Team CSSA E-News | January 18, 2019

Subscribe to the E-News   |  Become a Member   |  Donate Today   |    Visit our Website

‌

‌

IN TODAY'S ISSUE ...

Gun violence across Canada spurs new task force headed by Regina police chief MP Zimmer Concerned With Goodale’s Refusal To Answer Firearms ATIP Request BORDMAN: New unsealed Danforth shooting document casts shadow on mainstream narrative Taking aim at gun control Most of Quebec’s long guns still unregistered with deadline fast approaching Kootenay-Columbia MP talks federal legislation with regional politicians Canadian charged with murder for using gun to stop home invasion Letter – System unfair to gun owners  Letter – Knives a bigger issue than guns Why the 114-year-old Lee-Enfield rifle is only now being retired by the Canadian Armed Forces Uxbridge council eyes support of gun ban Should Canada ban assault-style firearms? Four charged under Manitoba's new law that bans night hunting with spotlights Firearms Regulation Always Misses the Target Potential bill may give police the right to temporarily take away guns Brazil leads the world in total homicides. Jair Bolsonaro just relaxed gun laws PNP gears up as election gun ban starts Jan. 13 'Rogue Gun Dealers' Operating In Australia

COMMENTARY  Why Does the Government Fabricate Statistics on Stolen Guns?

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale posted a cute infographic titled, “Break and Enter to Steal Firearms” on Twitter [i] on March 7, 2018, during his Guns and Gangs Summit. That graphic showed over 1,200 break-ins to steal firearms and cited Statistics Canada as the data source. Where those numbers really come from is a mystery as Statistics Canada data shreds Minister Goodale’s credibility. Total break-ins to steal guns [ii] went from 5 in 2013 to a high of 18 in 2016 and 2017, not north of 1,200. Public Safety also didn’t “confuse” break-ins to steal guns with the total number of break-ins either. From 2013 to 2017, that number [iii] was roughly 22,500 per year. Goodale’s infographic is a total fabrication, a propaganda piece – a lie. Four months later, in an interview [iv] on CBC’s The House , Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Bill Blair, stated guns used in crime are “often stolen or illegally diverted or smuggled in from the United States.” A search of court decisions, newspaper articles and Commissioner of Firearms Reports 2003-2016 shows only 24 cases where people were convicted for “illegally diverting” firearms to criminals. This includes former RCMP member David Alan Kift, convicted of selling guns to gangs in 2006 [v] and convicted again in 2014 [vi] for violating his Firearm Prohibition Order along with 60 other firearm-related charges. Esteemed researcher Dennis Young wanted to get to the bottom of the statements made by Ministers Goodale and Blair so he filed the following Access to Information request: “For each of the years 2001 to 2017 and for each province and territory, please provide copies of records, reports and statistics showing the number of firearms stolen in Canada and where they were stolen from.” The government’s response? “A thorough search was conducted and Public Safety Canada was unable to locate any records responding to your request.” [vii] ·        What is the real source of the statistics in Ralph Goodale’s pretty infographic? ·        On what does Bill Blair base his claim that guns are “often stolen or illegally diverted?” ·        Why do government ministers continually deceive Canadians? ·        And when will our bought-and-paid-for media outlets start behaving like real journalists and ask the hard questions required to get to the truth our government keeps hiding from Canadians? Canada's lawful firearm owners are tired of being lied about and manipulated for political ends. We are tired of being the scapegoat for the inability of politicians to deal with crime. Call and/or write your Member of Parliament and demand they tell the truth about gun ownership in Canada.  Most importantly, remember this when you vote next October. PS: A heartfelt “THANK YOU” to the handful of skilled journalists that have the integrity to print the truth about firearm ownership in Canada. We appreciate you! Sources [i]  https://twitter.com/ralphgoodale/status/971433487667404800 [ii]  https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.actionpid=3510017701&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=2.36 [iii]  https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.actionpid=3510017701&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=2.35 [iv]  https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1287252547509/ [v]  https://www.canlii.org/en/on/oncj/doc/2014/2014oncj625/2014oncj625.html [vi]  https://www.canlii.org/en/on/oncj/doc/2014/2014oncj454/2014oncj454.html [vii] https://dennisryoung.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Public-Safety-ATIP-Response-No-Records-on-Stolen-Guns-Oct-25-2018.pdf

Do you believe the Trudeau Liberals knowingly lie about firearms use. Yes Select No Select Maybe Select

Results from last week's question : Do you believe government deliberately distorts firearms suicides? Yes: 96 % No: 0.9 % Not Sure: 3.2 %  

Next week, the 41st Annual SHOT Show will be held again in Las Vegas, Nevada. As usual, thousands of Canadian firearms industry members will attend the largest firearms trade show in the world. Against that backdrop, the Canadian Shooting Sports Association is hosting its 6th Annual Great Canadian Reception. Of course, this reception would not be possible without the many sponsors whose generous contributions help to ensure the event’s success. The CSSA wants to thank the following businesses for making this amazing all-Canadian gathering possible: Event Sponsors - Platinum •  Canadian Shooting Sports Association ⦁  Trigger Wholesale Inc. •  Edward L. Burlew •  North Sylva Co. •  CapriCMW/Firearms Legal Defence Event Sponsors – Gold •  5.11 Tactical •  Calibre Magazine •  Mossberg •  SAKO and Beretta Event Sponsors – Silver •  Marstar Canada Inc. •  Meggitt Training Systems •  Movie Armaments Group •  Scorpion Outdoor Products •  SureFire •  T.E.C. Trade Ex Canada •  Tasmanian Tiger Canada Event Sponsors – Bronze •  Bell Outdoors •  Big Rock Sports •  Canadian GunHub Inc. •  CTC Supplies •  Drummond Shooting •  Eli's Guns & Archery •  Firearms Outlet Canada •  High Capacity Magazine •  Holosun Technologies Inc. •  Hudson Supplies Inc. •  Kodiak Defence Inc. •  Outdoor Canada •  Tactical Ordinance Inc. •  Wiley X •  X-Reload Inc.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS – The Tikka T1x rimfire rifle is designed to handle a wide range of shooting tasks. Its unique barrel has a cross-over profile, which offers you the benefits and stability of a heavier barrel without noticeably increasing the overall weight. It’s a rimfire rifle of unparalleled quality and craftsmanship that performs perfectly at the range and in rough terrain. Special Features BARREL: The barrel has been cold-hammer forged, and its crossover profile offers the benefits of a heavier barrel without the extra weight. MAGAZINE: A 10-round magazine comes as standard for 22 LR. BOLT: Tikka T1x has a stainless steel bolt, which offers smooth movement and unparalleled weather resistance. PISTOL GRIP: The rifle is compatible with most T3x accessories making it easy to adapt the rifle to your preferences. ACTION: The action shares the same bedding surfaces and inlay footprint with the centrefire T3x rifles. A simple donation of $20 will give you a chance to win one of these beauties. $50 will get you three chances and $100 will get you seven chances and a BONUS Burris 2-7x .22 scope, an extra $300 value. The TIKKA T1x will find a new home February 1, 2019 . Your donation helps us preserve your firearm rights. As always, your generosity is most appreciated! Please send your donation to:  TIKKA T1x c/o CSSA (see address below) or call 1-888-873-4339.   You can donate online HERE.    Please note: the winner must have a valid Canadian firearms licence.

TIKKA T1x

The Bill C-71 Book, How It Hurts You, and 3 Easy Steps You Can Take Right Now to Block It This book is the most comprehensive and easy-to-read overview of the government’s first proposed firearms legislation in a generation, and it is a joint project of The Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), Canada’s leading gun-rights advocacy group, and  TheGunBlog.ca , the country’s leading source of news on gun politics and the firearm industry. The book is available as a FREE PDF DOWNLOAD from  StopC71.com . 

CANADIAN GUN NEWS

Gun violence across Canada spurs new task force headed by Regina police chief

By Chelsea Laskowski | cbc.ca | January 17, 2019

Police chiefs want legislative solutions, including tracking big purchases of licensed guns As police services across Canada struggle to deal with the human cost of gun violence in their communities, Regina's police chief is heading a national task force on the issue. Chief Evan Bray, who has 24 years of experience in policing, said anecdotally, officers in his early days in Regina could expect to come across one gun a month. Now, they're seeing them once or twice per night. "Even the psychological effect of that is something that we often talk about with our police officers, because that night after night responding to those types of calls takes its toll," Bray told CBC Radio's The Morning Edition. But the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is looking for more than anecdotes. The association formed a task force in late 2018 called the Special Purpose Committee on Firearms, with Bray as chair, to find solid data on what's happening with firearms across the country, and to dig into solutions with academics and gun experts. While data is still being being mined for that task force, a special series called One Bullet  by CBC Radio's The Current is taking a close look at shootings in Canada, and the causes and effects of gun violence. The numbers around guns and violent death are heading in the wrong direction in Canada, the series has found. Violent firearm crime continued to tick upward for the third year in a row in 2017, up  seven per cent to 2,734 offences , according to Statistics Canada — though that included everything from shooting a gun "with intent" to pointing one at someone to having a gun on you while committing another offence. Sawed-off weapons, like this one seized by Prince Albert police in November 2018, are more likely to be seized than handguns in Regina, says Bray. (Submitted by Prince Albert Police Service) In Regina, Bray says, the long-barrelled rifles and sawed-off shotguns that are most often seized are very different from the large number of handguns in eastern cities like Toronto and Montreal. In 2018,  Toronto saw 96 homicides , breaking  a record set in 1991 . The city's mayor has urged residents there to  lobby the federal government for a handgun ban . Regina also sees a lot of imitation weapons that are difficult to distinguish from the real thing, said Bray. "So think about a dark alley or a dimly lit bedroom, or a situation where officers are making a quick, split-second decision — those firearms, although imitation, really post a health risk and a challenge," he said. But where are the guns coming from? Bray already knows that most firearms used in crimes in Saskatchewan are domestically sourced within the province. The task force is looking for legislative solutions. One it's already looking at centres around the fact that most criminals caught using firearms don't have the licence that's required to buy them, Bray said. What's happening is people with licences buy a lot of firearms and sell them illegally, said Bray — and the task force wants a system in place to track that. "If people are making large purchases of firearms, I think citizens of Canada would expect that we have a process in place that ensures that someone's reported that that's happening, and we can look into it," he said. In the end, the task force wants legislation, education and data-driven work to make communities safer with regard to firearms, Bray said. See the story HERE

MP Zimmer Concerned With Goodale’s Refusal To Answer Firearms ATIP Request

By MP Bob Zimmer | bobzimmer.ca | January 15, 2019

OTTAWA  – Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies and Chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, has sent a letter to Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard supporting her decision to refer a case involving Minister Goodale’s repeated refusal to release documents related to the firearms reference table to federal court for review.   “I am deeply concerned that Minister Goodale has continued to refuse to provide the individual who made the ATIP request with this information, especially following the ruling by the Information Commissioner that he do so,” said Mr. Zimmer. “The firearms reference table has been used by the RCMP as the basis for classification and is already widely shared with international law enforcement partners and firearms groups.”   Mr. Zimmer is also concerned with the attempts made by the RCMP to change their reasoning for the refusal during the Information Commissioner’s investigation.   “It is my hope that Minister Goodale will ultimately obey the law and release these documents,” said Mr. Zimmer.   -30-   More information: 613-947-4524   Below: Mr. Zimmer’s letter to Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard See the story HERE

BORDMAN: New unsealed Danforth shooting document casts shadow on mainstream narrative

By Daniel Bordman | thepostmillennial.com | January 15, 2019

The media narrative around the Danforth shooter took another big hit after the search warrant for Faisal Hussain’s room was  unsealed . It turns out that the police uncovered a cache of automatic weapons ammunition and two fully loaded AK-47 clips. Remember when we were all supposed to believe that this was just a random outburst from a  depressed loner ? That’s what the “family” statement told us. And when we found out that this highly contrived statement of legal speak was in fact not the product of two immigrants with poor English skills, but instead Muhammed Hashim? Hashim is  a professional activist who has reportedly committed himself to “framing a new narrative of Muslims in Canada” and creating a “national political movement.” Apparently the media expected us to believe that he was just a family friend. This is were the deception should have ended but not in the case of Canada’s mainstream media. What an interesting family to be friends with… Faisal was supposedly a “depressed loner in psychosis”, his sister passed away, maybe Hashim was friends with Faisal’s twin, but his older brother is a very interesting character. Fahad Hussain is currently in a coma, but how he got there should alarm all Canadians. Fahad was arrested in 2015 for cocaine charges and in 2017 for breaching bail conditions.  When he was bailed out again by a man named Maisum Ansari, a supposedly trust worthy figure, it was stipulated that Fahad would have to live with him based on court conditions While living with Ansari, Fahad was hospitalized with a drug overdose. How did it happen, you might ask? Later in the year police got a warrant to raid Ansari’s house where they found 33 guns and 42 kilograms of carfentanil! We have a massive opioid overdose crisis and most of it is caused by fentanyl. One grain of fentanyl (not gram, grain) gets you high, two grains gets you the high of your life, three grains kills you. Now, carfentanyl is over 100 times stronger then regular fentanyl which is why it is considered a chemical weapon in many countries like the US, China and Russia. 42 kilograms is more than enough to kill everyone in Canada ten times over. Now, am I saying that Muhammed Hashim is friends with gangsters/terrorists? No, it is far more likely that he was just impulsively lying to cover up the motivations for an Islamic terrorist attack. So, the next ridiculous lie that you will be forced to believe will follow this logic. Faisal Hussain was a lone wolf with no motive whatsoever. He also suffered from depression and psychosis. His parents, who knew their son was suffering from severe mental illness never once saw the inside of his room in the apartment they all lived in. Or if they did see inside, they saw nothing strange in the giant pile of ammo and two loaded AK 47 clips.  Also, as the media will remind you please remember the real victims here. No, not the people shot but  the Hussain family . To sum it all up. Faisal Hussain opened fire with the accuracy of a man who has trained to do so, as he was firing and reloading competently on the move. He had a weapons cache in his room. His brother was living in a place with more weapons and enough chemical weapons to kill everyone in Canada multiple times. The evidence is in, Toronto suffered a terrorist attack. Lying about it will only make things worse. We don’t need torches and pitchforks, and we should not “go after” anyone. All we need is the media and political establishment to say “mea culpa” and to start calling a spade a spade. See the story HERE Editor's Note: We told you so - August 7, 2018

Ontario Arms Fair – Markham January 20, 2019

Where Markham Fairgrounds Building #4 10801 McCowan Road Markham, ON L3P 3J3 When Sunday: 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon Admission General: $7 Children: Free For more information, please call Allan at 416-579-4944.

This information is subject to change. Please contact gun show coordinator to confirm date, time and location.

Taking aim at gun control

By Darren Handschuh | castanet.com | January 16, 2019

Mel Arnold wants to talk about guns. The North Okanagan-Shuswap Conservative MP is holding a town hall meeting to discuss what he said has “been a simmering issue that has grown over the past few months.” “I have had a lot of enquiries over the new Bill C71 that the Liberal government is putting through the process right now. A lot of people want to know what the outcome of that is going to be,” said Arnold from his Vernon constituency office. Arnold said people are concerned the bill, that would make it more difficult for a citizen to get a firearm, will do nothing to combat gangs and criminal violence. “It's really just a backdoor gun registry as far as we can see,” said Arnold, referring to the attempt to register all long guns the last time the Liberals were in power. An exercise that cost almost $2 billion, according to Arnold. “It never did anything to improve public safety,” said Arnold. “Criminals aren't going to register their guns, so it makes no sense to make it more mandatory to register anything further than what is already required. Restricted firearms and prohibited firearms have needed to be registered for decades. “We want to make sure firearm laws make sense and protect citizens.” Calgary MP Michelle Rempel will be the guest speaker at the town hall at the Prestige Inn, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. See the story HERE 

Most of Quebec’s long guns still unregistered with deadline fast approaching

By Levon Sevunts | rcinet.ca | January 14, 2019

With the deadline for Quebec gun owners to register their firearms just over two weeks away, the vast majority of guns in the province remain unregistered, according to government statistics. Quebec instituted its own provincial registry for non-restricted firearms or so-called ‘long guns’ – rifles, carbines and shotguns – in June 2016, four years after the Conservative government of then prime minister Stephen Harper abolished the federal long gun registry. Quebec’s Public Security Ministry says that 311,451 of the province’s non-restricted firearms have been registered by Jan. 13. That’s up from 308,589 before the weekend, and 294,125 before the holidays, but is still far less than the 1.6 million firearms that were registered in the province before the federal registry was abolished in 2012. In addition, commercial enterprises such as gun shops and shooting ranges account for 58,343 of the total registered firearms so far, according to the Public Security Ministry statistics. “Our goal is to the register as many firearms as possible and to get as many people as possible to register their firearms until the deadline of Jan. 29,” said Clément Robitaille, head of prevention and fight against criminality at the Quebec Ministry of Public Security, and the man responsible for managing the newly created provincial firearms registry. However, the registry is very unpopular with many gun owners in Quebec who accuse the government of penalizing law-abiding citizens that already undergo stringent background checks and have to complete a special safety course before they are issued a firearms license. The multimillion registry will do nothing to reduce crime because criminals will register their guns anyway, its opponents argue. “The registry creates a database that is very useful for police work,” Robitaille said. “It allows us to answer three very important questions: who has firearms? What kind of firearms? And where are they being stored?” There are several situations where this information could be of great use for law enforcement, Robitaille said, including when the permit holder presents a danger to himself or others. This kind of information at the fingertips of police officers could help prevent family dramas and make life safer for all Quebecers, Robitaille said. The National Firearm Association (NFA) is encouraging members to wait until the last minute to comply, as a form of protest. The NFA could not be reached for comment in time for this publication. People who fail to register their firearms could face fines ranging from $500 to $5,000, Robitaille said. The fines will double for repeat offenders, he added. Provincial peace officers – police officers, wildlife protection officers – will have the right and the responsibility to apply and enforce the law, Robitaille said. “We would prefer that people don’t wait until the last moment to avoid having several people trying to register at the same time,” Robitaille said. “The process is simple, it’s fast and it’s free.” Gun owners who spoke with Radio Canada International said the whole process of registering a firearm online took about five minutes. The provincial registry was forecast to cost about $20 million to provincial taxpayers, Robitaille said. Of this amount, about $4.1 million was slated for the development of the registry’s infrastructure with the rest going to cover the costs of operating the registry and the actual registration process. By September of 2018, the government had spent about $7.2 million on the registry, Robitaille said. The electronic infrastructure of the registry was created on time and on budget, and all that remains is to plug it into the police databases, he added. See the story HERE 

The CSSA is looking for VOLUNTEERS!

Throughout the year, we set up booths at gun shows and host other events across this great country, and we can always use a helping hand. If you think you'd be interested in helping us man a gun show booth or assisting at other CSSA events in your community or region, please contact our office at 1-888-873-4339 or email our office at [email protected] . We'd love to hear from you!

Kootenay-Columbia MP talks federal legislation with regional politicians

By Trevor Crawley | kimberelybulletin.com | January 14, 2019

Topics included firearms, navigable waters protection, Columbia River Treaty negotiations and more. Local and regional government officials got the chance to hear from Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski late last week, who provided an update on a number of federal issues to the Regional District of East Kootenay board of directors. Stetski’s presentation covered topics that included firearms, environmental protections of navigable waters, Columbia River Treaty negotiations, and immigration, as well as a list of specific issues that had been requested by RDEK directors. The Kootenay-Columbia NDP MP opened with an update on Bill C-71, which proposes amendments to to acts and regulations concerning firearms, including mandatory sales record-keeping for business that sell firearms, as well as ensuring customers have a valid firearms license. “With that piece of legislation, in essence, what that does is allow RCMP to go back further than five years, in terms of checking on individuals,” Stetski said. “There are concerns around potentially people who might have had mental health issues or issues relating to not behaving very well prior to five years and this law would allow RCMP to go back and check further than five years.” Other amendments include removing federal Cabinet’s authority to override RCMP decisions on how it classifies different types of firearms. Stetski noted that the three major federal parties agree the legislation is not bringing back a long-gun registry, reiterating his support for hunters by pointing to his time as a regional manager with the B.C. government. “I will always stand by our hunters and our ranchers, in terms of the right to have those firearms and to use them appropriately,” said Stetski, in response to questioning from Director Stan Doehle. Bill C-69 is proposed legislation that will make amendments around navigable protections and energy regulations. Stetski noted the former Conservative government reduced protections for navigable waters to roughly 159 lakes and rivers in 2012, adding that the proposed changes from the Liberal government will not restore those protections. “Some of the things it [C-69] didn’t do, it didn’t deliver on government’s promise to restore protection to all rivers and lakes in Canada,” Stetski said. “]It] maintains the schedule of 159 protected lakes and rivers and includes a narrow definition of navigable waters, so as a result, the water bodies may not regain the protection that they had prior to 2012.” Going forward, anyone can request an addition to the schedule of protected water bodies, however, Bill-69 focuses on human navigation rather than environmental, social or cultural values of the waters, continued Stetski. Another bill with an environmental focus is Bill C-68, which will restore habitat protection provisions for fish, and defining fisheries as all fish. It also includes the rebuilding of fish stocks in the Fisheries Act, with details to be forthcoming in pending regulations. Stetski also told the board he is keeping up-to-date on Columbia River Treaty negotiations, having spoken about the importance of the agreement in parliament and meeting with Sylvian Fabi, Canada’s lead negotiator on the file. Increasing cellular service availability in Kootenay National Park and allowing applicants to travel to Calgary instead of Vancouver are also items that Steski said he has been advocating for in Ottawa. After the presentation, further items raised from directors included creating a national health record-keeping system to avoid duplication from provincial systems, as well as employer troubles in accessing temporary foreign workers for agriculture, seasonal tourism and retail operations. See the story HERE

Canadian charged with murder for using gun to stop home invasion

By Ezra Levant | therebel.media | January 16, 2019

On  last night's episode  of  The Ezra Levant Show , guest-host Sheila Gunn Reid and Andrew Lawton, a Fellow with the True North Initiative, discussed  yet another case  of a Canadian man being charged (this time with second-degree murder!) for using firearms to counter a home invasion.

What Canada's Toronto-based media and pundit class don't understand is that police response times in rural communities are dangerously unreliable, so residents must rely on themselves and legal firearms for protection.  See the story HERE 

Letter – System unfair to gun owners

By Ross Bassingthwaighte | kelownadailycourier.ca | January 5, 2019

Dear editor: I am a problem for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair and quite a number of other people, I expect. I am tired of their lies. I am tired of their ignorant, straw-man tactics to deprive me and more than two million other Canadians of the rich and honourable heritage of owning firearms. The right to acquire and use firearms is already highly regulated and monitored. Every Canadian with a valid licence to purchase or possess a firearm has studied and passed stringent written and practical tests, and is monitored on a daily basis by the federal police. I wonder about criminals who have been told by our courts they can never obtain or use a gun again — the police do not have a clue about where most of them are, or what they are doing. But, if I change my place of residence and do not let the police know about it, I become a criminal and face fines and confiscation of my property. The way the Liberal government is pursuing the ill-conceived and ignorant Bill C-71 is unacceptable. This legislation targets Canadians with a valid Possession and Acquisition License, who are among the most law-abiding citizens of our country and the least likely to commit a crime (StatsCanada). Bill C-71 is a bromide aimed at placating a vociferous, misleading group of fanatics, and will do nothing to curb violent criminals who scoff at the law to begin with. It is frightening that our federal government would consider trampling on law-abiding citizens and pander to the anti-gun lobby to garner their votes. The Liberals have lost my vote. Ross Bassingthwaighte Kelowna See the story HERE 

Letter – Knives a bigger issue than guns

By Bob Sherman | kelownadailycourier.ca | January 15, 2019

Dear editor: Re: “System Unfair to Gun Owners” by Ross Bassingthwaighte (Courier, Jan. 5). Bassingthwaighte rightfully takes issue with the Trudeau-promoted Bill C-71. In 2016, Canada had 611homicides. Only 233 of these were by firearms. Adjustments are needed to see if there is a problem, such as deductions for justified homicides. A police officer shoots a person attacking him with a deadly weapon, a citizen’s uses a firearm to protect themselves or another. Deduct suicides; a person intent on taking their own life will do so by whatever method is available. Deduct the gangsters, such as Jonathan Bacon at the Delta Grand Hotel. These are hardly innocent victims, nor are a loss to society. (OK, I recognize the danger to bystanders that was present.) This will leave a very small number. Is there any real danger? The call for more firearms’ paperwork isn’t supported. Canada already has very strict ownership and transport requirements. Nazi Germany implemented a registration program for weapons. Then, confiscation came about. The Jewish people were stripped of weapons under penalty of death, and defenseless against the Nazis. England banned handguns, promising that would be the last weapons prohibition. Then, rifles and shotguns were banned. Oh yes, in England many bad guys still have firearms, and those without have resorted to tossing acid in the faces of victims. The latest news from across the pond is the huge increase in attacks with knives. In England, Luton Crown Judge Nic Madge, is quoted as saying, “Every kitchen contains lethal knives that are potential murder weapons. Why do we need eight or 10-inch knives with points?” Yes, this is where all this government action could go. When you carve your next holiday turkey, use a small steak knife, with a rounded point. Step by step, citizens in many countries have been stripped of their right to defend themselves or to possess firearms for sporting purposes. What if a government gets out of control? First, “We need to have more permits, licenses, regulations, etc.” Next, “Oh, we only will ban handguns.” Then, “We will reinstitute the long-gun registry.” (We now know where all guns are located, and can come and seize them.) Then, “We need to ban semi-automatic rifles, including those used for hunting.” Then, “We must ban all firearms.” I urge Canadians not to let this camel get his nose further under the tent via more onerous regulations that will accomplish nothing. Beware, the government is systematically coming after your weapons. If you don’t believe me, look at history, a great teacher. Bob Sherman Kelowna See the story HERE 

A look back – Why the 114-year-old Lee-Enfield rifle is only now being retired by the Canadian Armed Forces

By Tristin Hopper | nationalpost.com | August 16, 2018

Once shouldered by nearly 50 armies, Canada becomes the last military in the world to remove it from front-line service It has killed Germans in two world wars, shown up on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict and has turned up in the hands of Taliban fighters. Easily one of the deadliest rifles in history, it once protected nearly 50 national armies. Canadians carried it on D-Day, at Vimy Ridge, through Ortona and in the defence of Kapyong. Now, after 114 years, the Canadian Armed Forces is becoming the last national military in the world to retire the Lee-Enfield rifle from front-line service. Since 1947 the Lee-Enfield has remained the main service weapon of the Canadian Rangers, a part-time force mainly devoted to Arctic patrols. This week, the Canadian Rangers began replacement of their Lee-Enfields with the specially commissioned Colt Canada C19. Unlike many other antique items in the Canadian military, the Lee-Enfield didn’t hang on for so long out of apathy or tight budgets. Rather, it’s because it’s still one of the best guns to carry above the tree line. The Lee-Enfield’s powerful .303 cartridge was famous for killing enemy soldiers with one shot, and it’s equally good at stopping a charging polar bear. Its wood stock makes it uniquely resistant to cracking or splitting in extreme cold. The rifle is also bolt-action, meaning that every shot must be manually pushed into place by the shooter. This makes for slower firing, but it also leaves the Lee-Enfield with as few moving parts as possible. “The more complicated a rifle gets … the more prone you are to problems with parts breaking or jamming in a harsh environment,” said Eric Fernberg, an arms collection specialist at the Canadian War Museum. “It might seem old-fashioned … (but) the retention of the Lee-Enfield by the Canadian Rangers was a wise choice for their role and environment.” The Lee-Enfield was developed as a standard-issue British infantry weapon at the close of the 19th century. Given that this was the height of the British Empire, the gun was soon being used to arm troops in virtually every corner of the globe. “It has been used in every conceivable theatre of war … and its high build quality and tough construction made it all but indestructible,” wrote the historian Martin Pegler in a book about the Lee-Enfield. And while it can’t shoot as fast as modern automatic rifles, a well-trained British soldier could fire and reload quick enough to squeeze off 30 rounds per minute from a Lee-Enfield. Canadian militias first picked up an early version of the Lee-Enfield in 1896 and Canadian volunteers would carry them in the Boer War. The more familiar short-muzzled Lee-Enfield came out in 1904. When the First World War broke out, Canadians initially went into battle carrying the Canadian-made Ross Rifle. However, the Ross was so prone to malfunction that Canadians were  soon scavenging Lee-Enfields  from dead British soldiers. From then on, the Lee-Enfield remained the weapon of choice for Canadian soldiers right up until the 1950s. Of the more than 118,000 Canadians who have been killed in foreign wars, most would have been issued a Lee-Enfield. Although Brits stopped using the Lee-Enfield right around the time they dissolved the Empire, the Lee-Enfield became the English-speaking world’s version of the ubiquitous Soviet-made AK-47. With thousands of the rifles turned over to the surplus market after the Second World War, they were soon making cameo appearances in dozens of conflicts, skirmishes and civil wars. Lee-Enfields were wielded by IRA terrorists in The Troubles. They were among the mish-mash of guns that Israelis used to fend off Arab armies in 1948. Bangladeshis used them to gain independence from Pakistan.

In the 1980s, the United States funnelled massive shipments of antique Lee-Enfields to Afghanistan for use by Mujahedeen fighters against the Soviet Union. It’s for this reason that Lee-Enfields continue to show up in the hands of Taliban fighters, often as a sniper rifle. In 2010, writer C.J. Chivers analyzed a cache of weapons seized from the Taliban and found a British-made Lee-Enfield from 1915. And while they were no longer taken by uniformed soldiers into battle, Lee-Enfields are still in the arsenals of several police forces in the developing world. In Canada the guns had a more peaceful afterlife as a hunting rifle. Cheap and able to fell large game, Lee-Enfields are responsible for the antlers and taxidermied animal heads on countless Canadian roadhouses. “No other rifle could be more reliable,” reads one glowing review of the Lee-Enfield published in March. This was part of the reason why the rifle was an easy choice for the Canadian Rangers in the first place; it was a gun that most Northern hunters already trusted. “A lot of us grew up using the old .303s … it was a good gun, it was a gun you could depend on,” Northwest Territories MP Michael McLeod told CBC this week. It’s a testament to the Lee-Enfield’s reliability that replacement is strikingly similar. The Colt Canada C19 is still bolt-action, still has a wood stock and still fires 10 shots. The main differences are that it’s lighter, more accurate and has several cold weather modifications, such as a larger trigger guard to accommodate gloved hands. Although the Lee-Enfield spent years as one of the cheaper offerings in Canadian gun shops, the rifle’s advancing age and increasing rarity has recently caused it to climb in price. Some current listings for used Lee-Enfields put the gun at between $700 and $900 — a price comparable to a brand new higher-end bolt-action rifle However, the gun’s retirement from the Canadian Rangers will mark the final time that a major batch of Lee-Enfields will be released to the private market. According to the Department of Defence, some 9,500 will be turned over to cadets for use in target practice while 5,000 will be offered as gifts to Canadian Rangers holding valid gun licences. See the story HERE

The January/February edition of WESTERN WOODS & WATERS is here! Subscribe for FREE HERE today!

Uxbridge council eyes support of gun ban

By Moya Dillon | durhamregion.com | January 16, 2019

Council to work on motion or letter supporting federal assault weapon, handgun ban Uxbridge Municipal offices  UXBRIDGE — In the wake of several gun violence incidents in Ajax, Uxbridge council is looking to formulate a motion or letter of support for a federal handgun ban. At a council meeting on Jan. 14 councillors discussed how to support a resolution from Ajax council expressing their “full support” for the “examination of a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada, as well as other measures by the minister of border security and organized crime reduction in his efforts to make urban communities safer across Canada.” While councillors voted to receive the correspondence from Ajax, councillors Willie Popp and Todd Snooks were tasked with conducting further research into formulating a letter or motion of support for the ban, which would be brought forward for discussion at a future council meeting. “Obviously there’s two different reasons for guns, one to kill and one for sport,” said Snooks, who is also a police officer. “In Uxbridge, other than if you are hunting or target shooting, those are really the only two reasons anyone would require a gun, anything beyond that should be banned. As far as assault weapons go, there’s really no reason for it.” See the story HERE

Should Canada ban assault-style firearms?

By R. Blake Brown, Professor, Saint Mary’s University | theconversation.com | January 14, 2019

The federal government has asked Bill Blair, the minister of border security and organized crime reduction, to consider whether Canada should ban handguns and “assault-style” rifles.  The media has focused mostly on the possibility of banning handguns. The idea of outlawing assault-style weapons, however, deserves more attention because this proposal could help avoid mass shootings but is extremely controversial among firearm owners. The federal government’s engagement paper on possible new gun legislation notes that Canada’s current firearms legislation contains no definition of an assault rifle.  The paper instead offers an illustrative description from the United States Department of Justice: “In general, assault weapons are semi-automatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire.” This definition suggests that the federal government is considering a ban on many semi-automatic rifles — that is, guns that can be fired each time the trigger is pulled. Such guns are distinguishable from manual action firearms that require shooters to use a mechanism to reload guns after each discharge, thus limiting rate of fire, and from fully automatic firearms that continue to fire so long as the trigger is depressed.  Canada has long prohibited the possession of automatic guns. Some semi-automatic firearms are non-restricted, meaning they can be used for hunting and only require purchasers to obtain a basic possession and acquisition licence.  Other semi-automatic guns are classified as “restricted” weapons. Such guns must be registered and are usually only fired at shooting ranges. Owners must possess a different licence and must have authorization to transport such firearms from one location to another. Historical context of Canadian gun control The interest in stricter regulations for semi-automatic firearms, particularly guns based on modified military weapons, reflects historic changes in gun design, marketing and ownership in Canada. At the beginning of the 19th century, long guns were generally single-shot, muzzle-loaded, smooth-bore weapons that were slow to load, inaccurate beyond approximately 100 metres, and often misfired. In the mid- to late 19th century, however, breech-loading guns replaced muzzle-loaded weapons. New ammunition and rifled barrels made guns more accurate at long ranges. Manufacturers also developed firearms with magazines that could hold several rounds of ammunition to allow more rapid firing. Typically, these guns used “lever action” or “bolt action” designs to load fresh cartridges into the chamber of the barrel. When many Canadians think of a hunting rifle, what comes to mind is one of these guns, such as a lever-action Winchester rifle. Generations of Canadians used such guns to hunt deer, moose and other game. Historic department store catalogues suggest that the popularity of semi-automatic guns among hunters is quite new. Stores like Eaton’s, Simpson’s and Army & Navy sold mostly manual-action firearms.  In 1975, for instance, Eaton’s advertised few semi-automatic rifles. As semi-automatic firearms entered the marketplace in larger numbers, however, some Canadians began to express concern about their availability. Semi-automatic rifles have been used in many of the most infamous mass murders in Canadian history, including the murder of 14 women in the 1989 Montreal Massacre, the murder of four RCMP officers in Mayerthorpe, Alberta in 2005, the murder of three RCMP officers in Moncton in 2014, and the Quebec mosque shooting of 2017. Perhaps the first fight over the classification of semi-automatic guns in Canada concerned the AR-15, the firearm used in several recent mass shootings in the United States.  AR-15 restricted in Canada In 1977, Ottawa made the AR-15 a restricted weapon. Prime Minister Joe Clark’s government reversed that decision, although Ottawa again declared it a restricted firearm in the 1990s. In 2016, Conservative MP Bob Zimmer sponsored a parliamentary petition asking that the AR-15 be reclassified as a non-restricted firearm. The AR-15, however, remains in the restricted category.  Canadians must decide how available modern semi-automatic rifles should be. Many semi-automatic firearms based on military gun designs are now sold in Canada at stores such as Cabela’s. Manufacturers and retailers often call such weapons “modern sporting rifles” to make them sound less threatening. Several gun groups like the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights argue that all semi-automatics with barrels of a certain length should be non-restricted. They suggest that guns like the AR-15 are restricted simply because of their physical resemblance to military weapons, and have urged politicians to make such guns non-restricted.  In 2016, the Conservative Party considered this change at its national convention, and Maxime Bernier has made this proposal part of his People’s Party platform. Gun control advocates, meanwhile, question why many semi-automatics, including the Ruger Mini-14 used in the Montreal Massacre, are non-restricted.  The federal government may prove reluctant to prohibit such guns because of opposition from gun groups.  Another option Another option is possible, however. Ottawa could make all semi-automatic rifles restricted weapons. This would force owners to pass a more rigorous screening process, require the registration of such guns and place limits on how they’re used and transported.   This is not a new idea. In 1977, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police claimed that semi-automatic guns were “basically designed as an instrument of war” and that they had “no sporting use either in the cultural or recreational sense.” The association thus urged Ottawa “to restrict all semi-automatic weapons as a category.” Ottawa refused to do it. But recent mass shootings in Canada have shown that such guns, if misused, are dangerous to the public and to law enforcement.   Legislators might well keep in mind the words of A.J. Somerset, author of Arms: The Culture and Credo of the Gun. He warns that as long as semi-automatic, assault-style rifles are widely available in Canada, a massacre like the 2016 nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. ,  “is not simply a U.S. nightmare on the news; it’s a shadow falling over us, a possibility we can’t ignore.” Disclosure statement R. Blake Brown receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. See the story HERE 

Lloydminster Gun & Outdoor Sportsman Show 2019 January 19-20, 2019

What's there Game Call, Taxidermy, Rifles, Shotguns, Handguns, Gun Parts, Ammo, Knives, Reloading Supplies, Marine, Archery, Fishing, Hunting Supplies, Clothing & Boots Where Servus Sports Centre,  5202 12 St #1,  Lloydminster, AB T9V 0W1 When Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission General: $10. Children 12 and under with an adult are free. For more information, please contact Angeline at 306-825-7653 or 780-214-2448. Or visit HERE

This information is subject to change. Please contact gun show coordinator to confirm date, time and location.

Four charged under Manitoba's new law that bans night hunting with spotlights

By The Associated Press | edmontonsun.com | January 15, 2019

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government says four men have been charged under the province’s new law than bans hunting at night with lights. The province says wildlife officers nabbed two men in December from the Lake Manitoba First Nation near Asher. They were also charged with carrying a loaded firearm in a pickup and hunting on private land without permission. In another case, officers arrested an Alberta man near Inglis and a man from the RM of Riding Mountain West and charged them both with hunting at night with lights. In both cases the trucks, firearms and spotlights were seized as evidence. The government passed the law last year despite protests from some Indigenous groups that said banning spotlight hunting infringes on their constitutional rights. Premier Brian Pallister has called spotlight hunting inhumane. See the story HERE 

Keith Beasley is hunting in Northeastern Ontario with Ryan Neeley of 'Camp Chef'. They're after some boreal bruins in the remote wilderness with 'Thunderstock Outfitters'. FIND THE CITR SCHEDULE HERE

BOAT ONLY BEARS Airing January 20, 2019 on CITYTV at 8:30 a.m. ET.

U.S. NEWS

Firearms Regulation Always Misses the Target

ByRob Morse | ammoland.com | January 14, 2019

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)-  The mass murderer at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas used something called a bump stock. In theory, a bump stock allows a gun to fire faster. Some politicians say that is too fast. In fact, the fastest shooter alive today fires a semi-automatic gun so quickly that it rivals some machine guns. Government regulators, and some anti-gun Democrat politicians, then concluded that civilians should be denied the use of all semi-automatic weapons. They claim these guns can shoot like machine guns, at least some of the time. That regulation and laws like it miss the point entirely. If civilians should be disarmed because these weapons are too dangerous then we should disarm local, state, and federal law enforcement as well. If these guns, and I’ll let you choose which ones you want to ban, are too dangerous for law-abiding citizens to own then they are far too dangerous for the government to have. As Senator Feinstein said, “Turn them all in,” only this time we’re including the politicians and the police as well. That proposal is based on facts and is less far-fetched than it sounds. This is what we know from the data we have. Licensed concealed carry holders are more law-abiding and less criminally inclined than the police. The average citizen is less likely to commit suicide than a police officer. The average gun owner is significantly less likely than the police to shoot the wrong person. Licensed concealed carry holders in the US are among the most law-abiding and non-violent group of people on the planet. If the most law-abiding and peaceful group on earth is too dangerous to have guns then so is everyone else. The  largest mass murders in US history  were committed by the US government. Let the politicians and judges go first. Disarm the guards at the state capital. Disarm the bailiff at the courthouse. How many celebrities will be for gun-control if it means giving up their private security guards at their gated mansions? Eliminate the legal exceptions that allow legislators to go armed while ordinary citizens must be defenseless. If you think certain guns, magazines or firearms accessories should be banned, then show us the way and lead with your example. If the rules don’t apply to the politicians and the people guarding them, then gun regulation is simply another government power grab. Tyrants always want to disarm their subjects, but never themselves. See the story HERE

Potential bill may give police the right to temporarily take away guns

By Paola Tristan Arruda | live5news.com | January 11, 2019

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Democratic Rep. Ivory Thigpen has introduced a bill that would allow law enforcement officers to temporarily take away a person’s guns if they’re considered a risk. The bill is currently under committee review, but it is a version of an extreme risk protection order (ERPO). These orders enable court to temporarily prohibit a person from having guns if officials determine they pose a significant threat. In this case, law enforcement officers would have to file a complaint with a probate court and have to prove probable cause that a person poses a risk of “imminent personal injury” to himself or other individuals. A judge could look at factors like recent threats made by the person, acts of violence, and alcohol abuse when determining if they should have their guns taken away. But the court must hold a hearing within seven days of the warrant to determine if the person can get their guns back. Representative Thigpen said he introduced this bill, keeping mental health issues in mind. He said groups have been working with police in Richland county to provide training when dealing with individuals who may have mental health issues and provide legislation to make society safer. “We also wanted to have individuals that may be a threat, have those persons be less of the threat to society,” said Thigpen. “Before they had no means of combating that.” Thigpen said he wants responsible gun ownership and common-sense legislation. He also wants the discussion of mental health to be addressed. Peter Zalka is the board chairman for Arm in Arm which is a group aimed at stopping gun violence and promoting responsible gun ownership. Zalka says this bi-partisan approach is needed for sensible gun control. "It separates an individual who’s in crisis or in a dangerous situation from their firearms, separating them temporarily,” says Zalka. “The safe guard to the person's due process and their second amendment rights is that this ERPO process has to go through the courts." Right now, there is not a current law that addresses the exact same issues that the pre-filed bill does. If this passes, South Carolina will join a number of states that have enacted laws authorizing courts to issue extreme risk protection orders. See the story HERE 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Brazil leads the world in total homicides. Jair Bolsonaro just relaxed gun laws

By The Associated Press | calgaryherald.com | January 15, 2019

'The people decided in favour of buying guns and ammunition and we can't deny what the people want at this moment,' the president said RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday signed a decree making it easier for many Brazilians to own firearms, the first of many expected changes by the nascent administration to overhaul gun laws in the nation that leads the world in total homicides. Bolsonaro signed the decree in a televised ceremony in the capital of Brasilia, arguing that it and other changes expected to be pushed in Congress would help people defend themselves. The former army captain and far-right leader said his electoral win last year was a sign that citizens in Latin America’s largest nation wanted to arm themselves. “The people decided in favour of buying guns and ammunition and we can’t deny what the people want at this moment,” said Bolsonaro, who during the campaign often made pistol gestures to supporters with his fingers. The decree established a wide range of categories of who qualifies for gun ownership, and government officials said it was crafted to cover just about any citizen wanting a firearm. The categories include citizens living in rural areas, in urban areas with high levels of homicide, business owners, gun collectors and hunters. Prospective gun owners must still meet other requirements, such as not having a criminal record, taking a psychological exam, a course at a gun club and being at least 25 years old. Before the decree, the law stipulated that civilians who wanted to own a gun had to justify their interest. Bolsonaro and other proponents of relaxing legislation argued that such a requirement was arbitrary — such reviews happened with a federal police official — and meant that in practice many would-be owners were denied. The decree also extended from five to 10 years the period to renew the registration of each firearm. In one area that could be interpreted as tightening the law, it required gun owners have a safe with a key in any home with children, adolescents or a person with a mental disability. While the decree allows more people to buy weapons, it remains illegal for most civilians to carry them in public. Bolsonaro and the so-called “Bullet Caucus” in Congress plan a legislative push to overturn that. Security experts have long argued that more guns will lead to increased violence. “If the Brazilian government is sincere about improving public security and fighting organized crime, it will enforce existing gun laws rather than dismantling them,” said Igarape, a Brazilian think-tank , in a statement. “Specifically, it should strengthen national data gathering on seized firearms to disrupt trafficking. It must improve oversight over the arms holdings of police and private security companies.” For decades, Brazil has been the world leader in annual homicides. Last year, nearly 64,000 were killed, the majority by firearms. Despite tight gun laws, arms are widely available. Drug traffickers in slums are commonly seen brandishing automatic weapons. Many guns possessed illegally begin as legal, and were then stolen from police or military personnel or sold by corrupt people in those institutions. Several studies, both in the United States and Brazil, have found a correlation between increased guns and homicide and suicide rates. However, some social scientists, and gun proponents, argue such data is inconclusive. Bolsonaro and others in his administration have argued that allowing more Brazilians to carry guns would help combat criminality, one of his key campaign promises. “Any criminal in any part of the world fears an armed citizen,” said chief of staff Onyx Lorenzoni minutes after the decree was signed. “England saw its home assaults increased by 40 per cent since guns were banned there,” he added, without providing more details. But polls have consistently shown most Brazilians want tighter restrictions on guns. A Datafolha poll published at the end of last year found that 61 per cent believed firearms should be prohibited and posed a threat to others. The poll interviewed 2,077 people Dec. 18-19 and a had a 2 percentage point margin of error. See the story HERE 

PNP gears up as election gun ban starts Jan. 13

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | canadianinquirer.net | January 12, 2019

MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is gearing up for the implementation of the six-month gun ban for May’s midterm elections, beginning Sunday. PNP Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, said Friday the processing of licenses for gun owners will also be suspended during the gun ban. Albayalde said they will also provide security personnel to politicians who would need protection during the election campaign. “We have Commission on Elections (Comelec) exemptions for the security details of those politicians who applied for one but they will be in uniform because they will be carrying firearms,” the PNP chief told reporters. During the period, all licenses to carry firearms outside the residence will suspended. Only members of the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement units who are on duty will be issued written permits by the Comelec to carry firearms. The gun ban seeks to prevent unlawful elements, such as private armed groups and gun-for-hire groups, from intimidating, injuring, or killing anyone during the election season. On Thursday, the PNP Chief, together with officials of the military and the Commission on Elections (Comelec), held the first of a series of conferences that would ensure the smooth conduct of the midterm elections. Albayalde said they tackled security preparations, particularly the deployment of personnel to intensify intelligence-driven law enforcement operations; and strengthened police-community partnership to preclude violence and ensure order in the forthcoming midterm polls. On Saturday, the PNP chief issued a flash memornadum to all police regional directors to conduct simultaneous checkpoint operations for the elections pursuant to Comelec Resolution No. 10468. It also ordered regional directors to establish at least one checkpoint in each of the country’s 1,600 cities and municipalities in coordination with the local election officer and military territorial unit in the area. All regional directors were also instructed to personally lead the kick-off of checkpoint operations simultaeously nationwide at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. This year’s midterm elections will be held on May 13, during which, voters will choose 12 senators, congressmen, party-list representatives, and local government officials, such as mayor, vice mayor, governor, vice governor, city councilors, and municipal and provincial board members. See the story HERE 

'Rogue Gun Dealers' Operating In Australia

By Max Gay | tendaily.com.au | January 14, 2019

Australia has some of the tightest gun control and border security laws in the world but there are still thousands of weapons the Australian Government can't trace. In December, a joint operation involving the Australian Border Force (ABF) and New South Wales Police seized an arsenal near Newcastle, including a grenade launcher and a heavy machine gun. Meanwhile, in western Queensland, a haul of 120 firearms including an anti-tank rifle was seized earlier this year. Australia's border security is capturing a significant amount of illicit firearms and parts. More than 2,000 were confiscated in their most recent survey period between 2017 and 2018,  according to the Department of Home Affairs . "The firearms black market, they know what's available there is always a demand and where there is a demand there is a supply," Alexey Muraviev, an associate professor of national security at Curtin University, told Ten Daily. However, there may be a much larger domestic issue they have less control of.  According to  Gun  Control Australia, almost 27,000 firearms were stolen between 2007 and 2017. Meanwhile, there are about 260,000 illegal weapons on the black market according to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) in its most recent update. "Crime guns tend to be the most desirable, and they are handguns, or sawn-off rifles and shotguns because they're concealable... they're the criminal firearm of choice," Professor Philip Alpers, the founder of gunpolicy.org and associate professor at Sydney University told 10 daily. So where do these guns come from? Their main source appears to be from 'rogue gun dealers' who make it their business to supply weapons that are difficult for law enforcement to trace. An estimated 5,000  handguns  have been brought into the illicit marketplace through legal loopholes surrounding the legislation of the deactivation of guns according to ACIC. "There are many, many instances of a gun dealer getting into financial trouble and deciding to sell all his handguns to criminals and then report them as stolen," said Alpers. This is where once again the issue of theft comes into play. "That's a constant worry for handgun owners is that they will be targeted by thieves," he added. The most dangerous targets for these kinds of thefts are weapons that are part of the 'grey market' according to ACIC. The grey market is made up of weapons held by people illegally, but are unlikely to use them to harm anyone. These weapons are mostly those held onto by people during the 1996-97 gun buyback brought on after the Port Arthur massacre. If these weapons are stolen, because they aren't listed it's much harder for the government to track them. ACIC's most recent report on illicit firearms in Australia said a national program encouraging the registration and/or surrender of unregistered firearms could significantly reduce the number of firearms available to the illicit market. See the story HERE 

Looking for upcoming gun shows and matches?  Visit our WEBSITE

HOW CAN GUN OWNERS PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM UNFAIR CHARGES?  ... WITH FIREARM LEGAL DEFENCE INSURANCE.  We pay legal fees, court costs and time off work to attend court; up to $150,000 per occurrence (recently increased 50% for no additional cost!) and $500,000 total per policy year. Plus get unlimited legal advice through our toll-free Legal Advice Helpline.  What price for peace of mind?  The price is just $95 per year and  CSSA members are eligible for a $10 discount – click on “Buy Now” and enter the following exclusive club code to access your savings: CSSA001. You are not required to disclose any information about firearms in your possession. Firearm Legal Defence  insurance covers: Defence from prosecution should you be charged with an offence arising out of the use, storage, display, transportation or handling of a firearm; cases where a firearm is used in self defence, the defence of a person under your protection or the defence of your property; appealing an event where a licensing, regulatory or judicial authority refuses to renew, suspends, revokes, cancels or alters the terms of your firearms license. Note that this provision does not apply to new license applications. It will pay for: The cost of retaining a lawyer or other appointed representative, including court fees, experts’ fees, police reports and medical reports; costs awarded by the court to opponents in civil cases if the insured person has been ordered to pay them, or pays them with the agreement of the insurance company; lost salary or wages for the time the insured is off work to attend court or any other hearing at the request of the appointed representative, up to a maximum of $500 per day, and $10,000 in total. For details, visit  HERE NOTE - FirearmLegalDefence is not a CSSA product but is highly recommended by the association and is used by our staff and directors. - Tony B.

Website | About Us | Membership | Store | Rights  |  Events

Toll Free: 1.888.873.4339     Fax: 905.720.3497      [email protected]