Late Friday night the RCMP declared all 12-gauge and 10-gauge shotguns are legal “because we say so.”
Please read my assessment of Minister Blair’s similarly worded legal advice on Facebook and Twitter at the end of this article. My thoughts there apply to the RCMP’s latest as well.
Friday was not a good day for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.
The Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) published another news release slamming the minister for his May 1, 2020, Order in Council banning over 1,500 specific makes and models of semi-automatic rifles.
On Friday morning, RCMP Technical Unit Supervisor Tim Hobbs confirmed an old Iver Johnson single-shot, fixed-choke 12-gauge shotgun with a 2 3/4” chamber would be reclassified as a Prohibited firearm.
This information was obtained via an unnamed firearm dealer who recorded a video while measuring the bore of the old shotgun before speaking to Mr. Hobbs.
Adding CBSA insult to the RCMP’s injury of the Public Safety Minister’s credibility, a 2019 Canadian Border Services Agency Memorandum (D19-13-2) defines “bore” as
“the inside of the barrel of a firearm, from the throat to the muzzle, through which the projectile travels.”
By the CBSA’s definition,” said the CSSA news release, “it may be all 12-gauge and 10-gauge shotguns – not just those with removable chokes – that are now Prohibited firearms because they [Bill Blair’s office] do not consider the forcing cone, the ‘throat’ of the barrel, which exceeds the 20 mm maximum bore diameter specified in SOR/2020-96.”
But that wasn’t even the worst part of Bill Blair’s Friday daylight nightmare.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) issued an alert, New Canadian Gun Ban Poses Risks for Exported American Shotguns.
Based on strict reading of the new Canadian law (SOR/2020-96, Section 95) 12-gauge shotguns are banned because with the choke tube removed the muzzle diameter is 20mm or greater (depending on the model). The new law bans any firearm with a bore of 20mm or greater.
According to Canadian law, the barrel bore is measured at the widest point through which the projectile travels, which is the muzzle on a 12-gauge shotgun. 10-gauge shotguns may also be included in the ban.
We would urge all companies to exercise caution when deciding whether to export any 12-gauge or 10-gauge shotguns to Canada at this time. It is possible that the Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) could impound and/or seize the shipment. If impounded, you will face thousands of dollars in fees per day based on the size of your shipment. There have been public statements by Canadian officials suggesting that 12-gauge shotguns are not banned. However, the law as written has not been changed to remove any legal ambiguity.
NSSF® is attempting to obtain legally-reliable assurances from the Canadian government as to whether 12-gauge or 10-gauge shotguns can be lawfully exported to Canada. We will continue to monitor this situation and keep members updated on further developments.
Ignorance and stupidity have consequences – a timeless principle even Public Safety Minister Bill Blair may now understand.
With each passing day, we discover more and more unintended consequences delivered by Bill Blair’s OIC.
Unfortunately, over two million licenced Canadian gun owners caught in legal limbo must now ask themselves what to believe:
- a Facebook and Twitter post from the Minister two days ago?
- the Order in Council he published in Canada Gazette and passed into law seven days ago?
- The RCMP’s declaration last night?
That any government would put its citizens in this position is unconscionable, yet here we are.
I can’t trust a word that passes over Minister Bill Blair’s lips.
My only option (if I want to remain out of federal prison) is to believe the words the Public Safety Minister wrote and passed into law by Imperial Decree in SOR/2020-96.
Ultimately, this whole disaster will take a judicial ruling to sort out.
Until then, Minister Blair’s Facebook and Twitter decrees, along with the RCMP’s edict last night, that 12-gauge and 10-gauge shotguns are not affected by SOR/2020-96 carry zero weight with me, nor should they carry any weight with you.
I’ll pass on more about this ever-expanding fiasco as new information comes to light. We’re far from done on this, edicts from on high notwithstanding.
In the meantime, stay happy, healthy and safe until common sense returns to Canada.
Just don’t hold your breath while you wait.
Well said Chris. No you cannot trust politicians. Here is proof.:
CLIP OF ANNE McLELLAN/PAUL MARTIN ON CONFISCATION
http://www.sermonaudio.ca/users/scrapc68/video/BruceMontague.ca_HiddenAgendaRevealed.wmv
Perhaps shotguns will be banned by brand or price point. Bespoke English and Italian shotguns, the kind they use at the Vancouver Gun Club and other places where the elite shoot, will be too expensive for the buyback. And Turdo wouldn’t want to offend his rich friends, who only use rifles in Africa, where they aren’t called poachers – although that’s what they really are.
Why would the people writing the law use such a low bore diameter when in brackets in this clause says eg. Grenade launchers.? They purposely made it this low for a reason – still to be determined. Very suspicious and curious.
Probably because they want to mislead the general public into believing grenade launchers are everywhere and “someone oughta write a law” to stop it. They’re playing a sleazy PR game.
I read a commentary somewhere in the past week in which the author that said grenade launchers, among many other military items, are already prohibited devices and are illegal for civilian possession, but I haven’t specifically researched that point myself.
They weren’t unless they are military property that was never available to civilians. But your empty M-72 tube is now prohibited even though it is not possible to reload…
I think people are missing a few points…
First and foremost, don’t underestimate your opponent. They are well aware of close to zero correlation between legal firearms ownership and homicides. Former chief of a major Canadian city that has spent decades in Law Enforcement doesn’t know that?! Oh come on people, he is well aware of that fact! Don’t try to appeal to declared logic, that’s how they get you. They do have logic, it’s just differs from what has been declared publicly, the gaols are not to protect the unprotected. They aren’t mere liars, they rape meanings.
Then it boils down to be either a promo stunt at best or intentional disarming. I personally believe it’s latter. England, Australia, New Zealand effectively have been disarmed recently, there’s definitely global agenda of disarming masses. For who knows what: maybe some invasion is planned or further revoking of civil rights so bad that it might provoke civil unrest(s)? Open-style prison maybe? It is to some extent already.
For those who are looking into buyback options: here’s ten bucks for your $5/10/15-thousand rifle? Now you’ve been paid for it, don’t even open your mouth to say otherwise. Becasue in fact you have been paid!
I think they made this ban so harsh to be able to relieve it a bit by introducing grandfathering clause later. But effectively this keeps globalist’s agenda going, populace is being disarmed a little by little, they’ll just wait longer, it’s not that critical. The main thing is that this agenda keeps being implemented, slowly but still…
This PM needs to be removed via “non-confidence” ASAP. Also, we need to start underlining that Nova Scotia victims had no means of protecting themselves. Law Enforcement monoploized civil protection but failed to fulfill the promise. Thus, we need means of protecting ourselves such as firearms as well as body armor which is effectively prohibited in most provinces now. Let’s fight back dictator with his own argument, especially that it’s true.
“AMEN”, brother Andrey!!!
Now that picture has smug, arrogant, narcissistic, oh wait I believe I just wrote a comment “if you can’t say something nice”….. My bad. Truthfully though what can you say? You can’t fight stupid (policy).
I also noted that but refrained to comment even though I personally believe faces reveal a lot of person’s innate character. Now that somebody else commented on it, this looks like a thug’s face to me and a lot of them are the same kind of criminals they’re after. They just happen to be on the right side of law. People of similar morals.
CTV Atlantic on Tuesday May 19th reported that a neighbour to the Nova Scotia murderer Leon Joudrey believes that Wortman didn’t come to his house, because Wortman knew he was a hunter who had guns in his home. “He knew I had firearms, which are legal of course, but he knew I was confrontational and I might interrupt his plan. Thats the only thing I can think of.”
I’ve asked Peter McKay about this wanting an answer about the natural right to self defense with firearms. That was following a conference call last week with the CSSA and Peter and a follow-up for questions.
I then forwarded the question with article points to the rest of the CPC….still waiting for an answer. I believe that Derek Sloan would be very supportive of this and he has my vote!