Keeping Them Safe and Secure

When you purchase your first firearm, you immediately have two dilemmas to solve in order to comply with Canadian firearms laws.

How do I transport it home?  And, how do I store it?

Many gun stores offer shipping by post as a delivery option, which takes care of the former problem. However, unless you’ve planned ahead, you may still have to deal with the latter problem – safe storage of firearms at home.

On the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, which we offer, we discuss storage regulations in the final lesson.  This covers the requirements under the Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations, SOR/98-209.

All non-restricted firearms stored by an individual must be:

• unloaded, and
• rendered inoperable using a secure locking device, or
• rendered inoperable by removing the bolt or bolt carrier, or
• stored in a container, room, or receptacle that is kept securely locked

In addition, ammunition may not be stored with the firearm, unless that ammunition is also stored in the same securely locked container, room, or receptacle.

For beginning sports shooters and firearms owners looking for a reasonably priced storage option for their firsst non-restricted rifle or shotgun, look no further than a trigger lock or cable lock. We prefer combination trigger locks, because you can set the same combination for the individual locks, and you never have to worry about lost keys.

There are even special cable locks made especially for lever action firearms, which have a shorter cable, designed to wrap through the lever handle and around the grip area of the stock.

Cable locks and trigger locks are also essential for restricted firearms, such as most handguns and certain rifles and shotguns, as these must be rendered inoperable using a secure locking device before being locked in a case.

By unloading your non-restricted rifle or shotgun, and simply adding a trigger or cable lock, you are able to legally store the firearm without having to lock it in any type of case, cabinet or vault, provided there is no ammunition stored within easy access.

This simple storage solution works for most firearms owners who do not have a large collection, or perhaps are just starting out in sport shooting, and are not yet ready to purchase and install an expensive gun safe.