# PAL - Possession & Acquisition License



## chrism (23 Jun 2011)

Do you receive any sort of PAL after training, or is it automatically supposed that you have a Restricted or Prohibited license due to being in the military? Or neither? Can't find anything on Google or these forums. Might be a dumb question, but I just plum don't know! Any help is greatly appreciated.

Chris


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## George Wallace (23 Jun 2011)

NO.  None of the Above.


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## navymich (23 Jun 2011)

chrism said:
			
		

> Do you receive any sort of PAL after training, or is it automatically supposed that you have a Restricted or Prohibited license due to being in the military? Or neither? Can't find anything on Google or these forums. Might be a dumb question, but I just plum don't know! Any help is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Chris



Neither.  PAL is separate from the military and if you want it at any level, you take the course and/or test as if you were a civilian.


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## chrism (23 Jun 2011)

How odd, I thought since the military could trust you with fully automatic weapons in the first place that you'd receive some sort of R/P PAL status. Thank you! Even the RCMP site doesn't say anything about that.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (23 Jun 2011)

chrism said:
			
		

> How odd, I thought since the military could trust you with fully automatic weapons in the first place that you'd receive some sort of R/P PAL status. Thank you! Even the RCMP site doesn't say anything about that.



Not odd at all, many jobs would fit a description like that.
In certain situations where I work I am authourized to carry, and if need be, use an ASP baton, however I have no more legal right to own and/ or transport one than any other person.


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## Fishbone Jones (23 Jun 2011)

chrism said:
			
		

> How odd, I thought since the military could trust you with fully automatic weapons in the first place that you'd receive some sort of R/P PAL status. Thank you! Even the RCMP site doesn't say anything about that.



It doesn't say anything, because it doesn't apply. Full auto weapons have nothing to do with it. As well, some of the safety rules, between the two are at odds and there is a lot of information taught in the PAL\ RPAL courses that is not covered in military training.

If you want to see the differences, take the courses.


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## Sig_Des (23 Jun 2011)

As stated above, nope.

to be honest, I know people in the military that I wouldn't feel comfortable owning weapons. In addition, parts of the test for the PAL cover subjects that you wouldn't know anything about through military training (black powder, hunter safety, etc.)

I was actually overseas during my application process. When I called to answer the questionaire I had a pistol on my hip when I had to answer "Have you ever been prohibited from possessing a weapon".


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## NavyShooter (23 Jun 2011)

Carrying arms under service to the nation places you under the National Defence Act, and there are provisions and exceptions there which apply to military members so as to allow us to carry/use/play with rifles, pistols, machine-guns, howitzers, AA Missiles, high explosives, etc, IN THE COURSE OF CONDUCTING OUR DUTIES AS MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN FORCES.

As such, when you're on duty, the provisions of the firearms act do not apply.

When you're off duty, at home, etc, you would need to have a PAL in order to purchase a civilian firearm.

Note, there are special considerations for military members who own firearms and wish to live on base, ie you can't store them in your barracks room (among others) so use the search function, and read your base routine orders.

NS


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## Fishbone Jones (23 Jun 2011)

The same conditions exist for the most, if not all, police. They are not required to take a PAL\ RPAL course as a condition of carrying their duty firearms.


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## chrism (23 Jun 2011)

NavyShooter said:
			
		

> Carrying arms under service to the nation places you under the National Defence Act, and there are provisions and exceptions there which apply to military members so as to allow us to carry/use/play with rifles, pistols, machine-guns, howitzers, AA Missiles, high explosives, etc, IN THE COURSE OF CONDUCTING OUR DUTIES AS MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN FORCES.
> 
> As such, when you're on duty, the provisions of the firearms act do not apply.
> 
> ...



Now THAT'S what I was looking for, the law pertaining to this! This makes ten times more sense to me now, and now that I think of it, it'd be pretty silly (and SCARY) to give every soldier a Prohib or even a Restricted PAL that goes through training. Thanks again everyone!


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## Pusser (23 Jun 2011)

NavyShooter said:
			
		

> Carrying arms under service to the nation places you under the National Defence Act, and there are provisions and exceptions there which apply to military members so as to allow us to carry/use/play with rifles, pistols, machine-guns, howitzers, AA Missiles, high explosives, etc, IN THE COURSE OF CONDUCTING OUR DUTIES AS MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN FORCES.



The same is true of explosives.  All  explosives in Canada come under the control of the Minister of Natural Resources as the custodian of the Explosives Act except those explosives under the control of the Minister of National Defence.


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## PuckChaser (23 Jun 2011)

chrism said:
			
		

> How odd, I thought since the military could trust you with fully automatic weapons in the first place that you'd receive some sort of R/P PAL status. Thank you! Even the RCMP site doesn't say anything about that.



Friend of mine waited 6 months for his restricted license, and was interviewed no less than 3 times. He has held a TS security clearance for more than 10 and was still subject to the same hoops as everyone else.


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## Robert0288 (24 Jun 2011)

Beadwindow 7 said:
			
		

> In addition, parts of the test for the PAL cover subjects that you wouldn't know anything about through military training (black powder, hunter safety, etc.)



In addition to this the safety precautions are somewhat different as well.  Under ACTS/PROVE, to examine the bore to ensure that it is clear of debris you sometimes have to look down the barrel.  Definitely something that I would normally avoid doing, and if done on any actual range would warrant someone getting a boot embedded in their behind.  You also cover all the different types of actions, basic outdoor shooting, storage, as well as in the case of restricted firearms transportation laws and different types of paperwork (ATT, STATT).

Also if you want you can take a look at the manual online, unfortunately atleast for this website there is a small fee to go along with it.  (http://www.ontariofirearmssafetyacademy.ca/Student_Manuals.php)


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## Fishbone Jones (24 Jun 2011)

The information the OP required has been posted. There's no need to carry this on into minutiae of every facet involved. That information is better described and more freely available elswhere on the internet.


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