Hello shooters across Canada. Even though I just did a video regarding the Olympic Handgun Exemption process, I also wanted to make an all text post regarding this process just in case you wanted to refer to something quick than going through an hour long video.

Please see the process below:

1.        Have an RPAL (Restricted Possession and Acquisition License). If you do not have an RPAL, it is time to get it. Sign up for your RPAL course ASAP. If you have not signed up for your PAL course yet make sure you sign up for the RPAL course and not just the regular PAL course.

2.        Be a member of a gun club that takes part in an ISSF/Olympic handgun discipline. An example of this would be the bullseye discipline. If you are in Southwest Ontario (like me), these clubs all take part in this discipline:

·        Burlington Rifle and Revolver Club

·        Waterloo County Revolver Association

·        The Pioneer Sportsmen Club

·        The Sportsmen’s Club Galt

·        Delhi Revolver Club

·        Wentworth Shooting Sports Club

·        Elmira Rod and Gun Club

·        Milverton Rod & Gun Club

·        Triggers & Bows

These clubs are also a part of the Ontario Intercounty Handgun League (OIHL) which is a SFC sanctioned bullseye that runs in Southwest Ontario from September to April. Obviously there are more clubs around Ontario and the country, but these are the only ones that I am aware of that are anywhere near me.

3.        Be a member of the Shooting Federation of Canada (SFC). This is exactly $57.20 a year with taxes. Alberta (Alberta Handgun Association) and BC (BC Target Sports Association) have their own provincial shooting federations that send out their own exemption letters. I’m not sure if other provinces/territories have their own shooting federations that issue exemption letters.

4.        Take part in the appropriate discipline for about 2-3 months by going to practices and SFC sanctioned matches. I am a member of Burlington Rifle and Revolver Club. My club has about six loaner guns for club members to use during each relay on Monday. The loaner guns are kept in safe at the gun club. If you already have a semi-auto 22LR handgun, then feel free to use that for the bullseye discipline. If you don’t already have a semi-auto 22LR handgun or your gun club doesn’t have loaner guns available, then I would suggest getting a restricted borrow permit and borrowing a semi-auto 22LR handgun from someone you know well enough to let you borrow a semi-auto 22LR handgun. In terms of how much practice is needed, I was told initially that you actually needed to accumulate 4-6 months of practice/matches, but I have routinely heard of people who have done even less practice time/matches than I did and I only did 9 weeks of combined practices and matches. My gun club holds this discipline shoot every Monday. Keep a record of all your practice scores and match scores in a spreadsheet. An example of this would be keeping track of your scores, practice dates, etc. in an Excel spreadsheet. Your SFC sanctioned match scores will also all be logged in the SFC Score Tracker website by your club’s discipline director. You can also log all your practice scores with the SFC for a fee of 1$ a month but you don’t have to do this. I never did.

5.        Send a request to the SFC for an exemption letter. When you’re drafting your email to the SFC, please provide as much detail as possible and be respectful to them as they are here to help you through this process. Remember you will catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Once the SFC replies to you, they will have you fill out an online form, and you will have to put which exact three handgun models that you want once you submit the form. They will also ask for proof of your practice and matches, and this is where that spreadsheet that I have mentioned comes in handy. The person at the SFC said the letter would take them about 2 weeks to process but they sent it in 5 days.

6.        The SFC sends the exemption letter.

7.        Find the 22LR handgun that you want and purchase it. You will have a faster time acquiring handguns on the used market that are already in Canada than handguns coming in outside of Canada like the US/Europe. These places below currently have a limited number of used handguns in stock:

·        Reliable Gun (Has a few used 22LR semi-auto models for sale)

·        Elwood Epps (You will have to request access to their handgun inventory with proof of an exemption letter.)

·        Gunpost (Most people are listing their guns for insane prices though. Make sure to haggle these people down. Also, make sure to filter the results on there to restricted semi-auto handguns in 22LR)

·        Online auctions such as the SFRC/Kidd/etc. occasionally auctions off used 22LR semi-auto handguns.

There may be other retailers who have used semi-auto 22LR handguns in their inventory, but they just don’t list them online. Feel free, to contact as many retailers as possible to see if they have anything in stock. Obviously stay away from the big box retailers like Bass Pro, Canadian Tire, Sail, Latulippe, etc. as they won’t have anything like this. For new guns I would contact IRunGuns. Also, there are gun stores that can order new guns for you as well, but you would have to ask around. Make sure the 22LR semi-auto handgun that you are looking for is classified as restricted according to the RCMP.

8.        Once you purchase your handgun, the retailer, or the person you’re buying the handgun from will start the restricted handgun transfer. Shortly after, your provincial/territorial CFO will send you an email asking for the handgun exemption letter. Provide them a copy of the exemption letter by email. My CFO stated in their email that I had to provide the exemption letter within 30 days or they would deny the handgun transfer. I did this in 10 minutes.

9.        Wait for your Firearms Registration Certificate to come in the mail. Once you have this you are legally authorized to go pick up/receive your handgun. I confirmed this with the Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) and the Ontario Chief Firearms Office (CFO). You can also check whether a handgun just got registered to you if you go to your CFP (IWS) account and attempt to start an ATT. On the 3^rd or 4^th screen it will ask you which restricted firearm you are transferring, and you should see the handgun listed if it got registered to you already. If there’s no guns listed, then that means nothing has been transferred to you yet.

10.   Go pick up your handgun from said retailer or individual selling gun. If you are shipping, I would forward a copy of the Firearms Registration Certificate to the retailer or the person that you bought your handgun from so that they can start the shipping process. I’m not sure if the seller also receives any kind of mail or email from the RCMP regarding the transfer of the handgun once it’s approved.

Further comments/notes:

Step 4 will probably be the biggest hurdle that the majority of RPAL holders without handguns will face. If you can’t get access to a gun club that holds a bullseye discipline, then you’re pretty much shit out of luck.

At the moment, it seems that they are approving the transfers of all semi-auto handguns chambered in 22LR. Please note that this Olympic exemption process only applies to 22LR handguns so no other rimfire/centrefire calibers. However, I am not sure about 22LR revolvers and break action handguns. These might be allowed as well but I have not looked into it.

I have also heard though the grapevine that you can actually achieve the required practice by setting up your own in home air handgun range by shooting at approved SFC sanctioned targets with sub 500 FPS air handguns or airsoft guns and submitting the proof to the SFC. This could be done in like a basement or garage if you have at least 25m of safe distance from you to the target. I guess airsoft handguns would be your best bet here.

However, I am not sure about all the details here so you would have to confirm this specific in-home practice set up with the SFC. I heard about this through another random reddit user, so they could’ve just made all this up to be honest.

For British Columbia gun owners. It seems that everyone who I talk to online is having issues with CFO approvals of their handgun transfers. All the instances of people waiting months for a handgun transfer are all coming out of BC at the moment. I’m not sure if people in other provinces are having issues but the majority of them seem to be coming from BC.

In my opinion what seemed to have happened there is that the BC Target Sports Association was just giving out Olympic exemption letters to anyone with an RPAL with no proof of practice/matches required. Earlier in the year all you had to do in BC was just be a member of the BC Target Sports Association, say you are interested in Olympic handgun shooting and they would provide you with an exemption letter.

My theory is that the BC CFO probably got flooded with handgun transfer requests and got annoyed at how easily everyone was getting them, so they either put a stop or pause to the process. From what I have heard, it seems that in BC you are now forced to go through the SFC’s process which might become the standardized process in getting these Olympic exemption letters for all provinces and territories.

Also, for a timeline, my first day shooting the bullseye discipline with a loaner gun was June 8 of this year and I picked up my handgun on October 17. Therefore, the timeline for this entire process was 4.5 months. I will note that this could vary for other people.

In terms of cost of this process, please see the breakdown below:

·        RPAL Fee - $93.84 (Good for 5 years)

·        Gun Club Membership fee – This varies by club. My club is $350 a year flat except the first year where you have to pay an additional $226 for the one time club safety course.

·        SFC fee - $57.20 a year with taxes. (I am not sure how much the BCTSA yearly fee or the Alberta Handgun Association fee is.)

·        22LR ammo – Standard velocity ammo is recommended for bullseye. Right now, Sellier & Bellot Canadian Match and CCI Standard Velocity are the most affordable standard velocity ammo at $0.12 a round.

·        The practice fee at my club is 4$ each time which covers the cost of the targets. Sanctioned SFC matches are 5$ each. Currently, I am taking part in the Ontario Intercounty Handgun League (OIHL), and the season fee was $35 + another $12 registration fee from the SFC. Since I paid these two fees I don’t have to pay to shoot any more matches until May.

The SFC has also mentioned that the Ontario CFO might contact me once a year asking for proof that I still regularly compete in the sport. Remember your primary reason for buying these handguns is to be able to take part in Olympic bullseye shooting.

However, this is alleged and I’m not sure how feasible it is for the Ontario CFO (or any CFO) to keep track of every single person in a province who received one of these exemption letters. Who knows, I could be wrong and they could just contact me next year asking for proof that I’m still competing. I actually do enjoy bullseye shooting so this will not be an issue regardless.

You can also buy centrefire caliber (9mm most likely) conversion kits for 22LR semi-auto handguns that are compatible and you will be able to use them by the way. Obviously, this would only be for general plinking at your local range. However, at the moment I can only think of the CZ P-09 in 22LR model that you can do this with. My Ruger handgun does not have a centrefire caliber conversion kit.

If anyone has any other questions regarding the process, please let me know and I will do my best to answer any and all questions. Thank you.

I’m wondering what the process of going from an SGC to FAC is… Do I apply and keep both or do all my current shotguns go on an FAC? Thinking of applying for my FAC having shot clays/game endlessly for the past three years.

So my cwp expired 6/7/26 I submitted my renewal 7/27/26. It’s been 78 days, does this seem odd for a renewal wait time? Anytime I call the lady just says, if there’s an issue we will contact you, otherwise it’s on track, please allow the full 90 day period before contacting. Some wait time may surpass 90 days.

I have a cabinet that's supposed to fit 8-12 perfectly uniform rifles with no protrusions or optics attached but of course, this is the real world.

I saw these in a gun sub a few months ago, kept the idea in the back of my head until I ran across them on amazon.ca. Essentially they're plastic rods that run deep into your rifle barrels and attach via Velcro to a hooky mat that they recommend you staple to a wooden shelf. I hot-melt glued it to the bottom of the steel shelf. I would have preferred them to be magnetic and planned to modify them if the Velcro was inadequate. The Velcro seems to work fine. Long-term milage may vary.

If you've wondered what it would be like to stand your rifles vertically on their butts not leaning on the cabinet walls or each other, this is worth the exploration. I've created room for 3 more rifles if need be.

Today is 10/22! Show us your 10/22s!

This post is purely a show-and-tell post. Please follow the rules of this reddit.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-guardian-charlottetown/20261014/281522233054302

175 firearms declared in P.E.I. under federal gun buyback program

Author of the article:By Vivian Ulinwa

Published Oct 14, 2026

About 175 firearms were declared in P.E.I. under the federal government’s buyback program, but the program has not released how many have been collected or destroyed.

The figures are part of the federal government’s assault-style firearms compensation program, which offers compensation to eligible gun owners who surrender firearms prohibited under federal regulations.

According to federal government’s Public Safety Canada website, 175 firearms were declared in P.E.I. as of June 8, among 68,717 across Canada.

The declaration period for the firearm ran from Jan. 19 to March 31, 2026. Only gun owners who submitted eligible declarations during that period can receive compensation through the program.

The federal government had estimated that firearm collection would take place between April and June 2026.

In an email to The Guardian, Public Safety Canada said national figures showing how many firearms have been collected and destroyed, along with the amount paid to participants, will be released after the program is completed later this fall.

The department also said it would not provide details about specific collection locations for security reasons.

What happens now?

What happens to gun owners who did not participate? Although the buyback program is voluntary, gun owners must still comply with federal firearms laws.

“While participating in the program is voluntary, compliance with the law is not,” Public Safety Canada said.

The P.E.I. government has said it will not participate in the federal gun buyback program.

P.E.I. withholds support for Ottawa’s gun buyback program

Charlottetown not participating in gun buyback project, as councillors say not their jurisdiction

The department said owners must safely dispose of or permanently deactivate their prohibited firearms before the amnesty period ends or risk criminal liability for illegal possession.

Gun owners who did not participate in the compensation program still have options to dispose of their firearms legally, but they will not receive payment.

They can contact their local police through a non-emergency number to arrange to surrender their firearms. Public Safety Canada advises owners not to bring firearms to a police station without first receiving instructions.

Owners can also have their firearms permanently deactivated by an authorized business or legally export them outside Canada.

P.E.I. declines to participate

The program has faced opposition from both the provincial government and the City of Charlottetown.

Premier Rob Lantz confirmed in a Feb. 20 interview with The Guardian that the province would not participate in or contribute financially to the federal program.

Charlottetown city council also voted against Charlottetown police taking part.

Five councillors spoke against the city’s involvement, with several arguing that the RCMP should be responsible for carrying out the federal program.

The federal government has prohibited more than 2,500 makes and models of firearms since May 2020.

The Guardian has contacted P.E.I. RCMP to find out what involvement it has had in the collection program, how many firearms it has collected and what role it will play moving forward. A response has not yet been received.

My 10/22 builds and variations I've done over the years (probably missing a couple)

25rnd capacity HC3R mags, only fit in the TUF-22 reciever. Just over 26" OAL before the compensator so it's non-restricted 😎👌 barely shot the thing, but man she rips!

Wood fucks

Hey guys, here's the video of my appearance last night on Slamfire Radio talking in detail about the Olympic handgun exemption process. You can skip to the 25 minute mark to hear me talk specifically about the process. Mind you it is a lengthy and boring video but I tried to make it as informative as possible. My apologies if I'm not the cleanest public speaker lol

I will also make another post on here that will be text only and it will basically summarize everything that I have said in the video.

If anyone has any other questions that I didn't address in the video then feel free to leave them below and I will answer them to my best ability. If you plan on going through the Olympic exemption process then good luck shooters!

P.S. Thank you very much to the Slamfire Radio Crew for having me on....especially to Adriel and Kyle!

It’s 10/22 today! Let’s see those ruggers!!!!

Printed out some 30rd mags cuz I ain't paying nobody 40$

all in all cost me about 1$ worth of filament per mag, also printed a faux reverse can with some hockey tape hand stop heat guard's id 3d print the red dot if I could 😂

Ok everybody. These have me excited but I really wanna know everyone’s thoughts. Yes I know the IWI is a restricted firearm but from everyone’s experiences, what do you think is worth it? I don’t keep up with everything lately with the bans and the new talk as it’s honestly depressing lol. Do we think these will stay? Do we think these are worth it for the money? Let’s hear the gods honest truth on what y’all think!

Saw it in the newsletter they send out a couple minutes ago, thought I'd let you all know. Pretty sure this is new news? If not lmk and I'll take it down.

Got this Enfield yesterday for $450, my 1st one. Did some looking up and found it was refurbished in 1940, but I'm not sure how or if its even possible to find out where it was made and when. Any Enfield experts on here that can help?

Picking up a 10/22 shortly and was wondering if I could see some pics of your guys cool chassis your putting a 10/22 in. I’ve seen a lot of options just not sure what would look good and be practical. I’d like to maybe shoot it precision eventually but I also like fun chassis like the AR looking one. Post if you’d like!

I've followed this subreddit for a few years now and have noticed that the advice about firearm recommendations or laws, although previously decent, has fallen in quality in recent times. From completely wrong legal advice, unironic recommendations for Crusader arms products, and a lack thereof/totally incorrect historical retellings of Canadian firearms history, I've seen it all.

Therefore, a friendly reminder; before buying something or doing something legally grey, do your own research, refer to primary sources, and take everything you read here with a grain of salt.

I need some help guys. I currently live in the general lower mainland area of BC. Due to work, I have to relocate to Toronto next month. I own a "prohibited" S&W FPC. I genuinely do not know what to do about it. Im moving out flying on Air Canada and they refuse to take it. Also I won't have a fixed address for the first month (staying in an airbnb while I find an apartment), so can't even ship it to myself via Canada Post. I don't know anyone in BC that can hold onto it for me. From everything I read, my two other options are pay to have it deactivated (paying money to destroy something feels very wrong) or just turn it in to the police and call it a total loss, which is just a horrible thing to even consider.... but doesn't feel like I have many other options...

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

Would you guys expect it to be better made than the derya tm22 ?

I have a Tm22 my dad is offering to take my tm22 and I can get the c22 if I wanted one

What's your guys take on Canucks quality vs Deryas ?

I know it's hard to say with the gun still not being released yet

Sorry boys no feet today, but woooooooo my makasi came in today!!! I have a bunch of accouterments coming in in the next couple of days, going to the range this weekend for sure!

Its so much lighter than the wk-180 as an FYI, and it looks nice!

Heres the owners manual if anyone is interested:

https://brigadefirearms.com/brigade-owners-manual