Border crossing with PAL rated airgun (2024)

Make sure the airgun you want to import is legal in Canada in its current configuration.
- Many air rifles available in the US comes with a built-in silencer... which is a big no-no in Canada.

Your best bet would be to call the RCMP
1-800-731-4000

About a year ago I called the RCMP and asked the same thing. Was a pleasant interaction with the officer.

Ensure you have your active pal with you, declare you are importing a firearm at customs, pay your fees, go home happy. This would be for unrestricted and just as sillymike has mentioned, must be import legal.

Best you give them a call yourself.

Facebook is like ancient Egypt, people write on walls and worship cats

You can’t buy a single airgun for everything. Golfers use many different clubs, airgunners need more than one gun

I would suggest that before you head south, with the intent to purchase a PAL rated airgun…. that you contact the RCMP and get the Firearms Reference Table (FRT) number for the exact make and model you will be getting.... This does two things.... It tells you that what you are going to be importing is legal in Canada.... and it provides Customs with the number they will need to allow you to import it.... It will also show whoever you are dealing with at the border that you have done your homework, and expect no problems.... Make sure you have your PAL with you, of course.... Not having the FRT number might results in the gun being "detained" until Customs finds out what it is (gets the FRT number) and that it is OK to release it to you, upon payment of any GST/PST/HST owing....

Bob

DocGadget wrote:How about non-pal airguns? If you buy a let's say a RedRyder... do you tell the custom agent?

I would say that anything like that would be better to declare rather than have them find it themselves.

A lot of the discussion seems to revolve around buying an air rifle in the US and coming back over the border into Canada and paying duties and taxes based on it being purchased in the US (do you have to show the receipt?).

But what about picking up an air rifle that was purchased outside the US but delivered to a US address and then crossing the border to bring it back. For example, I'm thinking of Krale. They won't ship air rifles to Canada but they will to the US. Do the border officials see this different/as a problem if it wasn't actually purchased inside the US from a US dealer?

mikep wrote:A lot of the discussion seems to revolve around buying an air rifle in the US and coming back over the border into Canada and paying duties and taxes based on it being purchased in the US (do you have to show the receipt?).

But what about picking up an air rifle that was purchased outside the US but delivered to a US address and then crossing the border to bring it back. For example, I'm thinking of Krale. They won't ship air rifles to Canada but they will to the US. Do the border officials see this different/as a problem if it wasn't actually purchased inside the US from a US dealer?

1st, you might end up paying import fees and tax twice
2nd, check the US rules and regulations. Having something transit by a different country could be interpreted as a straw purchase (unless YOU have a valid address in that state)

Daryl wrote:Seems to me a bunch of those Krals have suppressors. THAT will make things sticky, as when asked at the border, are you bringing anything
back with you and you don't mention the Red Ryder, Doc. Sticky if you get caught - it's called smuggling - could be very sticky. Of course, once
released to the papers, it's "Doc caught smuggling firearms into Canada".LOL

The Krale I was referring to is the store/online site in the Netherlands, not the manufacturer Kral Arms. They have so many great non-suppressed rifles that we just seem to get here even through the AGS, D&L, Raman's store or Wes'. For example, I've wanted the LGV Master Pro for a long time but can't get it here - yes D&L had the LGV Master and Ultra, but not the Pro with the raised cheek rest... I know, I know, champagne problems...

But yes, Daryl, you are right - especially if your work happens to deal with the public. Good-bye job, good-bye career, good-bye reputation.

Daryl wrote:Seems to me a bunch of those Krals have suppressors. THAT will make things sticky, as when asked at the border, are you bringing anything
back with you and you don't mention the Red Ryder, Doc. Sticky if you get caught - it's called smuggling - could be very sticky. Of course, once
released to the papers, it's "Doc caught smuggling firearms into Canada".LOL

It's smuggling if it's an illegal item or you have taxes and fees to pay on said item. If I'm staying 24h or more I have a given amount (24h is 250$) I can bring back so you can buy a LOT of RedRyders in with you and being non PAL you're free from the transportation part of the law regarding firearms.

This is all hypothetical of course but the way I see it, you declare the amount you spent and they send you on your way.
The way I see it and I may be wrong about it, if you were to declare that RedRyder, the customs officer will only think "guns" and will not care about the non-PAL part of it and strip search you and every nook and crany of your car.
If you don't mention it and they still search your car for wathever reason. It's non-PAL so you don't have to declare it at the border, like you didn't declare having bought a t-shirt, a Yankee candle and some Alligator jerky on the side of the road. You just gave the general amount of your spendings, no?

Kinda like drugs. When they ask if you have any drugs, they wanna know if you have some cocaine, they don't want to know about the tylenol in yout wife purse.

Facebook is like ancient Egypt, people write on walls and worship cats

You can’t buy a single airgun for everything. Golfers use many different clubs, airgunners need more than one gun

Could be much depends on the border crossing involved.

I used to buy all my reloading supplies and equipment "over the line", crossing at either Peace Arch (Douglas Crossing) or the Pacific Highway Crossing on 176th street, Surrey.

When coming back over - "how long have you been in the States", or "how long have you been away" - then "are you bringing ANYTHING back with you" - or - "Did you buy anything"?

Then the custom's officer would check the bill of sale or simply send you over to the middle line of checkpoints telling you to have your receipts. Being sent over to the middle at Douglas Crossing
meant the custom's agent may only check receipts for duty and taxes, or was likely going to do a quick search. I much preferred the "Pacific Highway Crosssing" at 176st.

It's all in the details - gone for 4 hours, gone for over 24 hours or a month like I did a couple years back? Big difference.
That got my new tires in Illinois, free of any further taxes - but, at Trail BC, the custom's officer still asked "how long have you been away" - then "Did you purchase anything" - then. "What did you purchase", then "how much was that"? (not how much did you spend)