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Disclaimer: I am not a legislator, lawyer, or a member of the law enforcement community. What follows should be treated as merely my opinions. I try to be accurate, but I cannot guarantee accuracy.
With respect to building airsoft guns:
In Canada, I believe that it is legal to build firearms. The key is that they must be given a serial number and registered once finished. I also believe (and here I am not sure) that one requires a gunsmithing license in order to do this.
Airsoft guns are not classed as firearms, but replicas. Here the law seems to get very fuzzy. It is not legal to sell a replica. I believe it is not legal to possess a replica. I've heard the term 'grandfathering' used in the case of replicas, but AFAIK this term only applys to real firearms, which are registered. As well, there are three categories of grandfathering: full auto, assult rifles, and short barreled pistols. Grandfathering for full autos came first. Being grandfathered for one category does not mean that one is grandfathered for all: I have 12(5) (assult rifle) on my PAL, so I could purchase an AR15 but not a Thompson or a Walther PPK. As airsoft are not registered, there is no record of who owns what and therefore they cannot be 'grandfathered' as firearms are. That being said, there seems to be a tacit grandfathering in place: to whit, if the owner does not cause trouble they will be left alone. My guess is that, as airsoft are not normally capable of lethal projectile energies, law enforcement would rather pursue something more serious. After all, airsoft really is a game.
Having said all that:
An individual should be able to undertake the manufacture and/or modification of an airsoft gun in Canada without much concern. So long as they treat the end product with the same level of concern and care that they would use for a purchased product, there should be no problem. If they start manufacturing for sale, however, they may get into trouble.
Disclaimer: I am not a legislator, lawyer, or a member of the law enforcement community. What preceded should be treated as merely my opinions. I try to be accurate, but I cannot guarantee accuracy.
Louis
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