Question from a Yank in Virginia.

Itsahak · December 26th, 2006, 11:22

I believe it is well known and documented that we down here in the US have much more lax airsoft replica laws than those of you in our Northern Neighbor do. My question is, what exactly are Canada's firearms and airsoft laws and how do they affect your gaming? How do they affect crossing the border from your country to mine and vice versa? My current understanding is that it is illegal.

And no, I'm not trying to compare our two countries. I am the admin at the Airsoft Safety Association and I'm researching some questions that were PM'ed to me.

Thank you for you time!!

Stonewall · December 26th, 2006, 11:40

Seasons greetings to our brothers in the south. From a brother who's family first came into America from Ireland and wore both blue and grey. God bless. If you go into this website into FAQ you'll pretty well get all the answers you are looking for. Or PM one of the organizers of this site, HOJO (aka Myles).

I'm no expert and no doubt you will get many replies but You are bang on. Much more strict. Chances of carrying things across the border as a private individual or having them couriered directly are slim and none. They will be seized and destroyed. We work through retailers such as the ones listed on this site to get our AEG rifles and GBB guns. We can however get parts. But the threat of seizure is always there.

It would be great to cross the border for joint US/Canadian airsoft milsims and games. I did it for years as a Civil War Re-enactor and had a grand time. However, we had to have our repro muskets registered and all paper in order to cross into and back from the US.

Again 99% of your answers are already in this website. Look and ye shall find.

God Bless and all the best for happy and prosperous 2007.

LUTNIT · December 26th, 2006, 21:12

Theres at least one thread in the FAQ about this. Going from anywhere else into Canada is there but when going to the states from Canada its all US customs so its probably best to ask that to US customs or a US airsoft site.

Greylocks · December 26th, 2006, 21:34

We can take pretty much anything we want TO the US. We cant take it back home. That's the nutshell.

Itsahak · December 26th, 2006, 23:29

Thanks for the info guys! It didn't even occur to me to check the FAQ's. I was a blond before I shave it off ya know! Again, appreciate the info!

Skruface · December 30th, 2006, 12:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itsahak

How do they affect crossing the border from your country to mine and vice versa? My current understanding is that it is illegal.

The short answer:

Airsoft and other replicas are not illegal to own or possess in Canada, they ARE illegal to import (without a very specific and fairly expensive permit). You cannot bring airsoft guns here, but we can bring them there - we just can't bring them back home, even if we already own them.

Long answer is in the FAQ.

Greylocks · December 31st, 2006, 11:33

Slightly longer answer. You must be 18 to legally own an airsoft in Canada. You cant use it anywhere you please either.
We cant import them ourselves.

Itsahak · December 31st, 2006, 14:28

Thanks for the further info guys! I did find most of the answers I was looking for in the FAQ section. The only one I couldn't find was "How do the laws there affect your gaming?" I assume you have paintball fields that allow airsoft, and that you can play on private land out of sight. But you know what assumption does! And do you have issues with players gaming in their backyard? Down here is seems to be rising in occurrence, as are Law Enforcement Vs. Backyarders interactions. We are currently attempting to curb this behavior as it will spell the end of airsoft here.

ex · December 31st, 2006, 14:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itsahak

Thanks for the further info guys! I did find most of the answers I was looking for in the FAQ section. The only one I couldn't find was "How do the laws there affect your gaming?" I assume you have paintball fields that allow airsoft, and that you can play on private land out of sight. But you know what assumption does! And do you have issues with players gaming in their backyard? Down here is seems to be rising in occurrence, as are Law Enforcement Vs. Backyarders interactions. We are currently attempting to curb this behavior as it will spell the end of airsoft here.

It seems we are not so different from our American Cousins after all. Your right Private fields and Paint ball venues are the norm here. Playing in the backyard is a rising problem along with "softair" guns from walmart and Canadian Tire flooding the Sub urban market. Glad to hear you guy's are taking into your own hands to try and curb this unwanted behavior. Keep up the good work and Welcome to ASC.
Cheers

|:XAS:| Bravo · December 31st, 2006, 17:22

Virginia doesn't have many airsoft fields, unlike California and such. My friends play in their backyard because there isn't a field fee or 30min trip to the field. Hopefully we can find a wooded area that we can rent/purchase and turn into a real field.

Itsahak I live in Prince William if you want to drive out here lol.

Dirty Deeds · December 31st, 2006, 17:33

Do you have a car? OOOohhhh a 30 minute trip! I hope you bring your passport with you?

We drive anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours one way to play around here. Some have even driven longer to play, like Poncho, Sinn, and some of the other guys from Toronto, have logged around 16 hours round trip.

|:XAS:| Bravo · December 31st, 2006, 17:38

Whoa it would be almost a 21 hour trip from down here to Quebec. Took me 25 hours to get from VA to MN to visit my cousins.

Trader rating · December 31st, 2006, 17:55

Well, when it all boils down to it...its orange tips.

But really, its easier for al-Qaeda to get over the Canada/US border then airsoft.

JOHNUSA · January 1st, 2007, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droc

Well, when it all boils down to it...its orange tips.

But really, its easier for al-Qaeda to get over the Canada/US border then airsoft.

Right on!

thePiRaTE!! · January 3rd, 2007, 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by |:XAS:| Bravo

Whoa it would be almost a 21 hour trip from down here to Quebec. Took me 25 hours to get from VA to MN to visit my cousins.

This has nothing to do with the topic. What the focus here is not how far it is to your cousins house. If your saying you make that sort of a trip, then it should be easy for you to make the 30mins to play responsibly. Use of what appear to be real firearms in non designated areas *does* provoke Joe Public to make phone calls to authorities. They don't always know its not real, it doesn't matter if you asked the neighbor - people can see and guns make make people nervous - with the news these days, can you blame them? No, you can only prevent such mistakes from occuring by playing in designated ares. Thats the responsible thing to do, and that it seems is the point here.

Being young doesn't exhonorate anyone, though it does impair your ability to understand the point, we understand that. This is why Canadian airsoft retailers generally enforce an 18+ age limit to protect the sport here. In the States, it would seem convincing your retailers that its important to restrict access, or to have written parental consent to buy these serious replicas for their children under 18 would help things. Not sure thats even possible, but its a good start. Good Luck with your site Itsahak.

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December 26th, 2006, 11:22	#1
Itsahak Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lynchburg, VA	Question from a Yank in Virginia. I believe it is well known and documented that we down here in the US have much more lax airsoft replica laws than those of you in our Northern Neighbor do. My question is, what exactly are Canada's firearms and airsoft laws and how do they affect your gaming? How do they affect crossing the border from your country to mine and vice versa? My current understanding is that it is illegal. And no, I'm not trying to compare our two countries. I am the admin at the Airsoft Safety Association and I'm researching some questions that were PM'ed to me. Thank you for you time!! __________________ See how easy life can be? Wil

December 26th, 2006, 11:40	#2
Stonewall Trader rating Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: London, Ontario	Seasons greetings to our brothers in the south. From a brother who's family first came into America from Ireland and wore both blue and grey. God bless. If you go into this website into FAQ you'll pretty well get all the answers you are looking for. Or PM one of the organizers of this site, HOJO (aka Myles). I'm no expert and no doubt you will get many replies but You are bang on. Much more strict. Chances of carrying things across the border as a private individual or having them couriered directly are slim and none. They will be seized and destroyed. We work through retailers such as the ones listed on this site to get our AEG rifles and GBB guns. We can however get parts. But the threat of seizure is always there. It would be great to cross the border for joint US/Canadian airsoft milsims and games. I did it for years as a Civil War Re-enactor and had a grand time. However, we had to have our repro muskets registered and all paper in order to cross into and back from the US. Again 99% of your answers are already in this website. Look and ye shall find. God Bless and all the best for happy and prosperous 2007. __________________ *Stonewall*

December 26th, 2006, 23:29	#5
Itsahak Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lynchburg, VA	Thanks for the info guys! It didn't even occur to me to check the FAQ's. I was a blond before I shave it off ya know! Again, appreciate the info! __________________ See how easy life can be? Wil

December 26th, 2006, 21:12	#3
LUTNIT Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ottawa	Theres at least one thread in the FAQ about this. Going from anywhere else into Canada is there but when going to the states from Canada its all US customs so its probably best to ask that to US customs or a US airsoft site.

December 26th, 2006, 21:34	#4
Greylocks Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Gatineau, Quebec (Near Ottawa)	We can take pretty much anything we want TO the US. We cant take it back home. That's the nutshell.

December 31st, 2006, 11:33	#7
Greylocks Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Gatineau, Quebec (Near Ottawa)	Slightly longer answer. You must be 18 to legally own an airsoft in Canada. You cant use it anywhere you please either. We cant import them ourselves.

December 31st, 2006, 14:28	#8
Itsahak Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lynchburg, VA	Thanks for the further info guys! I did find most of the answers I was looking for in the FAQ section. The only one I couldn't find was "How do the laws there affect your gaming?" I assume you have paintball fields that allow airsoft, and that you can play on private land out of sight. But you know what assumption does! And do you have issues with players gaming in their backyard? Down here is seems to be rising in occurrence, as are Law Enforcement Vs. Backyarders interactions. We are currently attempting to curb this behavior as it will spell the end of airsoft here. __________________ See how easy life can be? Wil

December 31st, 2006, 17:22	#10
\|:XAS:\| Bravo Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: United States	Virginia doesn't have many airsoft fields, unlike California and such. My friends play in their backyard because there isn't a field fee or 30min trip to the field. Hopefully we can find a wooded area that we can rent/purchase and turn into a real field. Itsahak I live in Prince William if you want to drive out here lol.

December 31st, 2006, 17:33	#11
Dirty Deeds Trader rating Join Date: May 2004 Location: Montreal	Do you have a car? OOOohhhh a 30 minute trip! I hope you bring your passport with you? We drive anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours one way to play around here. Some have even driven longer to play, like Poncho, Sinn, and some of the other guys from Toronto, have logged around 16 hours round trip. __________________ Team Bad Karma(BK-09) CAUTION: Evil Genius at Work Those that wear the "Tin Foil Hat" stand on guard for thee. All others stand on guard for themselves.

December 31st, 2006, 17:38	#12
\|:XAS:\| Bravo Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: United States	Whoa it would be almost a 21 hour trip from down here to Quebec. Took me 25 hours to get from VA to MN to visit my cousins.

December 31st, 2006, 17:55	#13
Droc Guest Trader rating	Well, when it all boils down to it...its orange tips. But really, its easier for al-Qaeda to get over the Canada/US border then airsoft.

Question from a Yank in Virginia.

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