The classification of the firearm itself, as I indicated earlier, is based on an assessment of the characteristics of the firearm and how they compare with the parameters in part III of the Criminal Code, which affect classification. Everything pertinent about the firearm is determined and evaluated against those criteria. A decision is then made as to what classification it falls into.
In terms of the administrative procedure, the goal of the organization that produces the firearms reference table is to determine the classifications of firearms as early as possible, in order to populate the FRT with a description of the firearm and its classification long before any arrive in Canada, so that when the firearm does arrive, it is dealt with by customs and other authorities in the appropriate manner.