that there are a lot of cops in NJ that don't know what their own rules are. Its good that you have something in writing for when you go through that particular state.

Safe cruising, & thank you for posting this useful information.

Regards,
Jim

How true...much like guns in other countries....

It's not sometimes the actual laws that are against you...it's the uninformed enforcement of the laws that get you.

The local prosecuters office I had to deal with when my handgun was "placed in protective custody" and couldn't be legally returned to me (in NJ) because of a particular state law..... even though I legally had the right to having the gun in my home. The prosecutor knew the NJ law was unconstitutional and wrote an internal memo to his division that allowed my gun to be returned to me even though it violated NJ law.

Luckily this prosecuter understood the term "unreasonable seach and seizure" where the NJ legislature does not.

So no matter how legal you are...life with "Bubba the Cop/Gov't official" can be excruciating home or abroad.

While I know my rights...I also know the world is an imperfect place and my survival instincts are telling me to have my son store the weapon while I cruise and to come up with some other less "hot topic" form of short range protection should it be necessary.

[The Other Gary]

Jim, it is pretty simple for a visitor to bring long guns into Canada for hunting, target shooting or if you are a liveaboard. I strongly suggest not bringing handguns as the paperwork is far more onerous and not worth the bother.

One Law fits all up here so there are no Province to Province traps.
M1 carbine (original barrel length), AR-15 derivatives and AK47 types are restricted and fall into the handgun category, also some short shotguns. Handguns with a barrel length of less than 4.25 inches are prohibited.

Semi auto center fire rifle mags are limited to 5 rounds unless they take a pistol magazine which is limited to 10 rounds. The JR Carbine uses Glock magsfor example so they are limited to 10 rounds. No mag restriction on bolt or pump firearms or on .22 rifles.

Call the RCMP and they will email you form 5589 which you fill out ahead of time, but do not sign, and bring it with you to your customs port of entry.
The fee is $25 for up to three firearms declared at customs where you sign the form and customs witnesses the signing. You get a temporary inport permit, good for 60 days which may be extended by telephone for a longer stay.

This permit also allows you to buy ammunition which is plentiful up here, unlike the shortages in the US.

It should add no more than 20 minutes to clearing in if you fill ou the fom in advance.

Firearm Users Visiting Canada - Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by psneeld

It's not sometimes the actual laws that are against you...it's the uninformed enforcement of the laws that get you.

I had an experience of that sort in CT about 30 years ago. I was driving down I-95 with a car that was packed full of luggage, guitars, beer lights & all the other junk that I had left over from my college days. I got pulled over for speeding. OK, I was speeding. He had me dead to rights there. That was my fault. I have no excuse for that. I deserved that ticket. But when he saw all the junk that I had in the car, he decided to search the trunk. I assume that he was probably looking for a bong or something like that. What he found instead, was a pump action shot gun, a bolt action rifle with a scope & a .22 cal rifle. he then put me in cuffs & called the paddy wagon because I did not have a CT gun permit. I tried to explain to him the provisions of the gun owner's protection act & I even showed it to him in writing in a book from the BATF, but unfortunately, this guy did not understand the word "notwithstanding" & interpreted the law to mean something very different from what it actually said. I think that it was only because I had a copy of my federal firearms dealer's license with me that he bothered to run the question up the chain of command & eventually got it to an assistant prosecutor who explained to him that I was actually doing nothing illegal, aside from speeding. That all took about 2 hours. ...with me in cuffs. The federal license did not give me any special transport privileges, but apparently it gave me enough credibility with the cop to make him check on my story before sending me to a jail cell.

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by The Other Gary

some short shotguns. Handguns with a barrel length of less than 4.25 inches are prohibited.

Can you tell me what the minimum legal length of a shotgun barrel would be for a pump or double barrel type?

Thanks,
Jim

[The Other Gary]

Restricted
semi-automatic, centre-fire rifles and shotguns with a barrel shorter than 470 mm;
rifles and shotguns that can be fired when their overall length has been reduced by folding, telescoping or other means to less than 660 mm;

[captseamus]

IMHO a lockable open gun rack isn't too safe of place to transport firearms. A steel bolted thru lock box to the deck/bilge would be much safer. Out of sight would be much better than sitting openly in plain sight inside a cabin area...

[captseamus]

WOW! all my firearms are illegal in Canada...

"this is my rife; this is my gun; rifle is for fighting, this is for fun!"