Two charged after dozens of exotic weapons seized in Ottawa

**TEA** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 9:07am

Dang, Guilty Spark, I was going to ask you how you were going to get those pistols into the country, and then I read those ridiculous laws and looked at your location in your profile. Its odd that in some regards Canada has much more restrictive weapons laws than the US, but much less restrictive in other regards. That list of prohibited weapons is one example of Canada being more restrictive, while your ability to import those pistols is an example of being less restrictive.

I would love to be able to get my friend in the Phillipines to send me a WWII 1911 and/or M1 rifle, but US law is so restrictive on the import of guns in general, and surplus US firearms in particular, that it is impossible to do so.

**Don Gwinn** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 9:16am

Oh, Lord, don't get me started. The idea that Canadians can import an M1 made by GM or Springfield Armory, but Americans can't "import" the same gun . . . . that ain't right.

**vigilus** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 9:41am

Its odd that in some regards Canada has much more restrictive weapons laws than the US, but much less restrictive in other regards. That list of prohibited weapons is one example of Canada being more restrictive, while your ability to import those pistols is an example of being less restrictive.

I was surprised. I figured the customs guy would laugh at me but nope. How it was explained to me (and I'm still checking into it) my buddy sends me the weapons and touching base with customs the weapons either get sent to me and I bring them to customs in the unopened box with paper work (which still seems a little off to me but thats what he said) or I get the weapons sent to customs then go do the paper work and pick them up (has to pass regulations, rifles can't have larger than 5 round mags, pistols 10 etc..)

I agree with Don, that doesn't seem right at all.

**TEA** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 9:43am

Originally Posted by Don Gwinn

Oh, Lord, don't get me started. The idea that Canadians can import an M1 made by GM or Springfield Armory, but Americans can't "import" the same gun . . . . that ain't right.

They can also own real deal semiauto only M14s, while we have to make do with commercial clones. Grrrrr.

**TEA** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 9:56am

Originally Posted by GuiltySpark

I was surprised. I figured the customs guy would laugh at me but nope. How it was explained to me (and I'm still checking into it) my buddy sends me the weapons and touching base with customs the weapons either get sent to me and I bring them to customs in the unopened box with paper work (which still seems a little off to me but thats what he said) or I get the weapons sent to customs then go do the paper work and pick them up (has to pass regulations, rifles can't have larger than 5 round mags, pistols 10 etc..)

I agree with Don, that doesn't seem right at all.

AFAIK, based on my reading of the BATFE's Web site, to import even a single firearm into the US, one needs to get an import license, which costs quite a bit and requires an extensive background check. The wrinkle with US surplus arms is that you need to get State Dept approval for the re-importation of any firearms that were ever owned by the US government. Guess what, Congress hasn't funded the program in the State Department that authorizes such a reimportation since the '80s, so there is no one in the State Department to even ask for this authorization.

After WWII, the bulk of the US Pacific Forces' small arms were given to the Phillipines government. A lot of this has been warehoused by PI gvt ever since, while some has made it into the private market. The PI gvt has been trying to find a buyer for these surplus weapons because they don't need them and warehousing them costs money. Most are still in the US packing crates with their inspection tags attached. The PI gvt wants to sell the whole lot and not bits and pieces at a time, which means that it'd have to be a pretty big firm with access to a pretty big market. AFAIK, only the US, and maybe Canada, really have that kind of market, but US law makes it impossible to re-import them. From a collector's standpoint, how cool would it be to have a WWII surplus firearm with the inspection tag showing the name and serial number of the soldier that turned it in in 1945?

**vigilus** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 10:52am

TEA,
Why do you figure the US is set up like that? Giving people such a hard time important weapons.

Do you think it's a control/saftey/less guns in the country idea or maybe it's so citizens "buy locally" so american gun companies get the buisness instead?

**Neildo** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 11:00am

Originally Posted by TEA

I would love to be able to get my friend in the Phillipines to send me a WWII 1911 and/or M1 rifle, but US law is so restrictive on the import of guns in general, and surplus US firearms in particular, that it is impossible to do so.

I'm just gonna go there and build a freakin' arsenal. I was in a mall in Makati and found a gun store. In the mall!! It was all dimly lit with wood and glass cases full of awesome handguns. If i had the cash, I could have walked out with one of these babies:

**Tom .C** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 2:46pm

Hey Neildo, was that in 50 cal. ?

**Neildo** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 2:52pm

.45 ACP AMT Hardballer Longslide. It wasn't very expensive either.

**Tom .C** · Posted On: 6/13/2007 3:09pm

There was a guy at the range that had something similar in 50 cal. He was 3 lanes down and you could still feel the shock from that thing. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper to shoot in .45 though.