Astra Arms MG556
Niche Swiss premium-tier AR-pattern. Astra Arms's commercial Canadian presence ended with SOR/2024-248.
Is the Astra Arms MG556 banned in Canada? Yes. The Astra Arms MG556 is prohibited in Canada. It was named in SOR/2024-248 (December 2024). If you owned one before the deadline, confirm whether it appears on the federal Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program list. The current amnesty for prohibited firearms expires 90 days after the latest Supreme Court appeal termination under SOR/2026-114.
Classification: Prohibited · OIC/SOR: SOR/2024-248 · Ban-Risk: Already Gone · Compensation: Confirm federal list · Amnesty: SCC appeals + 90 days
Verdict
Astra Arms SA is a small Swiss firearms manufacturer adjacent to B&T (Batches 5, 12) and SIG Sauer Switzerland (Batch 10) in the Swiss premium-tier market. The MG556 is the company's flagship semi-automatic AR-pattern 5.56 rifle — released for the European sporting market in the mid-2010s and reaching Canadian retailers in small commercial quantities at the $4,000–$5,500 CAD specialty-precision tier. SOR/2024-248 named the MG556 on December 5, 2024. Switzerland's commercial sport-rifle export presence on the Canadian market is now fully Already Gone across three entries — Astra Arms (Batch 12), B&T APC9 + APC223 (Batches 5, 12), and SIG SG 550 family (Batch 10). The Swiss neutrality joke writes itself; the regulatory pathway doesn't recognize it.
Tracking a rifle on this list?
The Ban-Risk Index updates as classifications and the federal compensation list change. Get those changes, and the SCC + 90-day amnesty deadline reminders, in The Dispatch.
Lineage
Parents: AR-15 pattern (visual reference) → Astra Arms MG556 Swiss premium-tier adaptation
Primary sources for this entry
- Canada Gazette SOR/2024-248 (Primary) — Canada Gazette. accessed 2026-05-27
- Astra Arms MG556 product page (Manufacturer) — Manufacturer. accessed 2026-05-27
Safety note: the Ban-Risk Index is editorial estimation, not legal advice or a substitute for current official guidance. The classification field reflects current RCMP FRT status as of the last-scored date. For any transfer, surrender, deactivation, or transport question, consult primary RCMP / Public Safety Canada sources and, where appropriate, a Canadian firearms lawyer.
