Calibremag.ca reports that a Bushmaster ACR-DMR is arriving to Canada and will be available as a non-restricted firearm. Canada requires its citizens to obtain a PAL (Possession and Acquisition License) to legally own firearms. It requires a mandatory two day safety class with a written exam. Then they can apply for a PAL. There are three classifications for firearms:

Non-restricted firearm:  any rifle or shotgun that is neither restricted nor prohibited. Most common long guns are non-restricted, but there are exceptions.

Restricted firearm* means:

1. a handgun that is not a prohibited firearm,
2. a firearm that
   • is not a prohibited firearm,
   • has a barrel less than 470 mm in length, and
   • is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic  manner,
3. a firearm that is designed or adapted to be fired when reduced to a length of less than 660 mm by folding, telescoping or otherwise, or
4. a firearm of any other kind that is prescribed to be a restricted firearm in the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted.

Prohibited firearm* means:

1. 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,
2. a firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, and that, as so adapted,
   • 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,
3. an automatic firearm, whether or not it has been altered to discharge only one projectile with one pressure of the trigger, or
4. any firearm that is prescribed to be a prohibited firearm in the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted.

Since the ACR-DMR will be made to be classified as Non-Restricted it is much easier to obtain for citizens in Canada. The only problem is the price. They will be sold for $3,400 CAD.

A few years ago Bushmaster and its Canadian representatives, Gravel Agency, promised the pending arrival of the Bushmaster ACR DMR; a factory longer-barreled version of the Adaptive Combat Rifle that would enter Canada as a non-restricted rifle.

Unfortunately, due to large volumes of military production orders and a relatively lukewarm reception in the US (largely due to the popularity of the FN SCAR and AR-15), the Bushmaster’s ACR lineup floundered and production run after production run of the DMR-format model were cancelled. This left Canadians with the sole option of finding and equipping their restricted-due-to-barrel-length ACR’s with aftermarket 18.5” barrel assemblies.

However, we learned today that Bushmaster has finally produced a contingent of ACR DMR rifles, and will be shipping them to Canada. As of right now, the first batch has been manufactured, and is expected to arrive in Canada on November 4, 2016. And the price? Well… if you want one, you’ll need to shell out somewhere around $3,400 to get one, so they aren’t cheap. But nonetheless, these rifles will be available in limited quantities, and we expect they won’t last long on retailer’s shelves.