A Red Deer man charged in connection with the seizure of 100 firearms and upwards of 500,000 rounds of ammunition has been released on bail.
Hempnstuf owner David Elliott was released on a $10,000 cash bail on Thursday after being taken into custody on Tuesday.
Elliott, 46, of Red Deer, has been charged with one count of uttering threats, two counts of possession of marijuana and 13 counts of unsafe storage of a firearm and will return to Red Deer provincial court on July 23.
A website www.nofac.ca, which shows Elliott as a contact, lists antique firearms in prices of up to $10,000 for a Colt 1873 with pearl handles or a Mauser c96, an antique semi-automatic pistol created from the late 1800s until the late 1930s in Germany.
Other guns listed include the .44 Russian, which is a black powder revolver developed by Smith & Wesson in the 1800s, ranging in price from $4,000 to $8,000.
An antique firearm is defined by the Canadian Firearms Program as having been manufactured before 1898 that wasn’t designed or re-designed to discharge rim-fire or centre-fire ammunition.
If a person only owns antique firearms made before 1898 they do not need to get a firearms licence or register any of their antique firearms, according to the Canadian Firearms Program online fact sheet on antique firearms.
The program’s website also states that there are no restrictions on selling, buying, bartering or giving away antique firearms.
Elliott’s website suggests a downtown storefront would soon be opening to sell the firearms.
Besides the antique firearms listed, there is also a blog on the website, with links to news stories about people defending themselves in home invasions and articles on people’s right to smoke marijuana.
His website also has information on an antique car for sale, air pistols for sale, ammunition, body armour and helmets.
Red Deer City RCMP officers responded to a complaint of threats made at around 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday in the 5200 block of Gaetz Avenue.
Police seized seven registered firearms, but observed other firearms and ammunition and obtained a warrant to search the building at 7 p.m.
RCMP officers found more than 100 firearms, made up of pistols, rifles, shotguns and antique guns. Police said they also seized between 500,000 to one million rounds of live ammunition, an undisclosed amount of marijuana and other property.
Investigation into the ownership of the firearms is continuing with assistance from the general investigation section, the RCMP explosive disposal unit, Red Deer RCMP forensic identification unit and RCMP customs and excise.
sobrien@www.reddeeradvocate.com