Introduction, looking to be a legal gun owner...

[labradort]

In Canada, you can't just buy a hand gun and store it at home. You need to do your restricted PAL, which involves references and background checks. I believe you also must belong to a range. There is no other place you can use a hand gun peacefully, so this is required. Some ranges in the GTO area are very picky about who can join, from what relatives have told me.

You're right that you want to avoid advertising gun ownership. Use a moniker on forums, never your real name. Personally, I would avoid ordering a firearm online if there was a store option I could drive to. I once ordered some 22 ammunition which came in a square box from Cabelas via UPS. I found a 4 inch gash along the box edge, and there was a sticker from the store with something like "dangerous goods" on it. The UPS guy might get some payment to tell someone where he has delivered guns or ammo. Some people might think that is too paranoid, but why wouldn't criminals pursue a great source of information like that in the city?

It's really no different than the security of anything valuable. I travelled in Europe when I was young wearing a sweatshirt and green work pants. Another Canadian from the hostel arrives at the restaurant 5 minutes after me, having travelled through the same alley, and was mugged. He was wearing a straw hat and rock band T-shirt, standing out like someone on vacation. I carried my 35mm camera in an old vintage pack sack, wrapped in a sweater, not a camera bag labelled Pentax or whatever. You can do something similar. Taking the restricted firearm to the range can be made more obscure by placing the locked case inside a reusable shopping bag or something else that doesn't attract attention. Don't put firearm related stickers on your car, don't wear tactical gear, etc., and you won't get any attention.