Canada Plans to Ban Assault-Style Rifles Following Nova Scotia Shooting
AR-15s will be among the guns banned in the wake of Canada's deadliest mass shooting, but an expert said the policy has big loopholes.
By
Manisha Krishnan
Apr 30 2020, 5:01pm
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CANADA WILL BAN SOME SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLES INCLUDING THE AR-15. PHOTOS BY SEAN KILPATRICK/THE CANADIAN PRESS AND CHARLES KRUPA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
This article originally appeared on VICE Canada.
The federal government plans to ban several assault-style weapons that have been used in mass shootings, but one gun expert says the policy has major loopholes.
According to
the Globe and Mail, the Liberals will soon lay out a list of guns they plan to ban, including AR-15 rifles which have been used in mass shootings like Sandy Hook and Parkland. They also plan to ban Ruger Mini-14s, used in the 1989 École Polytechnique shooting; VZ58 semi-automatic rifles, used in the 2017 Quebec mosque shooting before the shooter switched to a handgun; and M14 rifles, used in the 2014 Moncton shooting.
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News of the restrictions comes two weeks after a gunman killed 22 people in Nova Scotia, both by shooting them and setting their homes on fire. Police have said the shooter had pistols and long-guns, but did not access them legally.
Canada’s firearms regulations classify guns into three categories: non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited. The ban would make some assault-style weapons prohibited.
The terms “assault weapon” and “assault rifle” often conjure up debate, with some gun proponents arguing that the terms are meaningless and used to fear-monger.
A.J. Somerset, the London, Ontario-based author of
Arms: the Culture & Credo of the Gun, said the best definition of an assault-style weapon is a semi-automatic centerfire rifle with an attachable magazine and a pistol grip.
AR-15s will be among the guns banned in the wake of Canada's deadliest mass shooting, but an expert said the policy has big loopholes.
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