We recently published an article on where Americans can buy used guns online, and we did not want to leave out our Canadian readers! Yes, you can buy used guns privately in Canada. The first thing to know, is how to purchase a firearm privately, which in Canada is a lot like buying a used vehicle with transferring ownership to the new person. In Canada there are 2 ways to transfer a firearm to an individual after the sale, they are as follows and are directly from the RCMP website:
Via telephone
For non-restricted firearms – You do not need to register non-restricted firearms. That means you can transfer a non-restricted firearm without contacting the Canadian Firearms Program (CFP). However, the transferor (seller, giver) must make sure that the transferee (buyer, recipient) has a valid PAL. Call the CFP at 1-800-731-4000 to confirm the validity of the transferee’s licence before you transfer the firearm.
For restricted and prohibited firearms – The CFP must speak with both the transferor and the transferee for restricted and prohibited firearms. However, both parties do not need to be available at the same time. Follow the steps below.
- Make sure the firearm is verified.
- Call the CFP with the following information:
- If you are an individual transferor you will need to provide your full name, address and firearms licence number, and the transferee’s full name and PAL number
- If you are a business transferor you will need to provide your business licence and identification number, and the transferee’s full name, address and PAL number
- If you are an individual transferee you will need to provide your PAL number, full name and address, and the transferor’s full name and firearms licence number
- If you are a business transferee you will need to provide your business licence and identification number, and the transferor’s full name, address and firearms licence number
- If you initiate the transfer you will need to provide the registration certificate number and confirm the firearm information (make, model, serial number, firearms identification number (FIN), etc.)
- When you call the CFP, you will get a reference number. Make sure both the transferor and the transferee have that reference number.
- The CFO for the jurisdiction receives the request and will review the transfer to make sure that the transferee is acquiring the restricted firearm or prohibited handgun for one of the permitted purposes (Firearms Act, Section 28).
- The transferee will need to get an Authorization to Transport (ATT) to transport the restricted firearm to its new location. There is no fee for an ATT. Call the CFP at 1-800-731-4000 or submit form RCMP 5490.
- Both the transferor and the transferee will receive a confirmation notice to let them know the transfer is complete. After a transfer is approved the new registration certificate will be mailed to the new owner within a few weeks.
Via mail
Use form RCMP 5492, located here, for restricted and prohibited firearms. Both the transferor and the transferee must complete the form. Call the CFP at 1-800-731-4000 to get a form.
Ok so where can you buy some guns?!
There are lots of websites out there. I am going to cover the ones I’ve used in the past, so this is more my personal experience than anything. If you do some research, you will find these websites are all well reviewed.
CanadianGunNutz.com
Overall a great Canadian gun forum that has an excellent classifieds section. You do have to get verified to be able to browse, buy and sell guns on here but the process is simple and nice as it gives some peace of mind. Obviously still use common sense and follow the law on purchasing guns, but with it being a forum you can see ratings and comments from other users on sellers. Visit it here.
GunPost.ca
A classifieds style website for used guns, there is something for everyone here. The website is setup in the same way Kijiji and Craigslist work, with users posting ads based on type and location. There is still a rating system for sellers and the website has been around long enough that there is a decent history available for sellers. Visit it here.
FirearmsCanada.com
A membership style classifieds page where users must purchase a membership to post on it. This is nice as it weeds out some fraudsters and ensures the people on there are serious, but the obvious downside is an additional cost. Visit it here.
Happy shopping!
Smooth 
Ben