Should I get an RPAL? Updated Oct 2022
Update on the handgun transfer freeze…
We originally wrote this back in June, as soon as we wrapped our heads around what was happening. Since then (adbridgred):
After the transfer freeze announcement (makes purchasing, selling, or transferring handguns impossible) there was a huge rush on handgun purchases.
The government banned new imports of handguns by stores, further driving the buying frenzy and the price increases.
Now virtually all handguns are sold out except for perhaps the secondary market.
The transfer freeze has recently come into effect.
You may be wondering how it all affects the Restricted CFSC, and whether you should bother with the RPAL.
Hopefully this post will help you decide what’s best for you.
Is your sole purpose for an RPAL to buy and sit on a handgun?
If this is you, it might no longer make sense to get an RPAL. You are currently no longer able to buy handguns (at least for a while, if we’re staying optimistic and the law doesn’t stick permanently).
Are you going to shoot handguns with others?
If owning personally isn’t necessarily your key driving factor… For example, you’d like to go to the range with a friend who already has handguns to let you shoot, or if you want to rent guns at a range, you will still benefit from having an RPAL.
With an RPAL, your friend can let you shoot the gun without direct supervision (greater than arm’s length away). If you only have a PAL, then your friend will need to directly supervise you (within reach and control of the firearm at all times).
Are you planning on joining a range?
Some ranges require/prefer an RPAL for membership, because they don’t want to have to police who can use which firearms without supervision. Check with ranges you may be planning on joining to be sure you are going to meet their requirements.
How long will the freeze last?
We don’t know. No one knows. Laws change, so do governments. If you’re optimistic, you might find yourself wanting an RPAL sooner than you think. If you’re pessimistic by nature, maybe give it a pass until we see what happens.
Do you want to use other restricted firearms?
Other restricted firearms will continue to exist (some semi-automatic rifles and shotguns for example). If you’d like the opportunity to own them or use them without direct supervision you’ll need an RPAL.
You’re a completionist
Personally we like having as much licence as we can get. You may not be able to buy a handgun but if you’re a shooting enthusiast you can still learn how they work and prepare for shooting them (whether in Canada or elsewhere) by taking the course.
It will never be so cheap as now.
Prices go up. Your 30-day shortened CRFSC with a cheaper price tag is on the table for a limited time (only 30 days after completing your PAL course). Applying directly for RPAL means also saving on application fees. It will never be as cheap to get an RPAL as it is today.
Get an RPAL to have a voice.
You may not want to use handguns today - maybe you’re only hunting with long guns right now. Maybe all you need is a PAL right now. However, you’re still a firearms owner at a time when increasingly it seems all firearms are in the government’s crosshairs.
The more people holding RPALs the more weight the concerns of this group will have with the RCMP and the government. The more of us represented in the numbers (regardless of which firearms we actually own) carries its own weight.
More than ever we need to be seen as safe, conscientious, law-abiding firearms owners.
