Gun Politics in Canada - Classification of Firearms

Classification of Firearms

According to licences, firearms are classified into prohibited, restricted and non-restricted categories, as defined by Part III of Criminal Code (R.S., 1985, c. C-46) Note: The word "prohibited" is a classification and does not indicate that such firearms are "prohibited" as per the normal use of the word.

Prohibited firearms include:

  • Handguns
  • with a barrel length inferior to 105 millimetres (4.1 in), or;
  • that are designed to discharge .25 or .32 calibre ammunition;
  • exceptions are stated in the Regulations Prescribing Exclusions from Certain Definitions of the Criminal Code International Sporting Competition Handguns
  • Rifles and shotguns that have been altered by sawing, cutting or any other means, so that:
  • the barrel length is inferior to 457 millimetres (18.0 in) (regardless of overall length), or;
  • the overall length is inferior to 660 millimetres (26 in)
  • Firearms which have fully automatic fire capability, or "converted automatics" (i.e.: firearms which were originally semi-automatic, but have been modified to discharge ammunition in a automatic fashion)
  • Firearms prescribed as prohibited by the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted (SOR/98-462):
  • Firearm capable of discharging dart or other object carrying electrical current or substance, including Taser Public Defender and any variant or modified version of it
  • Firearm known as SSS-1 Stinger and any similar firearm designed or of a size to fit in the palm of the hand
  • Carbines, rifles and shotguns of designs commonly known as, including any variants or modified versions of them:
  • A.A. Arms AR9 semi-auto rifle and AR-9 carbine
  • AK-47 rifle and all variants, including AK Hunter, AKM, AKM-63, AKS-56S, AKS-56S-1/2, AKS-74, AKS84S-1, AMD-65, AR Model .223, Dragunov, Galil, KKMPi69, M60, M62, M70B1, M70AB2, M76, M77B1, M78, M80, M80A, MAK90, MPiK, MPiKM, MPiKMS-72, MPiKS, PKM, PKM-DGN-60, PMKM, RPK, RPK-74, RPK-87S, Type 56, 56-1, 56-2, 56-3, 56-4, Type 68, Type 79, American Arms AKY39, AKF39, AKC47 and AKF47, MAM70WS762, Mitchell AK-22, AK-47 and Heavy Barrel AK-47, Norinco 84S, 84S AK, 56, 56-1/2/3/4, Poly Technologies Inc. AK-47/S, AKS-47/S and AKS-762, Valmet M76, M76 carbine, M78/A2, M78 LMG, M82 and M82 Bullpup, except: Valmet Hunter, Hunter Auto and M78
  • American 180 auto-carbine, including AM-180 and Illinois Arms Co. Model 180 auto-carbines
  • Armalite AR-180 Sporter carbine
  • Barrett "Light 50" Model 82A1 & Model 90 rifles
  • Benelli M1 Super 90 and M3 Super 90 shotguns, except: M1 Super 90 (Field/Sporting Special), Montefeltro Super 90 (Standard Hunter/Left Hand/Turkey/Uplander/Slug/20 Gauge), Black Eagle (Limited Ed./Competition/Slug Gun), Super Black Eagle (Custom Slug)
  • Beretta AR70 assault rifle
  • Bernardelli B4 and B4/B shotguns
  • BM 59 rifle, including: Beretta BM 59, BM 59R, BM 59GL, BM 59D, BM 59 MkE, BM 59 MkI/MkII/MkIII, BM 59 Mk Ital/Ital TA/TP/Para and BM 60CB, as well as Springfield Armory BM 59 Alpine, BM 59 Alpine Paratrooper and BM 59 Nigerian MkIV
  • Bushmaster auto-rifle
  • Calico M-900 rifle, including M-951, M-100 and M-105 carbines
  • Cetme Sport auto-rifle
  • Claridge HI-TEC C, LEC, ZLEC-9 carbines
  • Daewoo K1, K1A1, K2, Max1, Max2, AR-100, AR-110C, MAXI-II and KC-20 rifles
  • Demro TAC-1M and XF-7 Wasp carbines
  • Eagle Apache carbine
  • Encom MK-IV, MP-9 and MP-45 carbines
  • FAMAS rifle, including MAS223, FAMAS Export, FAMAS Civil and Mitchell MAS/22
  • Feather AT-9 semi-auto carbine and AT-22 auto-carbine
  • Federal XC-900, XC-220 rifles and XC-450 auto-rifle
  • Fabrique Nationale FN FNC, FNC-11, FNC-22, FNC-33, FNC Auto and FNC Auto Paratrooper rifles, as well as FN FAL, FN 308 Model44, FAL Competition Auto, FAL Heavy Barrel 308 Match, FAL Paratrooper 308 Match 50-64 and FN 308 Model 50-63
  • Franchi SPAS 12, LAW 12 shotguns
  • Franchi SPAS 15 shotgun
  • Galil assault rifle, including AP-84, ARM, AR, SAR, 332 and Mitchell Galil/22 auto-rifle
  • Gepard anti-materiel rifle
  • Goncz High-Tech carbine
  • Grendel R-31 auto-carbine
  • Heckler&Koch G3, G3A3, G3A3ZF, G3A4, G3SG/1, G11, HK33, 33A2, 33A3, 33KA1, HK91, 91A2, 91A3, 93, 93A2, 93A3, 94, 94A2, 94A3 and PSG-1 rifles, as well as: MP5, MP5A2, MP5A3, MP5K, MP5SD, MP5SD1, MP5SD2, MP5SD3 submachine guns
  • Iver Johnson AMAC long-range rifle and Plainfield Super Enforcer carbine
  • J&R Eng M-68, PJK M-68 and Wilkinson Terry carbines
  • Kimel Industries AR-9 rifle/carbine
  • Leader Mark Series auto-rifle
  • Maadi Griffin rifle/carbine
  • McMillan M87, M87R rifles and M88 carbine
  • Pauza Specialties P50 rifle and P50 carbine
  • PE57 rifle
  • Research Armament Industries Model 500 rifle
  • SIG AMT, SG-550 rifles and SG-551 carbine
  • Spectre auto-carbine
  • Springfield Armory SAR-48, SAR-48 Bush/Heavy Barrel/Para/22
  • Steyr AUG rifle
  • Striker, Striker 12 and Streetsweeper shotguns
  • Thompson submachine gun including: Model 1921, 1927, 1928, M1, Auto-Ordnance M27A-1, M27A-1 Deluxe, M1927A-3/A-5, Commando Arms MkI, MkII, MkIII, Mk9, Mk45
  • Universal Enforcer Model 3000 auto-carbine and Model 3010N, 3015G, 3020TRB and 3025TCO carbines
  • US Arms PMAI assault rifle
  • USAS-12 auto-shotgun
  • UZI, Mini-UZI and Model A carbines
  • Weaver Arms Nighthawk carbine
  • Pistols, revolvers and other handguns of designs commonly known as, including any variants or modified versions of them:
  • AA Arms AP-9 auto-pistol and AP-9, Target AP-9 and Mini AP-9 pistols
  • Bushmaster auto-pistol
  • Calico M-950 auto-pistol and M-110 pistol
  • Claridge Hi-Tec Models S, L, T, ZL-9 and ZT-9 pistols
  • Cobray M10, M11, and RPB M10/M11/SM10/SM11 and SWD M10/M11/SM10/SM11 pistols
  • CZ Skorpion auto-pistol
  • Encom MK-IV, MP-9 and MP-45 assault pistols, including MP-9, MP-45 mini pistols
  • Federal XP-450, XP-900 auto-pistols
  • Goncz High-Tech long pistol
  • Grendel P-30, P-30M, P-30L and P-31 pistols
  • Heckler&Koch SP89 auto-pistol
  • Ingram M10, M11 pistols
  • Interdynamics KG-99 assault pistol
  • Intratec Tec-9, Tec-9S, Tec-9M and Tec-9MS auto-pistols (as well as any semi-automatic variant including Tec-DC9, Tec-DC9M, Tec-9A, Tec-Scorpion, Tec-22T and Tec-22TN)
  • Iver Johnson Enforcer Model 3000 auto-pistol
  • Kimel Industries AP-9 pistol
  • Leader Mark5 auto-pistol
  • Maadi Griffin pistol
  • OA-93 assault pistol
  • Patriot pistol
  • Partisan Avenger auto-pistol
  • Spectre auto-pistol
  • Sterling MK6 carbine
  • Steyr SPP auto-pistol
  • Sterling Mk7, Mk7 C4 and Mk7 C8 pistols
  • US Arms PMAIP assault pistol
  • UZI, Micro-UZI pistols
  • XM231S pistol and A1, A2, A3 Flattop pistols

Restricted firearms are:

  • Any handgun that is not prohibited (note: handguns are prohibited if the barrel length is inferior to 105 millimetres (4.1 in); handguns cannot be non-restricted)
  • Any firearm that is:
  • not prohibited;
  • that has a barrel length inferior to 470 millimetres (19 in), and;
  • that is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic fashion
  • Any firearm that can be fired when the overall length has been reduced by folding, telescoping, or other means to less than 660 millimetres (26 in)
  • Firearms prescribed as restricted by the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted (SOR/98-462), and any variant or modified version of them:
  • High Standard Model 10 Series A & Series B
  • M-16 rifle, including Colt AR-15, AR-15 SPI/Sporter/Collapsible Stock Model/A2/A2 Carbine/A2 Government Model Rifle/A2 Government Model Target Rifle/A2 Government Model Carbine/A2 Sporter II/A2 H-BAR/A2 Delta H-BAR/A2 Delta H-Bar Match/9 mm Carbine, Armalite AR-15, AAI M15, AP74, EAC J-15, PWA Commando, SGW XM15A and CAR-AR, SWD AR-15, as well as any .22 calibre rimfire variant of it including Mitchell M16A-1/22, M-16/22, CAR-15/22, AP74 Auto Rifle

(Note: legally, restricted firearms can only be discharged at shooting ranges; so while one can use them in competitions, one cannot use them for hunting)

Non-restricted firearms are:

  • any other rifle or shotgun, other than those referred to above.

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