[OOC][PLOT] The Return of Planning for Arc 1 - Arrivals

[robkelk]

Spent the evening researching firearms laws in Canada, just to make sure I get the next installment of my current sidestory right.

<deadpan> Yay, firearms license laws. Yay, import restrictions. </deadpan> Good thing I'm fluent in bureaucratese, or I'd still be at it.

Almost all of those goodies that are legal for Ben to build out of kits or spare parts are not legal to import into Canada. Forget about offering Rob anything fully-automatic, or adaptable to fully-automatic without a decent tool kit and a lot of time, because no permits will be issued to possess those under any circumstances. (Before you ask: the Firearms Act specifically does not apply to the Armed Forces.) Anybody under 18 can only legally possess non-restricted rifles or shotguns; "non-restricted" essentially means not semi-automatic. Rob's going to need a license, too, because he's the adult responsible for the Misaka Sisters and the Minor's License does not permit independent acquisition of firearms unless the minor can demonstrate a need to live off the land (which definitely is not the case in a city). You need to pass a course before being allowed to apply for a Possession and Acquisition license - two courses if you want to purchase a restricted firearm. And it's legal for the RCMP to search a private dwelling just if they have reasonable cause to believe unlicensed firearms are on the premises, and the only way to prove they're licensed is to produce the license upon demand.

Thus, Rob's contact in the police department will strongly suggest letting the shooting club keep the girls' rifles under lock and key when they aren't in use, just to prevent headaches all around.