Are airsoft guns banned in Canada 2022?

Q: How does Bill C

Key to the airsoft industrys concerns is the fact that Bill C-21 would prohibit lower-velocity airguns that can be mistaken for real firearms.

[1/2] Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with government officials and gun-control advocates, speaks at a news conference about firearm-control legislation that was tabled today in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada May 30, 2022. REUTERS/Blair Gable

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Has airsoft banned Canada?
Does Canada allow airsoft guns?
How does Bill C
Why is airsoft banned?

OTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as part of a gun control package that would also limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that look like guns.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that were shelved last year amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the new measures were needed as gun violence was increasing.

"We need only look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and gets more difficult to counter," he said.

The handgun freeze would contain exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and security guards. Canadians who already own handguns would be allowed to keep them.

Authorities do not expect a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part because they are so heavily regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the United States but while its gun homicide rate is less than one-fifth the U.S. rate it is higher than that of other rich countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was five times Australia's rate.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since at least 1997, according to Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago in the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they are contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to buy back and compensate owners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation could pass with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The planned legislation would prevent anyone subject to a protection order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from obtaining or keeping a firearms license.

It will also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can never hold more than five rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would also ban some toys that look like real guns, such as airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read more

"Because they look the same as real firearms, police need to treat them as if they are real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed some of the moves, such as the "red flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and said he would like more information on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he said were a "big challenge."

"You cannot distinguish between what's a replica firearm and what's a real firearm, particularly when these incidences involving replica firearms occur often in very dynamic, quickly evolving circumstances."

Rod Giltaca, the head of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, said the handgun freeze was "absurd."

He said authorities were not using the tools they already had to tackle gun violence, such as calling people listed as references on gun license applications.

Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Anna Mehler Paperny

Thomson Reuters

Toronto-based correspondent covering among other topics migration and health.

22.10.2022

Author: Jakub Bajer, Redakcja: szmerglu

As of October 21st, pistols and other legally classified "handguns" are no longer legally available for purchase in Canada. While it may seem obvious to English speakers that this only applies to pistols, this statement covers a number of other designs described in the classification. For example, a submachine gun without a stock is also treated as a handgun. Of course, a number of regulations have a much wider spectrum and include many more elements. Therefore, in order not to blur the essence of the problem too much, I will use this rather imprecise statement later in the text.

Except for certain specific cases, the persons entitled under their firearm approval are no longer allowed to purchase small arms. It is worth noting that at the moment there is no obligation to return or resell previously purchased pistols. The same applies to the consideration of purchase applications - submitted by October 20 will be considered positively.

On August 19, a ban on the importation of this type of firearms entered into force. All this under the bill C-21, which is coming into force. The same one whose records potentially hit hard on replicas of firearms. This project envisages a significant restriction of firearms as such in Canada's public space. It is constantly supported by statistics that show a significant increase in crime with its use.

We have already written about firearms replicas, i.e. airsoft replicas, in End of airsoft in Canada?

At the moment, the position of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was that all replicas with a muzzle velocity of up to 500 fps and an energy not exceeding 5.7 joules can be purchased without compulsory registration. So so far, the possession and trade in airsoft replicas has remained quite safe.

However, taking into account the next steps of the government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to eliminate firearms from the public space, it does not have to end positively for local airsoft clubs . After all, we have a real-life example when the possession of "assault rifles" was forbidden. We wrote about it in Canada bans "military" weapons".
So now under ever newer restrictions, one would expect similar movements at any moment.

Has airsoft banned Canada?

Under the Canadian Firearms Program, Airsoft guns resembling with near precision an existing make and model of an arm, other than an antique arm, and with a muzzle velocity below 366 feet per second, are considered replica arms and therefore are prohibited devices. Models resembling antique arms may be allowed.

Does Canada allow airsoft guns?

An airsoft gun, firing a . 20g 6mm plastic pellet, with a muzzle velocity below 111.6 m/s (366 fps), and resembling with near precision an existing make and model of a firearm, other than an antique firearm, is a replica firearm and therefore a prohibited device.

How does Bill C

Key to the airsoft industry's concerns is the fact that Bill C-21 would prohibit lower-velocity airguns that can be mistaken for real firearms.

Why is airsoft banned?

The laws are a little hazy and vary from state to state, but for the most part, airsoft is banned because the markers used to play it resemble actual firearms. In most states, the current legislation classes anything which looks like a firearm as an actual firearm.