Licensing Test Archives - Prince Rupert Rod & Gun Club

CFSC news & Covid

The latest CFSC took place October 21 to 23. Testing done on the following Saturday. Due to COVID the class was reduced in size to allow adequate space.

Prince Rupert being a haven for hunting, it seems there is no end to the amount of people wanting their firearms licence. Since I started instructing the CFSC/CRFSC in 2014 I have had over 400 students. The success rate for my students is about 98.5%, and this last class was no exception with everyone successfully completing both the written and practical tests.

This class was a little different than usual as we had 4 students working toward getting their MINOR PAL. One may think youths aged 12 wouldn’t have the foundational interest to understand firearms, but the opposite is true, their keen interest in the subject is very apparent once the class starts and it is quite enjoyable teaching these young people.

Some people having used rifles and shotguns most of their life grumble about having to take the CFSC to acquire new guns and ammunition, but once the course is underway, they soon realize that the goal is personal safety and the safety of their family, friends, and neighbors, this usually softens their demeaner.

Many older students in discussions after the course, comment on how much they “didn’t” know, or how much they “assumed” was right but was not. Back in the day, we usually learned how to handle firearms from our parents which in most cases was all it took to keep us on the right side of the equation, but as laws change we must follow. What was acceptable then, may not necessarily be the right thing now, especially when you consider firearm and ammunition storage.

Student Question

How long after I send in my application form, will it take to get my licence?

A common question from students is “how long after I send in my application form, will it take to get my licence”?

Unfortunately, there is not a clear answer. In most circumstances you may wait up to 60 days, but it seems at the moment, there is a backlog of applications and I have heard of 5 months and more. One of the issues with long wait times may be related to an improperly filled application form, or character references not available to answer questions.

Learn more about CFSC/CRFSC

RPAL Fire Arm Course

Four students from the October non-restricted CFSC, decided to go further and take the restricted course. The course started at 8:30am and went through to about 3:30. These students took advantage of taking this course while the previous course was still fresh in their minds which makes everything easier to understand. The CRFSC is a supplement to the CFSC which concentrates the learning toward understanding the different handgun actions, as well as the added list of rules a restricted firearms owner must know. It may seem from hearsay, that owning restricted firearms is an arduous task that most people would rather not subject themselves to. “Yes, there are a few more rules to understand and deal with, but once you learn these few extra rules you will find that it really is not that hard over and above regular rifle and shotgun ownership” – Ken Moore (Firearm Instructor).

One of the benefits of getting your restricted licence is that the opportunity to participate in handgun competition shooting, which you can find more information about in our website under IPSC.