Getting handguns to Alaska when traveling through Canada

[Justin Crossley]

I have a trip coming up in a few weeks and we will be driving through Canada and catching the ferry from Prince Rupert to Wrangell. What is the best way to get our handguns up to Wrangell?

 

[duchntr]

Ship it to an FFL, pick it up there. Other then that, your only other option is flying it up with you on a commercial airliner.

 

[william schmaltz]

Yeup, find an FFL that you can hopefully trust in Wrangell or a ferry stop along your way. Don't even try to hit the border with a handgun, it's not fun. Ship them immediately so they arrive within a few weeks.

I'll add make sure you have it all lined up and the sender has the info for the receiving end and everything is packaged and set to ship before you leave. I had to ship one in a pinch and the receiving end said the info is on the way to the sender so I left it at that and was out of cell service for a couple weeks. When I got to my destination, the individual on the receiving end didn't know a damn thing. Took my info and the senders info and never followed through.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Is wrangell ur final stop?

Ship them to yourself. Be a bit tricky because i’m Assuming you won’t have anyone you know and trust hold it for you.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Yes you can ship firearms to yourself across state lines

And yes that can include pistols.

It’s expensive with pistols because of the 2 day law.

Long guns are cheaper

 

[Kevin Dill]

Don't forget to pre-arrange for shipping it back home, too.

 

[mcseal2]

Silly Canadians making everything difficult!

I went to Canada fishing several years back. We took canoes in a day's paddle and a long portage to fish some more remote lakes. Hearing the wolves at night and seeing black bear tracks I'd have felt better with my handgun along.
Chances of needing it were extremely low and I didn't let it bother me much, but I still would rather have it and not need it than the other way around.

 

[BroodBuster]

Why not get on the ferry in Bellingham?

 

[Phaseolus]

I assume you can travel across Canada with a shotgun?

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Why not get on the ferry in Bellingham?

The ferry goes through Canada. It’s been about 12 years but if memory serves if you bring firearms aboard you can’t leave ship

 

[KSLPresidente]

Do NOT take it through Canada! I shipped mine through a FFL to Anchorage and back to Texas at the end of my trip. It wasn’t expensive and it was insured. There are plenty of good FFL’s and they are easy to find and I have found some will give you a price break for shipping to yourself.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Wrangell is totally different than anchorage. You might find a ffl and you might not.

Believe it or not, and handgun can go through Canada, but not all.

A handgun has to go through a ffl. Make sure you talk to one that will do this. Some won’t because you aren’t a resident of the state. But that is just them being overly cautious.

 

[threethirtyeight]

If you are bringing a semi automatic forget it and ship like others have said. But if you have a wheel gun with at least 4" barrel by manufacturer specifications then you can apply for an authority to transport permit from the chief firearms officer in the providence you going into. You have to do this before you arrive at the border.its even free for the att but the firearms paperwork at the border is I think $25 still.I have done this traveling to alaska with my 44 and rifles for hunting. Look at the firearms section of the rcmp website has all the forms and such you need to do it.

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[BCsteve]

There’s no difference between a semi or revolver, as long as they have a barrel over 4”. They’re both classified as “restricted” firearms.

 

[jspradley]

I'd go the FFL route...

 

[Tod osier]

Wrangell is totally different than anchorage. You might find a ffl and you might not.

Believe it or not, and handgun can go through Canada, but not all.

A handgun has to go through a ffl. Make sure you talk to one that will do this. Some won’t because you aren’t a resident of the state. But that is just them being overly cautious.

YC, have you done it? Next time I come up (2020) I was planning on doing the paperwork to travel through with a restricted (done long guns several times and no biggie). I believe my pistol should be okay with the proper paperwork (but I have not made the calls yet).

 

[threethirtyeight]

There’s no difference between a semi or revolver, as long as they have a barrel over 4”. They’re both classified as “restricted” firearms.

You are correct that semi and revolvers are restricted but since most semis have have magazine capacities over 10 rounds it wouldn't be allowed because of the magazine capacity not fact it's a semi. So if your handgun holds less that 10 you can get an att and bring it.

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[Tod osier]

You are correct that semi and revolvers are restricted but since most semis have have magazine capacities over 10 rounds it wouldn't be allowed because of the magazine capacity not fact it's a semi. So if your handgun holds less that 10 you can get an att and bring it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

That was my understanding, cool. I live in a place where mags are restricted to 10 anyway, so that isn’t an issue.

 

[FLAK]

They are "thorough" at the Canadian Border.
I dont know if we just looked "seedy" or what
but they gave us/car a pretty good going over
last year when we went up to Nelson. Was even
worse coming back.

 

[Jim Flint]

As mentioned, if you have someone there that can receive a shipment, this is an option.
ATF's regulations on shipping to oneself.