Heckler & Koch G36 (and variants)
The German military service rifle's civilian variant. Adopted by the Bundeswehr 1997; named by the Canadian OIC 2024. Lineage holds across both directions.
Is the Heckler & Koch G36 (and variants) banned in Canada? Yes. The Heckler & Koch G36 (and variants) 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
The Heckler & Koch G36 was developed for the Bundeswehr in 1997 as a replacement for the G3, and its civilian semi-automatic variants (G36, G36C, G36K, G36KP, G36KV, G36P) reached Canadian shooters in the 2010s alongside the SL8 sporting rifle. The G36 represents German military design heritage in a polymer body lighter than its predecessors — that combination of pedigree and accessibility put it on the high-end of the Canadian sport-shooting market. SOR/2024-248 named the entire G36 family on December 5, 2024 alongside the SL8 and the USC carbine (separate entries in Batches 2 and 3). The G36 is one of three German service-rifle platforms on the Index — the SL8 was the civilian-law-compliant version, the USC was the .45 carbine derivative, and the G36 was the parent design from which both descended. All three are Already Gone.
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: Heckler & Koch G3 (predecessor service rifle, separate platform)
Siblings: HK SL8 (sporting variant, prohibited SOR/2024-248), HK USC (.45 carbine, prohibited), HK G36 sub-variants (G36C/K/KP/KV/P)
Derived: none separately catalogued
Primary sources for this entry
- Canada Gazette — SOR/2024-248 — Canada Gazette. accessed 2024-12-06
- Heckler & Koch — G36 model page — 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.
