Is Hollow Point ammunition legal?
I am not surprised that few people understand the situation on hollowpoint handgun ammunition, because it is really wierd. Cartridges, for the purposes of the Explosives Act, are classified as “explosives.” Therefore, before one can import a particular TYPE of cartridge, it must be examined by the Explosives Branch, under their Act, and be formally classified by the Explosives Branch as a “permitted explosive.” The Explosives Branch refuses to classify hollowpoint handgun ammunition as a “permitted explosive,” so it cannot be imported — except by police departments. The Explosives Branch works a fiddle for them. That requires that their ammunition be classified as a “permited explosive” — or it is illegal to import it. Details of how they work this fiddle are hard to come by. Often, the Explosives Branch will classify hollowpoint handgun ammunition as a “permitted explosive” IF the importer agrees to put a sticker on each box of cartridges saying, “For use in rifles ONLY.” That has a
