A woman shooting an AR-15 rifle at a shooting range. (ID 149964740 © Flphotogirl | Dreamstime.com)

By Teena Monteleone

Gun advocate: Federal ban on assault-style weapons won’t change public safety

May 1, 2020 | 3:00 PM

The manager of a local gun store calls the federal government’s move to ban assault-style weapons ‘absurd’.

James Brake of Arnie’s Guns and Archery in Prince Albert said it takes the liberty away from law-abiding citizens to have the firearm of their choice.

“Going after law-abiding citizens is misguided and is going to be a costly thing, when in fact that money can be used to combat gangs and border control,” Brake said. “Law-abiding citizens are not the problem. The AR-15 has never been used by a legal gun owner in Canada in a crime. This is not the United States.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said some guns have legitimate uses but in this morning’s press conference stated “You don’t need an AR-15 to bring down a deer.”

Canada is banning the use and trade of about 1,500 military grade assault weapons. Trudeau cited several mass shootings in Canada including the killing of 22 people in Nova Scotia last month. According to Nova Scota RCMP the shooter did not have a firearms acquisition certificate. Amidst his attack, he carried several semi-automatic handguns and two semi-automatic rifles – some believed to have been obtained in the United States. At a press conference in Dartmouth, N.S. earlier this week, RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell said one of the guns could be described as a ‘military-style assault rifle.’

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Brake said because certain types of rifles look menacing, it scares people and they are quick to demonize them.

“Civilians only have semi-automatic modern sporting rifles. That’s the term that should be used. We have a five-round magazine capacity in Canada already and only law-abiding citizens at the highest level of scrutiny can have these guns and they are restricted. They can only be used at a federally licensed restricted gun range and there is strict protocol for moving them and storage,” he said.

Referring to the types of guns often pictured in news releases from local police about confiscated weapons, Brake said a lot of the time they are ‘cut off single shot pistols made out of long rifles from the 1960s’. He said criminals use those instead of semi-automatics because they can’t access them.

The federal government’s order has a two-year amnesty period for current owners, and there will be a buy-back program which will require a bill being passed in Parliament. An option to participate in a grandfathering regime will also be made available for affected gun owners.

Brake said the ban will reduce his store’s sales capability, but he said more importantly, it will not change the safety of the citizens at large.

“Because guns are out there and it only takes one bullet to kill someone and that can continue even with this ban,” he said.

In an emailed statement to paNOW the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police (SACP) said “gun violence is a serious concern for all police agencies. As this was only announced today, the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police will take time to review the new firearms prohibition prior to issuing further statements.”

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teena.monteleone@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @teenamonteleone