Shipping black powder and primers to Canada from U.S. can it be done legally?

[Don Titus]

I have a Newfoundland moose hunted booked for 9/2023 and would like to take my Remington 700 Ultimate using BH 209, Remington 9.5 mag primers and 330 gr. Power Belt ELR's. I will be flying to NL and USPS says I can't take powder or primers on the plane and it cannot ship them either, even with a HazMat stamp. I'm only taking 6 tubes/91 gr. each of powder and 6 primer modules. They said to check with UPS or FedEx, etc. and maybe they will send them via ground transportation (NL is an island). Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[PBramble]

With all the rules and regulations Canada has, I'd just call the outfitter and have them supply them.

 

[JKB57]

explosives (powder and primers have to be shipped through a hazmat shipping dealer before fedex or UPS can take them)

 

[Dean2]

The issue is with U.S. regulations much more than it is with Canada. A Canadian citizen, without a permit, can legally import 5,000 cartridges, 8 KG of powder but the U.S. ,mmakes it illegal to buy it in the states.

No permit required

For personal use of the amounts of ammunition, primers (percussion caps), propellant powders and primed cases shown in the table below, you do not need a permit to

• import into Canada
• export from Canada to another country
• transport from another country through Canada and on to another country (transport in-transit)

You must be 18 years of age or older unless otherwise exempted by the Explosives Regulations. Cartridges must not have a tracer, incendiary or similar military component or device.

Explosives type	Amount per person
Ammunition (small arms cartridges, including blanks, import or export)	5000
Ammunition (small arms cartridges, including blanks, transport in-transit)	50,000
Primers (percussion caps) for small arms cartridges (includes blanks, import and export)	5000
Primers (percussion caps) for small arms cartridges (includes blanks, transport in-transit)	50,000
Empty primed small arms cartridge cases (includes blanks, import and export)	5000
Empty primed small arms cartridge cases (includes blanks, transport in-transit)	50,000
Black powder (gunpowder) and hazard category PE 1 black powder substitutes	8 kg in containers of 500 g or less
Smokeless powder and hazard category PE 3 black powder (gunpowder) substitutes	8 kg in containers of 4 kg or less

Inert or dummy articles and substances (empty of all explosives) do not require a permit, regardless of the amount.

Permit required

You need a permit to import, export or transport in-transit amounts larger than those in the table above. You need a permit if you plan to resell any amount of ammunition (small arms cartridges), primers (percussion caps), propellant powders or primed cases. You also need a permit for cartridges that have a tracer, incendiary or similar military component or device. To apply for the appropriate permit, use the electronic Licence Management System (eLMS).

You must ensure that ammunition and propellant powders imported into Canada or exported from Canada are authorized in Canada. To learn whether an ammunition or propellant powder product is authorized in Canada, consult the list of authorized explosives.

If a product is not authorized in Canada, you can apply to have it authorized.

If you plan to import ammunition, your supplier in another country might require an international import certificate. These certificates are issued by Global Affairs Canada. You also need a permit from Natural Resources Canada to import amounts larger than those in the table above. An international import certificate does not exempt you from this requirement.

If you plan to export ammunition, you might require an export permit issued by Global Affairs Canada. See Applying for an Export Permit for Firearms, Related Goods and Ammunition.

The Canada Border Services Agency is responsible for firearms and ammunition being brought into Canada (import) or leaving Canada (export). For information about the Agency's requirements for importers and exporters of firearms, see Import and export a firearm or weapon into Canada.

Some types of cartridges and projectiles are prohibited in Canada. To learn which products are prohibited, see Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted.

Fees

There are no fees to export ammunition (small arms cartridges), primers (percussion caps),propellant powders or primed cases, or to transport ammunition, primers, propellant powders or primed cases in-transit. To import explosives under an import permit, see Fees and service standards (annual import permit, single-use import permit and authorizations).

Why can't you not just load up shotgun shells and have the the outfitter get you a sleeve of 9.5 primers since your airline won't allow these. In Canada you can mail primed cases in regular mail but not live ammo. You can also import live ammo no problem.

This is the regulations for U.S. folks coming hunting

Visitors to Canada

To import firearms into Canada you must have a valid purpose. Valid purposes can include (but are not limited to) the following:

• hunting during hunting season (limited to non-restricted firearms only)
• use in competitions
• repair
• in transit movement, i.e., moving in the most direct route possible from point A to point B, through Canada
• protection against wildlife in remote areas (limited to non-restricted firearms only)

Ammunition, primers and powders

As per the Explosives Regulations, 2013, Section 45, a person may import, export or transport explosives in-transit without a permit if the following conditions are met:

• the explosive is imported, exported, or transported in transit for personal use and not for commercial purposes
• the explosive enters or leaves Canada with the person importing it; or exporting it or, if the explosive is transported in transit, it remains with the person transporting it at all times
• in the case of small arms cartridges, the cartridges do not include a tracer, incendiary or similar military component or device (for example, an armour-piercing handgun projectile)
• the quantity of the explosive being imported, exported, and transported in transit is not more than the quantity set out in the table

Within the prescribed limits, non-residents can import 200 rounds duty free for hunting purposes, or up to 1,500 rounds duty free for use at a recognized competition.


Information on permits to import personal quantities of explosives in excess of those outlined in the Explosives Regulations, 2013 or on importation for commercial purposes can be found in Memorandum D19-6-1, Administration of the Explosives Act, or by contacting Natural Resources Canada.

Notes:

• blank cartridges are included in the definition of small arms cartridges
• inert/dummy articles and substances (empty of all explosives, such as brass, lead bullets, replicas of explosive articles, etc.) are not regulated under the Explosives Act and no permit from NRCan is required. However, any of the so-called "deactivated", "inert" or "dummy" grenades (or similar articles) made with parts or components of real grenades, will require an import or export permit from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). For an in transit movement by an individual, an import and export permit from GAC is required
• certain types of ammunition are referred to as being "caseless" since they do not have a cartridge. This type of ammunition requires an import, export or in transit permit from NRCan

 

[PBramble]

The issue is with U.S. regulations much more than it is with Canada. A Canadian citizen, without a permit, can legally import 5,000 cartridges, 8 KG of powder but the U.S. makes it illegal to buy it in the states.

What? Please expand on this. I'm curious.....

 

[Dean2]

ITAR regulations, and a host of others. The U.S. makes it illegal for non-residents to purchase most firearms related products and posses them in the states, or bring them back to Canada. To mail the same stuff from the States a business must have filed the necessary documentation, and it is expensive paper work that has to be regularly renewed. Despite that, the illegal trade in guns into Canada and Mexico as well as other places is huge. So once again, only law abiding non-residents are impacted by the rules.

The United States Export Controls: Understanding & Complying with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) & The United States Munitions List (USML) - Rembar Co.

International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)

www.rembar.com

 

[PBramble]

You mean you can't walk into a gun shop, buy a case of ammo (within Canada regulations for personal use) and drive it back into Canada?

 

[Dean2]

That is corerct. Canada has no problems with me bringing it in, States says I cannot buy it, if I got caught, severe penalties and likely banned from ever entering States again. The U.S. border patrol has been known to check plates exiting the States that were recorded in sporting good stores parking lots. They also setup random exit inspections.

 

[Don Titus]

explosives (powder and primers have to be shipped through a hazmat shipping dealer before fedex or UPS can take them)

I checked with the UPS HazMat office (800-554-9964) and they verified what you are saying.