Handguns for sale in Canada
211 handguns listings currently for sale across Canada, posted by GunEx members and gathered from public Canadian classifieds. Updated daily.
Handgun listings in Canada are shaped by the transfer freeze. The federal government first imposed a national freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns between individuals by regulation on October 21, 2022, and the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program states that Bill C-21 wrote those limits into the Firearms Act when it received royal assent on December 15, 2023. Most private handgun sales in Canada have not been legal since.
What still exists is narrower than the listing count suggests. The RCMP states that individuals can continue to possess and use the handguns registered to them, and may transfer to exempted individuals — people holding an Authorization to Carry for personal protection or lawful occupation, and people who train, compete or coach in an Olympic or Paralympic handgun shooting discipline with supporting documentation from a sport shooting governing body. Authorized businesses may continue to sell handguns to exempted individuals, to law enforcement and defence personnel, and to other authorized businesses.
Treat every listing on this page as a starting point for a conversation, not a transaction you can assume will complete. Confirm the legal position of your specific transfer with the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program before any money moves. The listing is not the authority.
Handguns by province
What to check before you buy
Establish the exemption first, not last
The only question that matters on a handgun in Canada right now is whether a transfer to you is permitted at all. Work that out with the Canadian Firearms Program before you negotiate on price, condition or anything else.
Check the class on the specific firearm
The RCMP treats most handguns as restricted, but lists handguns with a barrel of 105 mm or less, and those designed to fire .25 or .32 calibre cartridges, as prohibited. That distinction changes who may hold it and how it may move. Verify the exact gun against the Firearms Reference Table.
Confirm the registration certificate matches
Restricted firearms are registered to an individual. The serial number on the gun, on the certificate and in the listing all need to agree before a transfer is worth starting.
Plan the transport authorization
Movement of a restricted firearm generally requires an authorization to transport. Work out how the firearm is going to travel legally before you agree on a handover, not on the day.
Be sceptical of an unusually cheap ask
A restricted or prohibited handgun priced well under the market is the clearest signal that the seller has not understood the freeze, or is not describing the firearm accurately. Slow down rather than moving faster.
Common questions
Can you still buy a handgun in Canada?
Only in limited circumstances. The RCMP Canadian Firearms Program states that the national freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns by individuals came into force by regulation on October 21, 2022, and was written into the Firearms Act by Bill C-21 on December 15, 2023. Individuals may continue to possess and use handguns already registered to them and may transfer them to exempted individuals or authorized businesses. If you are not within an exemption, a private handgun purchase is not available to you. Confirm your own position with the Canadian Firearms Program rather than with a seller.
Who is exempt from the handgun transfer freeze?
The RCMP identifies two categories of exempted individuals: people who hold an Authorization to Carry handguns for personal protection or lawful occupation, and people who train, compete or coach in a handgun shooting discipline on the programme of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee, supported by documentation from a sport shooting governing body. Authorized businesses may continue to sell handguns to exempted individuals, to law enforcement and defence personnel, and to other authorized businesses.
What is the difference between a restricted and a prohibited handgun?
The RCMP's classes of firearms guidance treats handguns as restricted except where they fall into the prohibited class, which includes handguns with a barrel of 105 mm or less and handguns designed or adapted to discharge .25 or .32 calibre cartridges. Classification attaches to the individual firearm rather than to the model name, so a variant with a different barrel length can carry a different class. Check the Firearm Reference Number on the record that matches the gun in front of you.
Do you need a restricted PAL to own a handgun in Canada?
Yes. Handguns are restricted or prohibited firearms, so possession requires a licence privileged for that class, the firearm must be registered to the holder, and movement generally requires an authorization to transport. A non-restricted PAL does not cover a handgun. The RCMP Canadian Firearms Program is the authority on what your specific licence permits.
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