Calling Our Canadian Compadres

[dullone]

Do you folks up in Canada experience the same kinds of ammo shortages as we here south of the border? Rimfire? Centerfire?

What if any hoops do you have to jump through to buy ammo?

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I'm curious to hear from some Canadians, too. A couple months ago I chatted with a nice fellow in the local Scheel's store; he was a Canadian visiting from family in SD for a couple weeks. He said there's no shortages of any kind on anything up there (I think he was from Alberta but I could be remembering wrong). The stuff up there is cheaper as well, or so he said.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Buying, owning, and keeping a firearm of any kind involves a lot more trouble than most of us in the States have to deal with. There is also not a store selling firearms and ammo on every other corner so it is really not a good comparable.

 

[barnbwt]

They may or may not have the same hazmat shipping chokepoints we have here in the States. I've read that the inability to ship larger quantities in every truckload is as much a barrier to getting product out there as is ramping up production enough (at least that was reputed to be the case back in May; I hope they'd hired more drivers since then).

TCB

 

[oneounceload]

My Canadian friends are able to buy all the shotgun target ammo they want at a lower cost; none shoot a lot of rifles or handguns, so I have no data about that regard

 

[burk]

I use to work in LE supply in a border town. Canadian Policemen would come in from time to time to buy training guns. They all told me to a man that even LE can't take their firearms home in Canada.

 

[dullone]

Thanks all for the info, but I'm not asking about market comparisons, gun ownership regulations or transportation requirements.

I know for a fact that in Western Ontario (where I go fishing) just about every one owns a hunting rifle and most likely some variant of a rimfire gun (long gun or handgun is irrelevant), so there is a demand for ammo and it must obviously be available somewhere.

I'm just asking about current ammo supply.

 

[Ignition Override]

They appear to pay higher total income tax than we do in much of the US.
But to adequately finance our new ACA (health care), plan B is to raise our taxes.

Anyway, whether Canadians are getting a better deal on guns After factoring in taxes etc, could be debatable. Somebody will clear it up.

 

[rodregier]

I reside in Halifax, NS. Stock level experiences will vary across the country. The two primary chain stores that have wide-spread national presence in Canada (which carry ammunition) are Walmart and Canadian Tire. For the most part, traditional stock levels of centrefire rifle, shotgun and rimfire rifle cartridges seem to be present with the exception of .22LR. I attribute the reduced shelf stocks to Internet-savy Canucks who can see what is happening in the US and have increased their purchasing of same compared to traditional. I know I have increased my purchases of .22LR bulk packs because of what I'm seeing in the US environment.

(Walmart and Canadian Tire in Canada don't tend to sell handgun ammunition).
There are other more traditional gunshops who do sell handgun ammunition.


US mfgr have been supplying the Canadian ammunition marketplace for decades thru distribution channels. Current US ITAR export and HAZMAT paperwork doesn't loom as large when you are sending weight or volume-limited tractor-trailer loads across the border.

Ammunition may only be lawfully purchased in Canada by holders of federal firearm licenses which are a requirement for individual firearm owners. Visitors can purchase a temporary license at the border, which also empowers them to purchase ammunition in Canada too. (Don't think about bringing any back with you to the US, that would require a US import license for same).

Some of the more popular reloading propellants like Varget are in short supply, apparently the US deep levels of demand has created a world-wide shortage.

Canadian firearm license holders may also order ammunition online for home delivery again using their firearm license as part of the authorization process. The same holds true for firearm purchases even at a national level. Direct delivery of firearm purchases is one of the few positive aspects of the Canadian federal-level firearm licensing scheme.

 

[fiddleharp]

I'm glad to see a hoser finally answered the question.
I was beginning to wonder if they were all oat and aboat in a boat today.

 

[Ignition Override]

rodregier: Is the FFL expensive?

About two years ago there was some sort of pending legislation which was expected to de-criminalize certain aspects of either using a gun in self-defense, or owning certain firearms.

 

[rodregier]

Individual (federal) firearm licensing for Canadian residents is divided into two tiers:

Non-restricted

Restricted (which also includes non-restricted)

Without getting into the technical minutia and exceptions,
non-restricted are long guns typically used for hunting.

Restricted is handguns, many of the "sport utility rifles", etc.

I can't find the current fee structure online, so I'm doing this from memory.

First time license fee (5 year renewal cycle w/fee) is $40 for non-restricted, $75 for restricted.

You also have to provide proof of passing separate safety/legal knowledge course tests once in your lifetime (Canadian Firearm Safety Course), there are fees associated with those too. Newbies should take the course and take the tests. Persons with more knowledge could read the course books and challenge just the tests themselves w/o taking the courses.

The tests are split into a Written and Practical phase. The Practical phase uses dummy ammunition and deactivated firearms to run the candidate thru hunting and range usage simulations based on the principles in the course books and lectures. Written is usual multiple choice style like a driver's test, again based on the book and lecture material.

There are separate courses for non-restricted and restricted. At one time they were combined, but apparently it was generating too much interest in handguns

I challenged the tests early, correctly guessing that it would never get any easier or cheaper.

Current quoted statistic is 1.9 million license holders in Canada out of a population of say 35 million.

Estimates of number of firearm owners (above and "underground") in Canada is around say 7 million.

At one point there was universal registration of firearms in Canada, but the "long gun registry" (non-restricted) was legislatively dropped in 2012 as a fulfilment of a campaign promise by the federal Conservative party.

 

[Woodman72]

To answer the question no I personally haven't had trouble finding ammo. 44mag about $50 +\- for 50 bullets 550 22lr for about $28 + plus our great tax , but no problem finding ammo at our much more limited gun shops here.