Pew Survey: Police Support Gun Rights over Gun Control by 3 to 1 Margin

According to a Pew Survey released Jan 11, 2017 that surveyed 8000 police officers from departments larger than 100 officers; 74 percent of American Police officers believe it’s most important to “protect the right of Americans to own guns,”.  Interestingly among the general public, only 54% of Americans believe the same thing.  This means the law enforcement community have an even greater appreciation for American Second Amendment rights than the citizens themselves.

 

Read the full study below.

Pew Police Survey 2017

Download the CCFR 10/22 Information Sheet

 

Ruger 10/22 10+ Round Capacity Magazine Re-Interpretation

Information Sheet

• On July 21st, 2016, the RCMP Criminal Operations Branch released an E Division Broadcast declaring all 10+ round 10/22 magazines as prohibited devices based on the following section of the Criminal Code:  “Specifically, paragraph 3 (1)(b) of the Regulations prohibit a cartridge magazine that is capable of containing more than 10 cartridges of the type for which the magazine was originally designed and that is designed or manufactured for use in a semi-automatic handgun that is commonly available in Canada.”
• The RCMP interpretation that these magazines are prohibited is incorrect. These magazines were originally designed for use in a semi-automatic rimfire rifle therefore they are not regulated no matter what firearm they may fit into.

Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted

SOR/98-462

Former Cartridge Magazine Control Regulations

3 (1) Any cartridge magazine

(a) that is capable of containing more than five cartridges of the type for which the magazine was originally designed and that is designed or manufactured for use in

(i) a semi-automatic handgun that is not commonly available in Canada,

(ii) a semi-automatic firearm other than a semi-automatic handgun,

(iii) an automatic firearm whether or not it has been altered to discharge only one projectile with one pressure of the trigger,

(iv) the firearms of the designs commonly known as the Ingram M10 and M11 pistols, and any variants or modified versions of them, including the Cobray M10 and M11 pistols, the RPB M10, M11 and SM11 pistols and the SWD M10, M11, SM10 and SM11 pistols,

(v) the firearm of the design commonly known as the Partisan Avenger Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, or

(vi) the firearm of the design commonly known as the UZI pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Micro-UZI pistol; or

(b) that is capable of containing more than 10 cartridges of the type for which the magazine was originally designed and that is designed or manufactured for use in a semi-automatic handgun that is commonly available in Canada.

(2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not include any cartridge magazine that

(a) was originally designed or manufactured for use in a firearm that

(i) is chambered for, or designed to use, rimfire cartridges,

 

• While there has been no change in the statute governing the status of these magazines, this new and arbitrary interpretation of it has effectively caused hundreds of thousands of law abiding firearms owners to be in possession of a prohibited device.
• Possession of a prohibited device carries severe criminal and financial penalties, and can result in imprisonment up to 10 years and/or heavy fines.  Section 91 & 92 Canadian Criminal Code.

Possession of firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized

92 (1) Subject to subsection (4), every person commits an offence who possesses a prohibited firearm, a restricted firearm or a non-restricted firearm knowing that the person is not the holder of

(a) a licence under which the person may possess it; and

(b) in the case of a prohibited firearm or a restricted firearm, a registration certificate for it.

Marginal note:

Possession of prohibited weapon, device or ammunition knowing its possession is unauthorized

(2) Subject to subsection (4), every person commits an offence who possesses a prohibited weapon, a restricted weapon, a prohibited device, other than a replica firearm, or any prohibited ammunition knowing that the person is not the holder of a licence under which the person may possess it.

Marginal note:

Punishment

(3) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable

(a) in the case of a first offence, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years;

(b) in the case of a second offence, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year; and

(c) in the case of a third or subsequent offence, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of two years less a day.

 

• These magazines, designed for use in one of the most popular sporting rifles in Canada, have been legally sold for decades as a popular accessory, and are used responsibly by a significant numbers of lawful firearms owners.
• The Ruger 10/22 – a .22 rimfire calibre semi-automatic sporting rifle – has been on the market since 1964.
• The RCMP cannot testify as to what firearm these magazines were designed for and evidence shows that the rifle was created first.
• This new and poorly communicated interpretation is based on the existing rifle magazine’s ability to fit a restricted firearm (the Ruger Charger, based on the 10/22 platform) which was introduced in 2007. The Charger was introduced long after the Ruger 10/22 magazines in question were designed and commonly available in Canada.
• Administrative re-classifications or re-interpretations such as this contribute in no way to the enhancement of public safety, and criminalize law abiding firearms owners which are statistically one of the safest demographics in the country.
• Some Provincial Crown Counsels are refusing to approve charges as they agree these magazines are not prohibited devices. This is a situation where the RCMP is acting alone and not only changing their interpretation of the law, but using the resources entrusted to them to inappropriately act on it.
• Facing appropriate criticism, the RCMP had recently changed their story and said that these magazines were always prohibited.  This is not true. They have been legally imported for decades and been sold at hundreds of RCMP-licensed (and frequently inspected) firearm businesses. These include large retailers like Walmart and Cabelas. RCMP officers themselves own these magazines including employees of the RCMP Specialized Firearms Laboratory.
• The RCMP must not be allowed to revise their statements and positions nor simply declare what is legal or illegal. This is dishonest and is incredibly corrosive to Canada’s institutions. No public safety benefit exists concerning this action nor is there any need for this conflict. This action damages the relationship between millions of Canadians and the RCMP.
• A positive relationship between police and the citizenry is foundational to maintaining our society and must be respected.

 

For more information, refer to:

CCFR Press Release on Ruger 10/22

Contact:

Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
P.O. Box 91572 RPO Mer Bleu
Ottawa, Ontario K1W 0A6
1-844-243-CCFR (2237) 08:00-16:00 EST
www.firearmrights.ca
info@firearmrights.ca

Stats Canada last compared our crime rates to the US in 2000. Download the report below.

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Combined Facts and Figures from the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program from the years 2010 to 2014.

A simple analysis shows that the number of Firearm Licences in Canada increased by 153,862 or nearly 9% during the 4 year period. That represents an increase of nearly 3% per 100,000 population. The highest increases were in Alberta and BC that had 22% and 18% increases in licenses respectively. New Brunswick and PEI had a decrease of just over 5000 licences in the same time period. The popularity of shooting is increasing using legal restricted firearm ownership as an indicator. The number of restricted firearms increased by 251,640 or 53% in Canada between 2010 and 2014. Alberta represents the largest increase in ownership with an increase of 68,462 legal restricted firearms or 83% in the same time period. No provinces saw a decrease in the number of restricted firearms since data was available in 2010. Between 2012 and 2014 Canada's legal restricted and prohibited firearms ownership increased by 417 firearms per 100,000 population to a total of 2,724 legal restricted and prohibited firearms per 100,000 people, an increase of 18%.

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This 2008 Statistics Canada report looks at violent crime with knives in Canada, with some comparison to Firearms.

Only 18% of violent crimes in Canada involve a weapon; when a weapon is used, knives are the most common. A knife was used against 6% of all victims in 2008, compared to clubs or blunt instruments used against 3% and a firearm used against only 2%. Homicides and attempted murders had the highest proportion involving knives at about one-third. Knife related homicides between 1999 and 2008 were most commonly between acquaintances (49%), usually during the course of an argument. Family members committed another 35% of fatal stabbings. Gang related homicides however, are most commonly committed with a firearm (73%).

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Statistics Canada examines police reported crimes in 2015. Overall, the Crime Severity Index (CSI) was 1% higher then in 2013 however, it was still 31% lower than a decade earlier in 2005.

There was a an increase in violent firearms offences between 2014 and 2015 from 5 incidents per 100,000 population to 6 incidents per 100,000 population. This increase of 1 represents a 22% increase. 43% of these were "pointing a firearm", 39% involved "discharging a firearm", and 18% were for "using a firearm in the commission of an offence".

Incidents involving a violent firearm violation as well as a more serious Criminal Code violation, such as homicide or robbery, would be reported as these more serious violations and not as firearms offences. Those numbers are therefore not specifically reported in this study.

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If you’ve seen our public service announcement you might be skeptical of this claim. It certainly wouldn’t make much sense to threaten a qualified, vetted and closely monitored Canadian with penalties like this for paperwork errors. (more…)

 

How difficult is it to get a firearm in Canada? How is the public vetted and monitored concerning their ability to buy guns? Find out from someone who actually knows. Rod Giltaca is an instructor with the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program and the President of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights. He is one of Canada’s foremost experts on the politicization of the firearms issue in Canada. (more…)

Firearm classification in Canada is commonly based on a number of criteria.

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Can the government make up arbitrary reasons in real time to ban firearms? (more…)