Handmade ammunition legal in Canada

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 | 9:58 AM ET Comments16Recommend8CBC
News
Buying ammunition in Canada requires a firearms licence, but some people
make their own ammunition, and gun and gang experts say that has led to a
black market in the sale of bullets.

"It would be nice if people had to have a licence to buy the components;
currently they don't," said Deputy Chief Tony Cooper of the Ontario Firearms
Office.

If you're over 18, it's legal to buy all the components needed to make
bullets - primers, gunpowder, casings and bullet tips. For about $100, a
person can buy enough supplies to make 1,000 "hand-load" homemade bullets.

"It's very common . for people to hand-load.

I would say it's been something that's been done for a couple of hundred
years," said Cooper.

He says hand-load bullets are commonly used by hunters and target shooters.

The fear is the hand-load bullets will get into the hands of the wrong
people.

Cooper said "it's the exception, certainly not the rule," but it is a
concern.

No one knows how many hand-load bullets make it onto the streets because
there has never been an audit of casings from crime scenes.

Post a comment

OneTrex wrote:

Posted 2008/04/15
at 10:37 PM ETIf this is what passes for 'news', the CBC has just lost my
support. Not only is is a non-issue, but there appears to have been no
effort to check out the facts or obtain the point of view of those who
handload. This really is sensationalist tripe. For shame.

Straightup wrote:

Posted 2008/04/15
at 10:32 PM ETJust more of the anti gun loby BS. More people die from
swimming pool accidents every year but you don't see the goverment passing a
pool control law. let me guess,..."but but but...that's different!" Is it?
How? We are still talking about preventing people from dieing right? Guns
and the parts involved should be way down on the list of things to look at.

JimDevito wrote:

Posted 2008/04/15
at 10:25 PM ETSuputin wrote: If the chief of the provincial firearms office
doesn't know that the metallic cartridge is only about 130-140 years old
then why on earth is he in charge of a firearms office?

You are very right, and that subject was covered in the Canadian Firearms
Safety Course which came from the Canadian Firearms Safety Center of which
the esteemed Mr. Cooper is a senior officer.

Conclusion?

Who's the leader of the club that's right for you and me?
M - I - C - K -E -Y M- O - U - S - E

To the CBC - the National Enquirer does more to check the veracity of their
articles
Samtron wrote:

Posted 2008/04/15
at 10:23 PM ET

Non-issue

JimDevito wrote:

Posted 2008/04/15
at 9:57 PM ETWhoever wrote this 'story' should be sent to remedial
journalism. Check the facts and provide a balance instead of blindly
accepting what the great bureaucrats say.

Fact - reloading is not common, relatively few shooters reload.

Fact - reloaders have to show their PAL (Possession & Acquisition Licence)
to purchase ammunition and reloading components, the store I buy from enters
powder purchases in a log because the Firearms Center requires them to.

Fact - $100 will not pay for the components to make 1,000 rounds but if
Cooper knows of such a store please let me know. It costs a lot more than
that Cooper.

Fact - police forensics examine all the casings and bullets found at a crime
scene to determine their source if possible (the FBI and presumably the RCMP
even examine the lead and jacket material to determine manufacturer and lot
number if possible), to say they dont is to imply the police are incompetent
or more likely that Cooper doesn't have a clue what he is talking about.

To say that current police technology can't determine if a cartidge is a
reload or factory made is simply incredible.

Fact - criminals aren't going to reload, they dont have the inclination.

Cooper's quote about the possiblity that criminals 'may' reload or that
reloads may get into their hands is expressed in passive langauge as a
'remote possiblity'. The is fear mongering and idle speculation at best,
floating the latest social engineering BS on behalf of the Dave n Dalton Dog
N Pony Show at worst. Hardly an affirmative statement implying even he
doesn't beleive it.

Aside from the fact that he doesn't have a clue what he is talking about the
fact that he has a position of power and authority scares the crap out of
me, not the criminals though, (they're too busy laughing Coop) just those of
us who wind up choking on taxpayer funded incompetence.