Can I shorten the barrel of my obsolete duck gun for use as a bear-defense gun without creating an illegal sawed-off shotgun?
The minimum length to which a firearm s barrel can be cut is 470mm (18_ inches). Any non-restricted firearm whose barrel is cut to less than that minimum length becomes an illegal firearm. However, there are some exceptions. Rimfire rifles and manually-operated (i.e., non semi-automatic) centrefire rifles and shotguns can legally have a barrel of less than 470mm in length if the barrel was factory manufactured at that length. Additionally, the overall length of any non-restricted firearm must remain above 660mm (26 inches). For example: a shotgun with an 18_ barrel and a pistol grip is legal; a factory-made 14 -barreled shotgun is only legal with its full shoulder stock; and a shotgun with a cut-down 16 inch barrel is a prohibited firearm no matter what its overall length.
