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Re: Bowling for Columbine. What is wrong with the U.S.?
As a Canadian gun owner I think I can add a few things. It’s very easy to obtain non-restricted firearms (rifles and shotguns with a barrel length over 18”) in Canada. All you have to do is take a one day course and pass multiple choice and handling tests which are quite easy to obtain your possession and acquisition license. The cost of the course is about $100 (deepening on your area) and there’s a $50 fee to apply for the possession and acquisition license after passing the course. The government performs a background check when an individual applies for their license, so there is a possibility you may not get the license even after passing the test. The possession and acquisition license allows you to by non restricted firearms and ammunition anywhere in Canada, no questions asked. Although the course is quite easy and does teach gun safety, it probably does discourage some people from legally purchasing firearms. Non restricted firearms are very easy to obtain, many hardware stores still carry firearms. Before the Gun registration law was put into effect you could buy non restricted firearms at many hardware and department stores. After gun registration many chain stores go out of the gun business mostly due to the added red tape that was required to register a firearm when it was sold (lots of forums and a phone call to the gun registry that takes 40 – 50 mins at times). Also employing someone who has a the possession and acquisition license required to be able to sell guns was troublesome for many chain stores.
Canada only instituted firearm safety course 10 years ago. Prior to that all you needed to purchase non restricted firearms was an FAC (Firearms Acquisition Certificate) which was obtained just by sending $50 and an application to the federal government for approval. No license was required to purchase ammunition before the firearm safety course was created, (I remember buying shot gun shells from a local hardware store when I was 14 for my grandfather, and I got no hassle whatsoever).
The law requiring Canadian gun owners to keep their firearms and ammunition locked while in storage was only put in place 10 years ago as well.
Handguns/restricted firearms on the other hand are a completely different story. You need to have the regular possession and acquisition license and also take another course to obtain a license to purchase restricted firearms. There are very few places where you can actually purchase handguns and the required ammunition in Canada. Carrying a hand gun is strictly prohibited in Canada, and the only place they can be legally used is a shooting range. When you purchase a handgun you get a temporary transportation permit that allows you to transport the gun from the store to you home, it’s only valid for that trip. You need to be a member of a gun club of some sort to obtain a permit which allows you to transport the gun from your home to the range.
I think the laws that require guns to be stored locked and unloaded along with ammunition being stored locked separately from firearms makes a big difference in preventing stupid accidents from occurring.
However, like the U.S, some places in Canada are starting to have gun problems due to gang related violence. I believe in both Toronto and Vancouver gang related shootings are on the rise, but those are the only cities I’m aware of that have considerable gun violence problems. In Toronto there have been quite a few shootings this year, I know of at least 3 shootings occurring within a few blocks of my home. Something that's alos interesting is that the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms set up a small task force (I think it’s only 2 people) based in Toronto to attempt to stop illegal firearms entering Canada from the States.
As a Canadian gun owner I think I can add a few things. It’s very easy to obtain non-restricted firearms (rifles and shotguns with a barrel length over 18”) in Canada. All you have to do is take a one day course and pass multiple choice and handling tests which are quite easy to obtain your possession and acquisition license. The cost of the course is about $100 (deepening on your area) and there’s a $50 fee to apply for the possession and acquisition license after passing the course. The government performs a background check when an individual applies for their license, so there is a possibility you may not get the license even after passing the test. The possession and acquisition license allows you to by non restricted firearms and ammunition anywhere in Canada, no questions asked. Although the course is quite easy and does teach gun safety, it probably does discourage some people from legally purchasing firearms. Non restricted firearms are very easy to obtain, many hardware stores still carry firearms. Before the Gun registration law was put into effect you could buy non restricted firearms at many hardware and department stores. After gun registration many chain stores go out of the gun business mostly due to the added red tape that was required to register a firearm when it was sold (lots of forums and a phone call to the gun registry that takes 40 – 50 mins at times). Also employing someone who has a the possession and acquisition license required to be able to sell guns was troublesome for many chain stores.
Canada only instituted firearm safety course 10 years ago. Prior to that all you needed to purchase non restricted firearms was an FAC (Firearms Acquisition Certificate) which was obtained just by sending $50 and an application to the federal government for approval. No license was required to purchase ammunition before the firearm safety course was created, (I remember buying shot gun shells from a local hardware store when I was 14 for my grandfather, and I got no hassle whatsoever).
The law requiring Canadian gun owners to keep their firearms and ammunition locked while in storage was only put in place 10 years ago as well.
Handguns/restricted firearms on the other hand are a completely different story. You need to have the regular possession and acquisition license and also take another course to obtain a license to purchase restricted firearms. There are very few places where you can actually purchase handguns and the required ammunition in Canada. Carrying a hand gun is strictly prohibited in Canada, and the only place they can be legally used is a shooting range. When you purchase a handgun you get a temporary transportation permit that allows you to transport the gun from the store to you home, it’s only valid for that trip. You need to be a member of a gun club of some sort to obtain a permit which allows you to transport the gun from your home to the range.
I think the laws that require guns to be stored locked and unloaded along with ammunition being stored locked separately from firearms makes a big difference in preventing stupid accidents from occurring.
However, like the U.S, some places in Canada are starting to have gun problems due to gang related violence. I believe in both Toronto and Vancouver gang related shootings are on the rise, but those are the only cities I’m aware of that have considerable gun violence problems. In Toronto there have been quite a few shootings this year, I know of at least 3 shootings occurring within a few blocks of my home. Something that's alos interesting is that the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms set up a small task force (I think it’s only 2 people) based in Toronto to attempt to stop illegal firearms entering Canada from the States.
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