Big Man Guns
What the Arms Act Covers, and What It Does Not
Airguns below the prescribed threshold sit outside the Arms Act. That is a fact about the law, not a licence to be careless.
- Law
- Buying
This is the question we are asked more than any other, and it deserves a straight answer.
The short version
Airguns below the prescribed threshold fall outside the Arms Act, 1959. You do not need a licence to buy or keep one of those. What sits above the threshold, and firearms proper, do require a licence, and this shop does not deal in them.
Why we still talk about safety
Being outside the Act is a fact about paperwork, not about whether an airgun can hurt someone. It can — a pellet at close range will take an eye, and there is no version of this where handling rules stop applying because a licence was not needed.
What you are still responsible for
- Knowing the rules where you live. Airgun rules vary between states, and some places restrict carrying or transport.
- Storing it so that nobody who should not have it, can get it.
- Using it somewhere a stray shot cannot reach a person, an animal or property.
The law sets a floor. It has never been the whole of the obligation.
If you are unsure
Ask before you buy, not after. Call the store and describe what you want to do with it. If the honest answer is that it needs a licence, we will tell you that rather than sell you something you cannot legally keep.