What to do with your 12-6 prohibited firearms

Originally published May 2019. Updated August 2026 to reflect the national handgun freeze and current disposal options. What has changed is covered in the update section near the end, and it applies to the 2019 video below as well.

There are three general classifications of firearms in Canada: non-restricted, restricted and prohibited.

Non-Restricted: Generally rifles and shotguns
Restricted: Generally handguns
Prohibited: Guns that are deemed to be not allowed for several reasons including function and design (i.e. full auto, short barrel, etc.)

According to the Criminal Code, a prohibited firearm is:

a handgun that has a barrel equal to or less than 105 mm in length, or is designed or adapted to discharge a 25 or 32 calibre cartridge, but does not include any such handgun that is prescribed, where the handgun is for use in international sporting competitions governed by the rules of the International Shooting Union
a firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, and that, as so modified, is less than 660 mm in length, or is 660 mm or greater in length and has a barrel less than 457 mm in length
an automatic firearm, whether or not it has been altered to discharge only one projectile with one pressure of the trigger
any firearm that is prescribed to be a prohibited firearm

The fascinating thing is, as with many rules, there are exceptions. If, for example, an individual legally owned a firearm before it was delegated as prohibited, they could be grandfathered and permitted to retain that firearm. For many years, grandfathered individuals could also acquire other firearms in that classification. The 2022 national handgun freeze changed that for handguns, and that change is covered in the update section below.

Under section 12 of the Firearms Act, individuals with the following designations on their PAL can legally be in possession of the following:

s.12(2): fully automatics
s.12(3): converted automatics
s.12(4): firearms prohibited by former prohibition order No. 12
s.12(5): firearms prohibited by former prohibition order No. 13
s.12(6): handguns with a barrel length of 105 mm or less or that discharge .25 or .32 calibre ammunition. On licences issued on or after April 10, 2005, these firearms are referred to as 12(6.1) firearms.

As the vast majority of PAL holders with prohibited status are those of the 12-6 variety, this article discusses what a person can do with those firearms. First the good news: unlike some prohibited firearms, you can take your 12-6 firearms to the range and shoot them.

Can I take my prohibited firearms to a shooting range?

You may transport a prohibited handgun that discharges .25 or .32 calibre ammunition, or that has a barrel length of 105 mm or less, to a range. Other prohibited firearms may no longer be transported to a shooting range. However, they can be transported for other purposes, such as a change of residence, export, repair, participation in a gun show, or lawful disposal. The RCMP's classes of firearms page covers the current rules.

Next of kin of grandfathered individuals

If you or someone you are related to owns a prohibited 12-6 firearm, it can pass to a next of kin as outlined in section 12(7) of the Firearms Act. A spouse or common-law partner, brother, sister, child or grandchild of a grandfathered individual is eligible to hold a licence authorizing possession of a particular 12(6.1) handgun, provided the handgun was manufactured before 1946.

Selling your 12-6 firearm

This is where the law has moved the most since this article was first written. In 2019, a 12-6 firearm could be transferred to another individual with the same licence conditions on their PAL. The national handgun freeze ended that. Since October 21, 2022, individuals cannot transfer a handgun to another individual in Canada, and grandfathered handguns are not exempt. Transfers to an appropriately licensed business remain permitted. As there was only ever a limited market for these firearms in Canada, owners were very often unable to sell them for much, or anything at all, which brings us to the option of selling them outside of Canada.

Exporting your firearm

For prohibited firearms, you will need to apply for an export permit through Global Affairs Canada, and you will also need to notify the RCMP Registrar so that they are aware the firearm is no longer going to be registered to you. Remember, when exporting a firearm you not only have to comply with Canadian laws but also the laws of the country the firearm will be imported into. While it is not an overly difficult task for those who know what to do, many opt to have a licensed business take care of the red tape, which is an added expense but provides a great deal of protection.

Changing the classification

There is an option to change the legal classification of a 12-6 firearm, but it must be done by a firearms business that is appropriately licensed by the RCMP to make such a conversion. The legal classification can be changed by installing a longer barrel or by deactivating the firearm. In this video, we take a couple of short barrel revolvers, install barrels over 105 mm, and then take care of the legal paperwork for a client.

It is important to note, if you have a licensed business do this work for you, the short barrel that has been removed is now legally considered a prohibited device, virtually the same classification as a suppressor, and unless for some reason you are allowed to be in possession of a prohibited device, which most aren't, the business has to retain the barrel.

A firearm is defined by law and there are numerous things that can be done so that the firearm no longer meets that definition. The government publishes deactivation standards which assist in the classification change process, but it is important to note that the final call tends to be at the discretion of the Registrar. We have seen firearms that do not meet the legal definition to be called a firearm which the Registrar still required to be registered, and we have also seen firearms that exceed the deactivation guidelines which the Registrar would not deem deactivated.

Turning the firearm in

Finally, you can turn the firearm over to a properly licensed business or your local police station. Important note: if you intend to turn your firearm over to the police for destruction, make sure to call them ahead of time and explain your intentions so that they can have an officer who is familiar with the process present. To avoid drama, you don't want to show up at a police station unannounced with a firearm in tow.

To summarize

With your 12-6, or 12-6.1, firearm you can:

Shoot your firearm at the range
Export the firearm from Canada to sell
Change its classification by altering its barrel length or deactivating it
Turn the firearm in to the police
Transfer or donate it to an appropriately licensed firearms business

What has changed since 2019

This article was first published in May 2019. Three things have moved since then, and they matter if you are holding a prohibited firearm today.

1. The national handgun freeze. Since October 21, 2022, later written into law through former Bill C-21, individuals cannot buy, sell or transfer a handgun to another individual in Canada. That includes grandfathered 12-6 handguns. You can keep and shoot what is registered to you, but the private market between individuals is closed. Transfers to appropriately licensed businesses and a narrow set of exempted individuals remain possible.

2. The 2020 prohibition and the buyback are a separate file. The firearms prohibited by the May 2020 Order in Council, and the compensation program that followed, are not the same thing as 12-6 grandfathered handguns. If you own one of the 2020 OIC firearms, the amnesty ends October 30, 2026, and you have decisions to make before that date. We cover that in detail in our buyback program explainer.

3. Deactivation now runs through current federal standards. The old RCMP guidelines PDF this article once linked has been replaced. Public Safety Canada publishes the current deactivation standards, and registered firearms use RCMP form 5645e, available through the RCMP firearms site. If you are deactivating anything, work from the current standard, not an old copy.

If you want the firearm gone

If you have firearms that you wish to dispose of, we encourage you to contact us directly. Silvercore offers a firearms removal service and we have assisted firearms owners across Canada legally dispose of unwanted ammunition, firearms and accessories. In turn, we have used those donations to further firearm safety and education for new and experienced enthusiasts alike.

Travis Bader, Silvercore Outdoors