I know this question would be best answered by contacting the BATF (to whom I have just sent an email inquiry), but it's Christmas Eve and I have no idea how long it will take to hear back from a government department. Since time might be of the essence, I thought I'd ask here as well.

I have "imported" firearms into the U.S. from Canada in the past for hunting purposes, and each time I needed to obtain a specific form, answer all questions on it and provide details about the specific gun and ammo including country of manufacture, return it and wait for approval. From start to finish the process was always at least 6 weeks or more. I am now looking at a last-minute hunt opportunity which will take place much sooner than that. Would I be able to import a black-powder muzzleloader, specifically an Italian-made Lyman Plains Rifle or perhaps Trade Rifle, without doing all the paperwork? Does your government consider these as "firearms" for purposes of bringing them into the country for hunting? How about the black powder itself? I know it's a long shot, but I'm hoping that I can just drive through the border, declaring the gun and powder, without any preliminary paperwork being done. This will not be an issue from the standpoint of Canadian rules and regulations...it's strictly the American regs I'm wondering about.

If the gun is allowable, but not the powder, would I be legally able as a Canadian to purchase black powder in the States?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Merry Christmas to all!

Thanks,

John

I'm thinking you're not importing it, just going hunting and taking it back out. I've done that without any BATF approval, just declare it upon arrival and clear it on departure. Should be even easier for BP, but I'm in the dark there, as well as any powder purchase. Enjoy your hunt!

Thanks, Dom, I've heard the same a couple of times from friends who drove over and back without a thought, and without a problem. I've always had the papers in order, and have mostly been waved through with a smile...but once, I was thoroughly skewered, grilled and fricasseed by a female border officer who was so officious, so demanding, so persnickety, so self-righteous and so purely miserable that, if it weren't for the fact that she spoke perfectly understandable English, I would have thought she was a Canadian official!

Only time across the U.S. Canada border with a gun was with my cousin who was cop,OPP. He flashed his badge we were waved through and nothing was said about having a rifle.
The only issue I had crossing was at Detroit coming into the US towing a sailplane in an enclosed trailer.

What in da trailer?
A sailplane.
Wot?
A glider.
Wots uh glider?
An airplane without an engine.
Day don't make plane wit no engine, go see those guy.
I drive to the inspectors and they say,
What is in the trailer? A Sailplane?

I will leave it to your imagination what she looked like (but if Obama had a sister...)

Always avoid Detroit.

JWM You need a form 6 from the BAFT. The last couple years I fill out the form, mail it in with my E-mail address and about a week later I receive the approved form 6 by E-mail. Print the form and your good to go with your license and passport.