There are three types of firearms in Canada: non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited.
To purchase a non-restricted firearm you need a PAL. To purchase a restricted firearm you need a restricted PAL (RPAL) - in order to acquire a PAL and/or RPAL you need to enroll in a non-restricted and/or restricted firearm safety course. These courses take an afternoon to complete. Each course requires you to pass a written and practical examination.
After you receive a copy of your non-restricted and/or restricted course report, you can submit a PAL Application (PDF) to the RCMP with a passport photo of yourself. The RCMP are legislatively required to wait 28 days before processing your application - that is the only "waiting period" in Canada.
After the 28-day waiting period has ended the RCMP will begin to process your application. The RCMP will run a criminal background check and contact one or both of your references in addition to your spouse. Moreover, they may contact you for a brief interview over the phone. It is important to note that a criminal record or a history of mental illness does not automatically disqualify someone from obtaining a PAL and/or RPAL. The RCMP reviews each application on an individual basis and may ask for additional information if necessary.
It can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months for you to receive your PAL and/or RPAL in the mail, sometimes longer. Once you have received your PAL you can purchase any non-restricted or restricted firearm. Generally speaking, a non-restricted firearm is any firearm that is not a handgun. A non-restricted firearm could be your traditional hunting rifle or the Tavor-21. However, before acquiring a restricted firearm, you need to contact the RCMP and/or CFO to initiate a transfer. Once that process begins the RCMP will send you a new PAL with certain transportation conditions attached to it. Restricted firearms can only be fired at a range despite being mechanically similar to most non-restricted firearms.
Notwithstanding the additional paperwork that is required, there is no significant difference between non-restricted and restricted rifles. For example, the AR-15 is restricted but the Tavor-21 is not. Bob Zimmer, a Conservative MP from British Columbia, recently submitted a petition requesting the House of Commons to reclassify the AR-15 as a non-restricted firearm. Reclassifying the AR-15 will allow Canadians to hunt with that firearm or go target shooting in the woods.