There are rumblings out of Canada that the first attempts at a low-key administrative attack on guns is beginning. Jim Sheperd reports in this morning’s Shooting Wire:
A report making the rounds in Canada that says officials have it on “good authority” that our State Department may be on the verge of cutting off all imports of certain calibers of ammunition.
Ammos listed for this rumored ban include the .50BMG, 7.62x39mm Soviet, 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester, 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington. Additionally, we’re hearing that an expansion of this proposed ban might be broadened to include the 6.8mm SPC, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP- among others.
In other words, State Department officials may be floating a trial balloon to see if there are howls of protest, or whimpers of compliance. …
Additionally, Canadian officials tell me they are hearing rumblings of blanket export bans on certain firearms to Canada and the attachment of DSP-83 End Use Certificates (with their $250 Export Fee) attached to all other types of American firearms.
I would question whether there is the authority to regulate importation/exportation of ammunition and assess fees on firearm exports, but I haven’t read all the relevant federal statutes and regulations.
Only military rifle calibers. If the goal was to do something about crime, they would be concerned about handgun calibers. This really does sound like someone is paranoid about revolution.
US Constitution Article 1 Section 9
No tax or duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
Takes care of the export tax. As to whether we can restrict an otherwise legal commodity from leaving the United States border, I do not know. I am certain that Canada itself can prohibit those items from entering their nation if they so choose.
That’s a restriction on the powers of the states, not the United States.
“OUR” state dept, as in the US or Canada? Not really knowing much aboot canada except a) beer, b)moose c)better looking digital camo I don’t know if they have a state dept.
Now that I think about it, I have a feeling they don’t. I also have no idea what a DSP-83 end use blahblahblah is, but if I had to venture a guess I’d say something along the lines of “for only one use only”.
Gearing up for resistance to the North American Union when ObamaInc, a 501(c)3 community group’s policies utterly destroys any remaining vestiges of America and the only alternative is to “band together”
If they do this, Michigan is going to be a hotbed of ammo smuggling. It might be the perfect way to reboot the economy up there, just retool the auto plants to ammo production and start pumping out all of the banned calibers by the truckload.
You can buy 7.62×39 Soviet domestically, from Federal and Winchester, but they cost WAY more per box than Wolf ammo imports (Russian milsurp).
I think I have some ROK (Republic of Korea) 7.62×39 lying around somewhere, too, that was kind of a bargain…
Import ban would mean you’d have to buy the pricier domestic stuff, which sucks.
“I don’t know if they have a state dept.”
It’s called the Department of External Affairs (which sounds quite adulterous, actually).
“Import ban would mean you’d have to buy the pricier domestic stuff, which sucks.”
If my theory about why they are trying to shut off imports of rifle ammo is correct, they are sending a strong message to those who would overthrow the Obama’s coming fascist state…Buy American.
“Only military rifle calibers. If the goal was to do something about crime, they would be concerned about handgun calibers. This really does sound like someone is paranoid about revolution.”
Well, if my country provided health care and taxed its citizens the way Canada does, I would be afraid of revolution too! Canada and its citizens are sheep. They have sacrificed their rights on so many levels that this step is nothing new.
Clayton,
Have they ever tried to restrict importation of certain calibers that you know of? I know GCA mentions the importation of non sporting guns, but I don’t recall ammunition being part of that.
During the Clinton Admin. the importation of arms and ammo from China was halted – probably just long enough to encourage certain Chinese to arrange contributions to Bubba’s ’96 campaign.
I have never seen particular calibers restricted. Mexico for many years (perhaps currently) prohibited civilians from owning military calibers out of fear that stockpiles of that ammo could be used in seized military weapons to overthrow the government. Hence, Colt used to make the M1911A1 in .38 Super, a high velocity cartridge, and a number of rifles exist in .222 for the Mexican market–because they can’t be trusted with .223.