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There is a Canadian anti-firearms lobbying group that sprung up after a mass shooting occurred in 1989 with a Mini-14. Roughly 10 years later, most historicall
by qball 7y ago
There is a Canadian anti-firearms lobbying group that sprung up after a mass shooting occurred in 1989 with a Mini-14.
Roughly 10 years later, most historically interesting tactical rifles were banned or heavily restricted.
The Mini-14 remains at the lowest level of restriction, and its appearance is very likely the reason why that is. (Also ignorance; the H&K G11 rifle doesn't exist outside of perhaps 5 or so remaining prototypes, but it's on the ban list all the same.)
- tptacek 7y agoThere's also the fact that outright bans on semi-automatic rifles are an untenable proposal, because they're too legitimately useful to some subsets of civilians, so maybe "you do the best you can" and clear out the mass-market military rifles and leave the sleeper parts known and loved by the people who actually need them. (I am just noodling here and know absolutely nothing about Canadian firearms policy). I'm not saying that's good public policy (licensure --- in the US, probably presumptively issued licensure --- is the right answer here, not bans).
- hnzix 7y ago> There's also the fact that outright bans on semi-automatic rifles are an untenable proposal, because they're too legitimately useful to some subsets of civilians I mean, they banned semi-auto rifles in Oz after a mass shooting. Farmers can still use bolt action .303 rifles for really gnarly beasts like giant hogs.
- gbmor 7y agoAs someone who grew up in rural Louisiana in the southeastern US, if you're being charged by a hog, you're better off with a .45 semi-automatic handgun such as a Colt 1911 / clone. That will likely be the difference between "I just had a mild heart attack" and "I'm in the ICU". As far as hunting, sure, a bolt-action rifle in the .30-caliber range, such as a .308 or .30-06 is fine, since you have distance on your side, particularly distance that isn't rapidly decreasing with some tusks headed your way with your name on them.
- Guthur 7y agoUnfortunately handguns are very strictly controlled in Australia
- sunkenvicar 7y ago30 years later and they still want the Mini-14 banned. Anti’s aren’t stupid. They banned the G11 to set precedent. Now any mass market firearm that uses caseless ammunition is immediately on the chopping block. A powerful move - cheap caseless ammo would be a huge boost to the community and industry.
- blaser-waffle 7y ago> They banned the G11 to set precedent. Now any mass market firearm that uses caseless ammunition is immediately on the chopping block. Caseless ammo isn't a thing in any practical sense. It has serious technical short comings related to heat dispersion, transport, sourcing, and reloadability. There are no mass market firearms, military or civilian, that use caseless ammo. There were never more than a 1000 G11s, and they were never for the community. Other casesless options simply aren't a thing -- has anyone ever heard of the Voere VEC-91? Or the Armtech C30R?
- sunkenvicar 7y agoPerhaps I wasn’t clear. Antis are playing the long game. Caseless ammo will one day be practical and it will be revolutionary. In Canada antis will use the existing G11 ban to ban caseless ammo. Bans beget more bans until complete disarmament is achieved. This is their playbook.
- blaser-waffle 7y agoNot just the Mini-14 is unbanned -- virtually all assault rifles except the AR-15 (restricted) and the AK & FAL (banned) are considered "Unrestricted". This means you need the lowest level of gun permit. In other words, I need a special restricted PAL permit in Canada to own an AR, but to own a Tavor, M-14 knockoff, Kel-Tec RDB, a Chinese Type 97 assault rifle, etc. needs the lowest level of permit. Bass-ackwards, but there it is.