WE NEED YOU ON SEPTEMBER 19

New gun control legislation is coming.

Briefly interviewed on the eve of the 10^th anniversary of the Dawson College shooting, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale told Canadian Press reporters that his government has already taken steps “to correct errors made by the previous government,” and reiterated that “work is in progress” towards implementing the Liberal Party’s election promises, which included “eliminating guns and assault weapons from our streets by working with the Minister of Justice to strengthen controls guns and assault weapons, including repealing certain elements of Bill C-42.”

What can you do?

On September 19, we are asking that all Canadian gun owners contact their local MP via any and all means possible to tell them that Canada’s gun owners will not accept any new gun bans, or any new gun control legislation. Tell them via email, regular mail, Twitter, Facebook, on the phone and in person. Ensure that your MP knows your name and understands that they are responsible to you, as one of their constituents, and that you will not stand for any more fear-based gun control legislation. Tell them that Canada’s gun owners are here, and we’re here to stay.

Find your MP by postal code here.

TOP 5 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN BUYING A USED GUN

Are you like us? Do you spend a lot of time in the gun store? Are you paid like a writer, and needed to finance your first car over seven years? And it was a 1978 Impala…that you bought last year?

If so, you’re probably taking the same approach we do to firearms shopping: picking through the used gun rack for hidden gems. There’s always something interesting there, leaned up amongst the towers of wood and blued steel; some storied surplus machine with ancient, grease-blackened stocks, or someone’s worn and well-loved hunting rifle, perhaps built in an era in which labour was cheaper and craftsmanship was the rule rather than the exception. Thankfully, many guns are built to last lifetimes, and quality used rifles can be great purchases with years or decades of use left in them. To become truly expert in assessing used guns takes years of hard-won experience, usually gained by making enough bad purchases to discover exactly what to avoid, but with a bit of study, most prospective buyers can arm themselves with enough information to avoid the worst slings and arrows of used gun buying, and come out with a serviceable rifle that will live up to their expectations.

To get the inside scoop on assessing used guns, we sat in with Shane Mathieson of Reliable Gun in Vancouver as he went through his own inventory, picking out some instructive examples and unique items to illustrate buying used, done well.

Exterior Condition

This is about as straightforward as it gets, and we’re putting it first because it requires no special knowledge or gun handling skill, but it’s often the single largest factor in pricing. We looked at three examples of Winchester saddle ring carbines with varying degrees of finish wear, from “some wear” to “heavy wear” to “not a trace of finish left on the metal or the wood”. Does it affect to functionality of the gun? Not directly, although it may be indicative of the general level of care taken by the previous owner. In the case of the absolutely de-finished Winchester here, the screws had clearly been removed in a clumsy fashion, likely with the wrong sized screwdriver, and naturally that might lead one to question whether there would be stripped threads hiding inside.

There’s also the issue of corrosion protection on any gun with a severely worn finish. External corrosion also won’t necessarily impact the functioning of the gun, but if the intended use is going to put the rifle out in the elements, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise when you remove it from a case after bringing it home from the field.

This same Winchester had a bent tube magazine that was visible if viewed from the right angle; the magazine fed properly and the damage was purely cosmetic, but again, the external condition of the rifle is going to affect its resale value and it’s worth noting if you’re the buyer.

Assuming the rifle is a traditional wood-and-steel gun, the wood can also reflect the overall condition of the piece. Dents and dings are unlikely to affect accuracy or reliability, but cracks may, and cracking is sometimes much harder to detect. Here we have a stock which revealed a crack on the tang when held in the right light; otherwise it was nearly invisible. The same stock was cracked internally, although that was even harder to detect.

One consideration regarding the finish condition of a rifle: in general, a better finish is a desirable thing, and even if that means the gun has been refinished, most people won’t see it as a negative. If it masks past abuse, however, or affects the collector value of a rifle, it’s worth knowing that the finish isn’t original. Spotting a refinished gun is relatively easy once you know what to look for, however: edges of polished surfaces will often take on a “wavy” shape as a result of felt wheel polishing, and barrel proof marks will go from being slightly raised, or proud, of the surrounding surface, to having a somewhat mushy appearance. For most applications, this shouldn’t matter too much, but it’s worth taking a look just so you know what you’re getting into.

Crown and Bore

The next round of visual inspection involves the rifle barrel. Externally, the barrel crown is easy to observe; you’re simply looking for any damage or wear at the point the bullet is going to exit the barrel. Any damage here can have a serious impact on accuracy, as it can either deform the bullet, destabilizing it as it arcs through the air, or in extreme cases, allow a lop-sided jet of gas out as the bullet exits the barrel - essentially acting as a muzzle brake, but sending the gun in a random direction. Not pretty.

The most extreme example of crown damage Shane could dig up was this old Remington 760 which, he speculated, had spent much of its life riding around wedged muzzle down between the seat and console on the passenger side of an old Chevy truck.

Another factor in barrel condition is bulging, or “rings” in the barrel. This can occur if a bullet or other debris has become lodged in the barrel, and the gun was fired without clearing the obstruction. It’s a dangerous condition that can be identified by looking through the barrel for circular shadows, where the entire barrel has been expanded slightly. In most cases, there will also be external bulging of the barrel tube, but depending on the location of the ring, it can be difficult to locate from the outside.

Inside the barrel, the condition of the metal can range from shiny and pristine, which is of course ideal, to a very slightly corroded, with a whitish surface condition known as “frosting”, to blackened and pitted, the most extreme examples of which are sometimes described as “sewer pipe”. Frosting is generally nothing to worry about; it can be the result of lack of cleaning after the use of corrosive ammo but if there’s nothing worse than a bit of white oxidation on the inner surfaces of the barrel, that’ll likely disappear once the gun goes back into service anyway.

Pitting is a more advanced stage of corrosion, and shows up as dark “freckles” inside the bore. Whether or not a buyer should be greatly concerned about pitting depends largely on the gun. Surprisingly, a lot of rifles with moderately pitted barrels still shoot with excellent accuracy; it’s also true that if you’re looking at military surplus rifles and hoping to get barrels without a trace of pitting you might be looking for the rest of your life. If it’s Lee Enfields that have struck your fancy, for example, some generations will have been used with early, corrosive .303 British, and they were almost never carefully maintained. But unless the bore is truly dark and rough, it may not be worth worrying too much about.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s worth paying particular attention to the bore on any gun from any former communist country, as the odds of it being used primarily with corrosive ammunition is very high. If it’s a semi-automatic, the corrosive gases will also have been pushed through the entire gas system, so if the option of a field-strip and inspection presents itself, don’t hesitate to look elsewhere in the gun for pitting and rust.

Action Condition

Assuming the exterior meets your requirements, the next stop is in the action itself. Obviously you will want to ensure there are no signs of serious damage or lack of maintenance such as broken springs or parts, but beyond that, we suggest a close inspection of the bolt. In most cases, headspace will not be an issue unless the round count is spectacularly high, or the gun has been used with severely overpressure rounds.

If the round count is extremely high, the action itself will likely feel sloppy. The ideal approach is to compare multiple copies of similar guns, feeling for the different degrees of tightness as you work the action.

It’s also possible to find signs of wear on the bolt face; that frequently shows up in the form of worn extractors. Each time a round is chambered and extracted, the extractor relies on a sharp “hook” to grip the brass and pull it out; this constant loading on a narrow steel edge means that over time, the edges of the extractor will round off. That makes the extractor a good spot to inspect to get an idea of round count, and that’s why some people call the extractor a gun’s odometer.

In addition to extractor wear, the bolt face itself can reveal wear patterns. A ring around the firing pin hole from primers being driven back into it is an indication of a higher round count or high pressure rounds. Extremely high pressure rounds will not only accentuate this wear, but blow brass fragments into crevices around the action and bolt face. Any use severe enough to alter the headspacing will likely leave traces of brass throughout the action, and it’s also quite possible that the breech face itself will be pitted.

When evaluating bolt-action rifles, it can be worthwhile to quickly check the bolt for a serial number; in most cases, the last few digits of the rifle serial number will be stamped on the bolt. If the serial numbers match and there is no evidence of severe overpressure ammunition having been used, the gun should be a good bet.

Logistics

This is difficult to guarantee without doing research into particular guns and particular markets, but remember that guns, particularly military rifles, go out of production on a regular basis. Parts may not be available and even ammunition may be scarce, although those conditions can change. Not long ago, 7.5mm Swiss ammunition was so rare in Canada that surplus K-31 rifles, which are fantastic machines often capable of stunning accuracy, were selling at fire sale prices. Many gun buyers scoffed at those buying a rifle for which no ammunition could be had, but now that the ammunition situation has changed, those who bought K-31s for a pittance look very savvy indeed.

There are even more obscure issues to consider in regards to military surplus, however: consider the 8mm Mauser. Early renditions had a bore of .318”, later ones were bumped up to .323”. This presents a potential issue for owners of early Mausers: not only are they faced with tracking down .318” bullets, they also have to be certain that no one has unintentionally fired .323” bullets through the narrower barrel. Now that’s a recipe for severe overpressure!

Accessory Value

Finally, have a look at the accessories that have been added to the rifle, if any. These could be anything from muzzle brakes to optics to aftermarket stocks. The value of each item is simply a matter of what the local market will bear, so don’t get sucked into paying retail value for parts you don't need or want. Some sellers will try to get back very large percentages of the value of their extras, and we’ve even seen people trying to charge for the hours of labour they invested in mounting scopes. Whether you want to pay for someone else’s project is up to you, but with the exception of quality glass and extra magazines, most accessories lose a very significant percentage of their value on the used gun market.

So there you have it: Calibre Magazine’s quick-and-dirty guide to scooping up bargains on the used gun rack, as related to us by one of our local experts, who’s bought and sold more guns than most people will ever see in their entire lives. Now get out there and put his experience to work!

PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAM KICKS OFF: MEET THE DIRECTOR

https://youtu.be/7COIag9w1TM

A Note From Daniel Fritter, Calibre's Publisher

Regardless of if you've had a gun license since the dirt was new, or if you just got your PAL exam marked yesterday, if you're on this website you probably know that being a gun owner in Canada isn't always easy. From legislative changes to poorly targeted and malicious ad campaigns to the outright media attacks of the past few weeks, we gun owners can end up (ironically) feeling like we're taking fire from every direction these days. And that's wrong.

But it's also no surprise. We knew this was coming and it's why Calibre started putting the wheels in motion towards some sort of public outreach program designed to normalize firearms in the public eye. The first big success? Our Metro story that spanned 20-some odd pages all dedicated to the positive aspects of the shooting sports and hunting, with some good perspective on what buying a gun entails thrown in for good measure. But the sad reality is that story took a lot of effort to get published, and between running a magazine and trying to stay abreast of the political turmoil surrounding guns these days, I found myself stretched too thin to accomplish more.

So, we at Calibre set about talking to industry stakeholders about getting someone aboard to tackle the job of getting guns out in front of the media in a positive way. And the role of our Director of Public Outreach was born.

Now to be clear, this isn't a marketing role, nor is it a role associated with any given organization. On the contrary, throughout its genesis the idea has always been to develop the role as a non-partisan, autonomous position, wherein the appointed individual can be free to work with any and all gun owners, industry members, organization reps, and journalists that want to engage him. The goal is simple: Liaise with media, put together media outreach and education packages, and generally do more of what that Metro story did: Show people that we gun owners are normal people enjoying a perfectly safe, perfectly normal hobby that *gasp* some journalists might even enjoy themselves.

So without further ado, I'll let our new Director of Public Outreach speak for himself.

Hi, I'm CJ Summers.

I grew up in a town of a couple thousand in the British Columbia interior. I was raised by a Marine. It was through him that I learned a very important skill, how to use a firearm. I went to university, worked overseas and tried my hand with politics. I am now an entrepreneur – while also working hard at completing my Masters in Business Administration.

I am a fairly standard person I think – I hope you do to. All is good right?

Why was I so hesitant to tell people I owned firearms?

Something my father said still resonates with me to this day, probably because I still hear him say it on a regular basis. “Sometimes it’s not worth the aggravations.”

Has it come to that?

Do most Canadian firearms owners feel that a better course of action is inaction? Appeasement never worked, just ask Chamberlain.

Registration of guns started in the 1930’s – then in the 1950’s automatics were registered and if we jump a few decades, the 1970’s provided the first time that criminal background checks were required for those wishing to purchase firearms. To purchase firearms today we are all required to complete the Canadian Firearm’s Safety Course. As gun owners we are all part of one of the most controlled and regulated industries in Canada. The RCMP even has their own governmental program responsible for all things firearms!

So we are trained and screened by the RCMP. Yet I still feel like a pariah – maybe I am hanging out in the wrong social circles.

However, I am taking a stand – I hope you all stand with me. I can’t remember the exact moment, but I came to the realization that well over two million gun owners in Canada are constantly greeted with negativity by individualized groups and media. We are all unique. We are politicians, law enforcement, teachers, business individuals, blue collar and white collar workers, men and women, young and old. What unites us all – even if some of us ignore it – is that we are a powerful group that is working hard to protect ourselves. We are protecting ourselves from misinformation, judgement and stereotypes.

Stepping into the Director of Public Outreach role with Calibre Magazine is an exciting opportunity, one that I embraced – one that I can’t wait to build further. I will use this outlet to do three important things. The first will be addressing the negative media coverage that firearms owners are subjected to on a daily basis. Second, I will engage the media at every level possible. This will include junkets and events – I will show that we are much more than a generalized and stereotyped group. Finally, I will work at changing the current media strategy of strictly reacting to news stories - I will implement a strategy of proactive engagement. I will change the parameters of discussion and fight to change the way all Canadian firearms owners are perceived in the media today. Canadian gun owners are not criminals.

I believe these three priorities will immediately help educate the public on who we truly are as individuals and as a community. I know it will start a discussion, discussions focused on the rise of sport shooting in Canada and the benefits of hunting for instance; not the “he said - she said” stuff of the past.

This fight to educate is definitely worth the aggravation.

If you'd like to contact CJ about media availability or any issues, articles or events please email cj@calibremag.ca.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

For the past few weeks, the CBC has launched an all-out assault on Canadian gun owners; first by fear-mongering about the growth of the shooting sports in Canada, then by re-hashing a months-old story on the AR-15 petition's rejection, and today by running an exclusive on the "developing" story surrounding a directive sent from former Minister of Public Safety Steven Blaney to RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson.

Now, the directive simply stipulates that a timeline and series of communication checkpoints be imposed on the firearms program for the classification of firearms. A long-standing point of contention between gun owners, Canada's gun industry and the RCMP, this directive looked to address the problem of firearms program staffers essentially classifying firearms through inaction; wherein firearms submitted for classification would be barred from import until a classification was determined... a process than in many cases has taken four or more years. In the world of Canadian small business such delays can literally force a business into insolvency. For businesses that do go into insolvency, it is key that you understand your options if you want to avoid the worst outcome.

To put those delays in perspective, firearms typically contain between 34 and 97 parts, but were typically taking between one and four years for the RCMP to classify. Furthermore, once classified, they these products are only available to be sold to a strictly controlled and vetted consumer group that undergoes daily criminal record checks. In comparison, Transport Canada can study and apply their National Safety Mark certifying a vehicle containing over 30,000 parts meets the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in no more than a single year.

This innocuous and efficiency-minded directive has been falsely reported on by the CBC as a "Conservative directive that opened door to gun misclassification." It's also worth noting that this abjectly biased hit-piece was authored by the Elizabeth Thompson; the same author credited with fear-mongering about the growth of Canada's shooting sports, and dusting off the story on the AR-15 petition's rejection.

Are Thompson's stories infuriating in their bias? Yes. Is the CBC's continual willingness to report on issues effecting Canada's 2+ million gun owners from an overtly anti-gun position enraging? Absolutely. But with parliament returning to session on September 19, we here at Calibre are concerned more about what Thompson's stories may be setting the stage for, than we are about the stories themselves.

Now, Thompson's reportage could be the result of Wendy Cukier (head of the Coalition For Gun Control) having a renewed vigor for the gun issue in light of her cancelled appointment to the position of president of Brock University. Cukier lost the appointment after the results of an investigation into workplace bullying at her former employer, Ryerson University, were made available to Brock University trustees. While briefly discussing workplace bullying, this should never be tolerated anywhere. Bullying can come in many forms and may even escalate into harassment. If this was the case, then a legal expert, like a sexual harassment lawyer, could help the victim gain compensation for the harasser's actions. When setting out for a day at work, no one should have to be worried or scared. This is where the idea of companies implementing the use of software such as Zenefits may come into play. As HR have a lot to deal with, making it a lot easier for people to come forward with complaints also saves the business time too. Whether a business owner looking to improve this aspect of the business or are looking to find out more, click here. According to the investigation, 15 employees allege Cukier fostered a toxic work environment, and was demeaning and disrespectful to employees, even causing some employees to break down in tears. This kind of behaviour can have a serious impact and you can have a personal injury claim made against you for any psychological damage you have caused. Contacting somewhere like an Austin personal injury law firm is the answer if you feel that you are being victimised by a work colleague in this way. Cukier got away with it at the time but now it's coming back to bite her.

As a result of her cancelled appointment, Cukier returned to her tenured position at Ryerson University, but is on "post-administrative leave." In other words, she's taking a forced sabbatical of up to one year, and she may be using the time to leverage the media to bully gun owners anew. Or, perhaps the CBC is being used in an even more sinister manner to create some sort of gun-control red herring for parliament to "fix" when it returns to session.

But whatever the reason, the end result is clear: The rhetoric machine is obviously dialed up to 11 down at CBC HQ. And we suspect we won't like the reason why.

CANADA ACCEDES TO THE UN ARMS TRADE TREATY

What does Canada’s “accession” to the UN Arms Trade Treaty mean for Canada’s shooting community? The answer to that question really depends on who you ask and what their agenda is. If the agenda is pro-gun fundraising then the UN Arms Trade Treaty is “the worst thing imaginable in the history of the world since the licensing of gun owners and the universal registration of firearms.” If the agenda is anti-gun, full implementation of the UN Arms Trade Treaty, then it “is absolutely benign and will not affect legitimate civilian gun ownership at all.” Of course, the real truth lies somewhere in between.

Let’s start with another important question first, and we’ll answer our primary question a little later. We’ll start by asking this: Before we spend a fortune in tax dollars limiting more rights and freedoms, is there a pressing and urgent need for Canada to join the UN Arms Trade Treaty?

The short answer is no. Canada already implements and complies with all but one of the articles of the UN Arms Trade Treaty. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion even admits this in his own press release issued on June 30, 2016: “Canada already meets the vast majority of Arms Trade Treaty obligations. In fact, the treaty was designed to bring other countries up to the type of high standard that Canada already applies through its robust export control regime: We already control the export of all treaty-relevant goods. We have measures in place to prevent diversion of the goods transferred. We comply with all explicit prohibitions listed in article 6 of the treaty. We already assess for the type of risks identified in the treaty, such as that an export could be used for terrorist activities or against peace and security or international human rights law. In fact, Canada fully complies with all 28 articles of the treaty but two: articles 7 (about export assessment criteria and over-riding risk test) and 10 (about brokering).”

Minister Dion is not completely forthright when he says Canada does not fully comply with Article 7. We already take all the factors described in the treaty into account. What we don’t have is this formally codified in Canadian law. As Minister Dion says our complying is “neither explicit nor formalized in our current export criteria.” But we already comply with Article 7. We simply don’t make an explicit reference to that compliance in Canada’s Export and Import Permits Act, something Minister Dion will address when he introduces legislation to change the Export and Import Permits Act later this year.

Dion goes on to say, “Today, Canada is the only NATO ally and only G7 partner not to have signed or ratified the treaty, the previous government claiming that it might affect domestic gun laws, which is completely and categorically untrue.”

This statement is only partially true. Yes, Canada is the only NATO ally and G7 nation who has not signed the treaty, but that’s where the truth ends. You see, when our greatest ally and most important partner, the United States, signed it, they did so under the express knowledge that the Senate would vote down its ratification. Which they did. And when Canada stands shoulder to shoulder with our friends in the US, we are hardly alone.

Article 2, Section 1 of the UN Arms Trade Treaty says: “This Treaty shall apply to all conventional arms within the following categories: Battle tanks; Armoured combat vehicles; Large-calibre artillery systems; Combat aircraft; Attack helicopters; Warships; Missiles and missile launchers; and Small arms and light weapons. Note that very last item of Article 2, Section 1: “h) Small arms and light weapons.”

Canada, under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, requested that civilian firearms specifically be removed from the treaty in order to protect the interests of Canada’s lawful firearms community. The UN ignored our nation’s request to respect the interests of Canadians and refused to remove civilian firearms from the language of the treaty. So the Harper government did what was right: it stood up for Canadian sovereignty and Canadian gun owners and refused to sign the treaty.

All Canadian rifles, semi-automatic or otherwise, all handguns and most shotguns fall into the broad category of “small arms and light weapons.” To claim, as Minister Dion does, that “the previous government claiming that it might affect domestic gun laws, which is completely and categorically untrue” is false according to Arms Trade Treaty Article 2.

The obvious question to both the UN and Minister Dion is this: If the Arms Trade Treaty does not and will not affect civilian firearms then why does the UN insist they be included in the treaty? It’s a valid question and one where Minister Dion is, to be polite, disingenuous with his answer.

But how does all this really affect Canadian gun owners? There are a number of ways, only some of which are apparent before Canada’s government finalizes how it will apply the full terms of the treaty.

We know the treaty applies to civilian firearms. Article 2 Section 2 states: “For the purposes of this Treaty, the activities of the international trade comprise export, import, transit, trans-shipment and brokering, hereafter referred to as ‘transfer.’”

The most important words in that section for us Canadian gun owner? Export, import, and trans-shipment. Should the American government refuse an export permit to an American firearm manufacturer then Canadian gun owners will no longer have access to those firearms. Should the Canadian government deny a Canadian importer of those firearms then, even with a US Export Permit in place, we will no longer have access to those firearms.

And “Trans-shipment?” Well, consider the following scenario: Beretta Italy sends sporting firearms to Beretta USA. Beretta Canada requests some of them for our market but Beretta USA cannot ship them to Canada without special permission because the End-User Certificate (EUC) filled out by Beretta Italy said “Beretta U.S.A. - Civilian.” This is just an example, you can think up ten more scenarios like that without breaking a sweat.

If those scenarios sound preposterous then you need only read the very first sentence of Article 5, Section 3. You will quickly realize it could happen in an instant with a single stroke of a bureaucratic pen: “Each State Party is encouraged to apply the provisions of this Treaty to the broadest range of conventional arms.”

A bigger question is why would we bother acceding to a treaty when we’re already doing what it asks? The answer is simple: accountability. Or perhaps more specifically, in the lack of accountability. To understand that statement you must understand two things: how the UN operates and how the Arms Trade Treaty operates.

First, the United Nations operates by consensus. The dictionary definition of consensus is “agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole.” In other words if the entire UN body cannot agree on an issue then they keep working to find common ground everyone can agree on.

Second, the United Nations operates by consensus except on the Arms Trade Treaty. In this singular case the Arms Trade Treaty requires only 75% of members present at a meeting to change the terms of that treaty. That’s right. On a 75% majority vote the UN can dictate law to all countries party to the Arms Trade Treaty. Now perhaps you see how lack of accountability plays into the hands of the government. “It’s not our fault! What could we do? The UN is making us do this!”

The institutionalized danger this presents is codified in Article 20 of the Arms Trade Treaty and comes in two parts. First, the terms under which this treaty may be rewritten and amended, defined in Article 20, Section 1: “Six years after the entry into force of this Treaty, any State Party may propose an amendment to this Treaty. Thereafter, proposed amendments may only be considered by the Conference of States Parties every three years.”

That sounds benign enough, right? Any member state can propose an amendment of any kind after the sixth year after the treaty comes into force and then every three years after that. A harmless provision, you say? Until you realize the membership of the United Nations, 192 of 195 nations in the world, is comprised of 130 dictatorships. Dictatorships typically aren’t interested in protecting the rights of citizens; their own or otherwise.

That deplorable number and the fact that consensus is not required is made worse by Article 20 Section 3: “The States Parties shall make every effort to achieve consensus on each amendment. If all efforts at consensus have been exhausted, and no agreement reached, the amendment shall, as a last resort, be adopted by a three-quarters majority vote of the States Parties present and voting at the meeting of the Conference of States Parties. For the purposes of this Article, States Parties present and voting means States Parties present and casting an affirmative or negative vote. The Depositary shall communicate any adopted amendment to all States Parties.”

Three issues scream out of this section: Consensus is NOT required, a 75% majority vote carries the amendment (any amendment!), and it is not even 75% of all signatories to the Arms Trade Treaty but 75% of those “present and voting.”

When two thirds of the nations of the world are dictatorships and only 75% of those that signed the Arms Trade Treaty and are “present and voting” are required to pass an amendment to the Treaty… well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to comprehend the disaster that potentially awaits us.

Casting Canada’s sovereignty to the wind is undoubtedly a poor idea. Placing Canada’s precious democracy in the hands of a 75% majority of some of the world’s worst brigands and bandits is positively treasonous. For these reasons and more, the previous government shunned the Arms Trade Treaty.

The CSSA calls upon the Hon. Stéphane Dion (Minister of Foreign Affairs) and the Trudeau government to re-examine, re-evaluate and to re-think the decision to sign this oppressive treaty.

SIG P320: THE 10,000+ ROUND REVIEW

SIGs latest offering, the P320, is their first foray into the polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol market. A market which we all know has very tough competition from many, well-proven pistols. So, for the P320 to stand a chance, the good people at SIG had to come up with something special. Did they succeed?

Let me admit, right off the bat, that I carried, and used, a SIG P226 for many years as a soldier and private security contractor. It became a part of me. An extension of my arm. As far as I’m concerned, the P226 is the most combat proven pistol on the planet. Therefore, yes; I am a SIG fan, but this will not bias my review. Firstly, because I don’t particularly like polymer-framed handguns; I tend to prefer the heft and solidity of an all-metal gun. And secondly, precisely because I’m such a SIG fan, I have exceedingly high expectations of their products. If something didn’t measure up, I would be the first to call them on their shortcomings.

I must also mention that SIG did not send me the P320 as a freebee for testing. Nor am I writing this review based on a week or two of trials. I purchased this firearm myself in the summer of 2014 (it was one of the first imported into Canada). I have used it for my personal training, and to teach others, for the past year and a half. I have put over 10,000 rounds through it. It has been shot in a variety of weather conditions from a 30°C British Columbian summer, to a -30°C Albertan winter. I did not acquire the P320 so I could review it; I acquired it so I could use it!

My Full Size P320 is chambered for 9mm Para. It arrived in a reasonably sturdy plastic case, and included: two excellent 10rd mags, a kydex holster, a keyed cable lock, an orange chamber flag, and a manual. The supplied holster is worth a brief mention because, simply put, it’s garbage. Cheap and poorly made. Firearm retention is awful and cannot be relied upon to keep the gun secure. The holster’s paddle attachment is also a waste of time. I tried it once and it has been gathering dust ever since. Overall, it would have been better had SIG reduced the price by $50, and not bothered including the holster.

Speaking of holsters; because it’s so new, accessories for the P320 are currently few and far between, but that should change as the pistol becomes more established. It’s not too much of a worry though because the P320’s dimensions are the same as the well-known P250, so they can share holsters.

Now, let’s get stuck in to the gun itself. I have broken down my findings, and listed them in order of importance:

1 – Safety

This is my main priority when purchasing any firearm. It must function safely. Always and forever. And, as expected, the P320’s design and construction is safe; it only ever went bang when I told it to.

2 – Accuracy and Reliability

For obvious reasons, these two areas tie for second place in my order of priorities.

As you’d expect, the P320 was far more accurate than I am. It always hit everything I asked it to, from 5 yards to 25. If groupings were less than awesome; the fault was mine, not the gun’s.

Any gun I own has to be soldier-proof. If it can’t take a beating, then it has no place in my safe. And during my usual training, the P320 has taken plenty of beatings. It has been dropped and banged around; it has gotten wet, dirty, and been covered with snow. And it has always functioned flawlessly.

Over the last eighteen months, I have not experienced a single malfunction that wasn’t ammo related (bad primer etc.). Of the 10+k rounds I have fired, some have been from the reputable factories of Federal and Hornady; some have come from overseas manufacturers who I haven’t even heard of; some have been factory reloads from BDX or CRS; some where brass cased, some were steel; projectiles varied from 115gr FMJs to 135gr +P JHPs. The P320 ate them all.

When it comes to reliability, this is a fairly impressive track record, and some might consider it to be proof enough. But here at Calibre, we like to push the boundaries of reasonable firearms use. So recently, on one surprisingly sunny Vancouver Island weekend, a buddy and I decided to see how much environmental torture it could handle.

First, we dug a hole in the gravelly dirt and buried it, action open. Grit and sand found their way through every gap, into every hole, and, as we should have predicted, prevented the slide from going fully into battery. So we stripped it and gave everything a shake off. Then reassembled, loaded, aimed, and pressed the trigger. Bang. It ate an entire mag with no stoppages.

Not entirely satisfied with a purely dry-dirt test, we stripped it, and dunked the parts in wet mud, making sure to stuff filth into every visible crevice. Reassemble, load, aim, press. Bang. As before, the P320 cycled perfectly. The only downside was my face getting plastered with mud from the reciprocating slide.

Finally, we gave the SIG a shower to remove most of the mud and sand, and then submerged it in murky pond water. We shook out all the bubbles, and let it soak for several minutes. Then load, aim, press… Click. A brief investigation discovered that the striker channel was totally water-logged and had delivered a light primer strike. I shook the water out, chambered a fresh round, aimed, pressed. Bang. No more light strikes.

Due to the P320 currently being my main go-to pistol, I chose not to barbeque it or drag it behind my Jeep - a decision which goes somewhat against the grain of a true Calibre review – and I hope you can forgive me. But despite the lack of flames and road rash, we were suitably impressed by the P320. I can confidently say that this is a very reliable firearm.

3 – Simplicity

The KISS principle has been hammered into me since my first days as a soldier. I like simple. And there aren’t many handguns as simple as the P320.

The controls are kept basic. Like many modern striker-fired handguns, the internal safety systems rule out the need for an external catch, which is great. You either press the trigger, or you don’t.

Stripping the P320 is, perhaps, the easiest of any handgun on the market. Safety was on the top of SIG’s priority list here; you cannot strip the firearm without first removing the magazine and, unlike most other striker-fired handguns, you don’t need to press the trigger.

The initial field strip is fairly standard: once you’ve PROVEd the firearm safe, lock the slide to the rear, rotate the takedown lever, and then strip the slide off the front of the frame. The metal guide rod, and captive recoil spring, can be popped out, and finally the barrel can be lifted up and out of the slide. And that is probably as far as most shooters will ever need to go. But what about if one were foolish enough to deliberately stuff mud into the complicated bits? Easy; you take them all out!

We’ll start by removing the Fire Control Unit (which is the serialized part of the gun) from the polymer frame: pull the takedown pin out of the frame and the FCU will lift up and out. We’re not done yet; mud is bound to have found its way into the striker channel and extractor assembly too, so we might as well remove those while we’re at it: using the corner of the takedown lever, press in the extractor spring guide on the back of the slide, and then push the rear slide-cap down and out. Now you can pull the striker assembly, and extractor spring assembly, out of the slide. Finally, flick the extractor out of its home on the back of the ejection port. Done. There’s nowhere left for mud to hide.

Even without rushing, the P320 can be field stripped, including removing the FCU, striker and extractor assemblies, in about 20 seconds. In the dark. Without tools. Couldn’t be simpler.

4 – Ergonomics

Ergonomically speaking, all semi-automatic handguns are pretty much the same. True, they all have slightly different grip angles, grip shapes, and bore axes; buttons and levers can be different shapes, and are located in slightly different places. But, fundamentally, they’re all the same. I believe that if you can shoot one handgun, you should be able to shoot any handgun. Like cars. They’re all slightly different too, but if you can drive one, you should be able to drive them all.

With that said, if a gun is comfortable, and if the controls are well placed, then it’s a welcome bonus. SIG has a reputation for making comfortable guns, and the P320 is no exception.

Unsatisfied with changeable back-straps and such, SIG took customization a step further with this new gun, and created changeable frames. The P320 is available with three grip sizes: small, medium, and large, each of which is fully interchangeable without swapping the slide assembly, FCU, or magazines. My medium sized frame, with its rounded, well stippled grip, fits my average sized mitts like the proverbial glove, and should do likewise for 99% of shooters.

The mag release is well placed and easily reversible for lefties. The slide lock is fully ambidextrous, and, despite a few initial problems of my riding it with my thumb, I find its location to be just fine. The mag well is plenty wide enough to easily accept a magazine, even when the shooter is fumbling under stress.

The slide has aggressive serrations, front and rear, and I have never had any slippage when racking, even with wet hands.

I have heard people complain about the P320’s bore axis. It is higher than that of a Glock. But if that is something that really bothers a person, then either they are very picky, or they need to train more and get over it. The minor difference in bore axis is a relative non-issue when you apply this firearm to practical, tactical shooting.

When the gun is empty it does feel a tad front-heavy; the light-weight polymer frame doesn’t offer the same balanced feeling as an all metal gun. This wasn’t a concern for me for several reasons; one, a slightly heavier front end can help mitigate muzzle jump; two, I added a Surefire X300U to the pic rail which would make any handgun feel front-heavy; and three, because – just like the aforementioned bore axis issue – during realistic, tactical shooting this detail is totally insignificant.

5 – Other Stuff

The P320 has one of the best out-of-the-box triggers of any striker-fired handgun I’ve shot. It is beaten only by Walther’s PPQ, and (maybe) H&K’s SFP9. It is crisp with a short, positive reset, and is consistent at around 7lbs. I also like the fact that it doesn’t have an integral trigger safety like the Walther and the H&K (and Glock); I have never liked how those little levers feel against my delicate finger-tips!

The much-talked-about modular nature of the P320 has been one of its major selling points. As well as the interchangeable frame sizes, SIG is working on calibre conversion kits which will allow users to buy an extra slide, barrel, and recoil assembly for use with their existing frames and FCUs. The conversion kits are rumored to become available this year in 9mm Para, .40S&W, .357SIG, and .45ACP. This interchangeability makes for a hugely versatile gun.

The pistol comes with three-dot SIGLITE Night Sights which are excellent in low light/no light situations. However, when used with a lot of ambient light, they’re not great. The Tritium dots just don’t stand out very well in daylight. In fairness to SIG, I don’t think it’s possible to have open sights which function perfectly in both bright light and the dark. There is always some sort of compromise, and, if we bear that in mind, the P320’s sights are adequately serviceable.

When installing and removing lights, I found the frame’s integral picatinny rail to be a hair too wide. I have tried Surefire, Streamlight, and Inforce lights, and they are all a very tight fit. I guess this could be considered an asset to help prevent them coming loose, but it does make fitting and removal a pain in the backside.

The overall construction, fit and finish of the P320 is as good as any other SIG. The Nitron coating on the slide has a nice matte finish, and has held up remarkably well, now sporting but a few battle scars. The polymer frame has suffered a bit more from hard use, and now proudly displays numerous minor wounds. All this cosmetic damage is to be expected from a well used tool, and despite these many blemishes, the pistol is far from disfigured. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that it is even more beautiful now than the day we met.

One final feature of this pistol, which cannot be overlooked, is the price. A SIG for $700?!? – Bargain!

Conclusion

On the whole, I have been impressed with the P320. SIG have indeed produced something special. In a tactical application, I would be happy to bet my life on its performance. In a range application, it’s comfortable and a heck of a lot of fun. I recommend it to everybody.

RCMP ISSUE NOTICE CLARIFYING STANCE ON 10/22 MAGAZINES

A full 20 days after information leaked out that the RCMP were moving towards a prohibition of 10+ round 10/22 magazines, an official notice has been posted to the RCMP Canadian Firearms Website:

22 Long Rifle calibre magazines for 10/22 platform firearms

In light of several inquiries received recently regarding the legal status of 22 Long Rifle calibre magazines for 10/22 platform firearms, please see the following information:

This further explains the Special Bulletin for Business No. 72 that was issued in September 2013.

The maximum capacity of a cartridge magazine is set out in Part 4 of the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted (the Regulations) under the Criminal Code. Pursuant to the Regulations, a magazine that has a capacity which exceeds the maximum permitted capacity is a prohibited device.

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.

22 Long Rifle calibre magazines designed or manufactured for 10/22 platform rifles are also inherently designed or manufactured for 10/22 platform handguns. Because 22 Long Rifle calibre 10/22 platform magazines are designed or manufactured for use in a semi-automatic handgun, they are prohibited devices if they are capable of containing more than 10 cartridges. The 10 cartridge limit for the 10/22 platform applies irrespective of the type of firearm it is used in.

Questions and Answers

What are the latest changes to the legal status of 22 Long Rifle calibre magazines designed for the 10/22 platform of firearms?

The legal status of 22 Long Rifle calibre magazines designed for the 10/22 platform of firearms has not changed.

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.

What magazines are prescribed as prohibited?

Magazines designed for 22 Long Rifle calibre 10/22 platform firearms that have not been altered, or "pinned", so that they can hold more than 10 cartridges are prohibited devices.

Are 10 cartridge 22 Long Rifle calibre 10/22 platform magazines prohibited?

No. Factory made 22 Long Rifle calibre 10/22 platform magazines that cannot hold more than 10 cartridges are not prohibited.

Am I criminally in possession of a 22 Long Rifle calibre magazine?

If you are in possession of a 22 Long Rifle calibre magazine for 10/22 platform firearms that is not permanently altered, or "pinned" to meet the maximum capacity of a cartridge magazine, as set out in the Regulations, you may be in possession of a prohibited device.

If I am in possession of a 10/22 Long Rifle calibre magazine, how do I comply with the law?

A 10/22 platform magazine permanently altered, or "pinned", so that it cannot hold more than 10 cartridges, is no longer considered to be prohibited. Subsections 3(4) and 3(5) of Part 4 of the Regulations as outlined below describe the acceptable methods of altering or re-manufacturing a cartridge magazine so that it cannot hold more than the legal limit.

3(4) A cartridge magazine described in subsection (1) that has been altered or re-manufactured so that it is not capable of containing more than five or ten cartridges, as the case may be, of the type for which it was originally designed is not a prohibited device as prescribed by that subsection if the modification to the magazine cannot be easily removed and the magazine cannot be easily further altered so that it is so capable of containing more than five or ten cartridges, as the case may be.
3(5) For the purposes of subsection (4), altering or re-manufacturing a cartridge magazine includes:
- (a) the indentation of its casing by forging, casting, swaging or impressing;
- (b) in the case of a cartridge magazine with a steel or aluminum casing, the insertion and attachment of a plug, sleeve, rod, pin, flange or similar device, made of steel or aluminum, as the case may be, or of a similar material, to the inner surface of its casing by welding, brazing or any other similar method; or
- (c) in the case of a cartridge magazine with a casing made of a material other than steel or aluminum, the attachment of a plug, sleeve, rod, pin, flange or similar device, made of steel or of a material similar to that of the magazine casing, to the inner surface of its casing by welding, brazing or any other similar method or by applying a permanent adhesive substance, such as a cement or an epoxy or other glue.

Lawful disposition options are available if you no longer wish to possess an overcapacity magazine. Please contact the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 for further details.

Source: http://www.rcmp.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/notice-avis-2016-07-27-eng.htm#q1

Editorial Note

Just over a year ago, I wrote that in light of the Trudeau victory at the ballot boxes, we as gun owners must come together as one unit for precisely this situation. Regardless of whether or not you happen to own one of these magazines, we absolutely must stand up to this, and make our voice heard as a community.

What will we be doing? Well, we'll be doing what we hope we do best: Keeping everyone informed. Calibre staff are already in communication with stakeholders in various gun rights and advocacy groups, and are working to ensure that all groups have all the relevant information at their disposal. To that end there will be a new category on this website replacing our SHOT Show coverage with new 10/22 magazine information as it becomes available. That section will also serve as a repository for all our Calibre-prepared form letters, online mailing tools, social media plans and shareables, and phone campaigns so you too can help us fight.

But before we can do that we need to make sure we know what direction we're pushing. Between the gun industry organization (CSAAA), our largest gun rights organization (CSSA), and the newest advocacy group (CCFR) working on public education, and ourselves as a firearm media creator and outlet, there are a lot of people involved in fighting this and step one is making sure that there is a clear and actionable plan that spans all the involved parties. Including us!

So what can you do? First, join the CSSA. As we wrote in that previous article:

We need a single group, with a single vision, representing as many of Canada’s two million gun owners as possible. Without that, we are a fractured entity pushing and pulling in any number of ways at one time, rather than a single force capable of exerting massive pressure in a single direction.

That front is the Canadian Shooting Sports Association. It literally cannot be made simpler than that eight word sentence. But why?

Because what we need, first and foremost, is a single group that has three attributes: A knowledge of legislative process and possessing a high level of legislative credibility, an infrastructure to manage membership and contributions responsibly, and the ability to develop a single cohesive strategy with which to engage government. The CSSA is the only group extant that possesses all of these attributes right now. And we need to rally behind one group right now. Every day that we do not is another day with which the anti-gun movements gets ahead of us.

We understand that other firearm-centric groups exist in Canada, and we respect them, their members and their efforts. As a business, we love anyone that puts effort into fighting for gun rights. But as much as each group serves a purpose, what we will need more than anything is a single group with a large membership, in order to sway legislators. This election saw the Liberals eke out a victory with a surprisingly small percentage of the actual ballots cast, which ensures that our success will ride upon the amount of voter support our organizational representatives can bring to the table… and that means we need at least one organization with as many members as we can muster. To put it in perspective, the difference between an overwhelming Liberal majority and the second-place CPC voter turnout was 1.5 million. There are over 2 million licensed gun owners in Canada. The sooner we can provide our lobbyists with membership numbers that better reflect our voting power, the sooner the issue of gun control stops being a matter for partisan politics.

Now, we ask that all gun owners follow through on that for one very simple reason that we won't beat around the bush on: Funding. This is going to be a long fight and as the largest organization the CSSA already has the deepest pockets and the infrastructure to support them. Making those pockets deeper simply allows them to make better use of any economies of scale that are available to them. Producing any sort of PR campaign, lobbying government, hiring lawyers, and investigation what government is doing all costs money.

But we won't stop there. So, we would ask that you not only join, but get involved. From volunteering on up, an organization is only as good as it's members, so don't just pay your dues... wade in, help out, and get involved! It's literally as easy as emailing them and saying you want to volunteer. We're sure they'll find something for you to do!

Finally, we won't go as far as to say if you're not with us you're against us, but we will remind all our readers that if you aren't at least a member of a gun organization, and you're not sending letters or phoning your local MP, you are not helping us. And we need you... all of you. So please help.

10/22 MAGAZINE UPDATE: FORMAL STATEMENTS

While the 24 hours following the initial news that the Canadian Firearms Program had issued an internal document indicating all 10+ round Ruger 10/22 magazine prohibited was relatively quiet, with no new documentation nor statements made available, Calibre has been made aware that a memo has been circulated to police departments nationwide this morning advising officers of the following:

"Prohibited 10/22 Platform Magazines

Issue

This concerns the classification of 22 Long Rifle (22LR) calibre cartridge magazines designed or manufactured for Ruger 10/22 rifles, Charger pistols and related firearms, commonly referred to as the “10/22 platform”.

History

The Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) has responded to numerous queries from individuals and firearms businesses concerning the classification of magazines designed or manufactured for Ruger brand 10/22 rifles and Charger pistols, plus clones of such firearms made by other manufacturers. The overall issue was that any 10/22 platform magazine which exceeded ten shots capacity was a prohibited device. This information was also well circulated on Canadian online forums specializing in firearms issues. The CFP specifically addressed one of the more common overcapacity 10/22 platform magazines, the Ruger BX-25 magazine, which contains 25 cartridges and is described by Ruger as being manufactured for both the Ruger 10/22 rifle series and 22 Charger pistol series, identifying the BX-25 magazine as a prohibited device (CFP Bulletin 72, 2013-09-05).

Additionally, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) decided that a similar magazine, the Ruger BX-25x2 magazine (50 shots), was a prohibited device (AP-2013-059).

Magazines up to 110 shot capacity are available. Although the 22LR cartridge is less powerful than most, it is nonetheless lethal, and combined with high capacity magazines, presents a public safety hazard and an officer safety concern when responding to incidents involving these magazines.

Notwithstanding the steps taken to inform the Canadian public and firearms businesses, it appears that prohibited 10/22 platform magazines continue to be imported into Canada and sold by unqualified businesses and individuals.

Rationale

In short, 10/22 platform magazines are designed and/or manufactured for both rifles and handguns. While rimfire calibre rifle magazines are not regulated, the capacity of handgun magazines is universally limited to ten cartridges, and in consequence, 10/22 platform magazines are prohibited devices if the ten shot limit is exceeded. Whether the magazine is intended by the importer to be used in a rifle is not relevant to the classification determination.

Summary

All 22 Long Rifle calibre magazines for the 10/22 platform, regardless of brand, are prohibited devices at any capacity exceeding ten shots. The ten shot limit applies irrespective of the type of firearm it is used in. Magazines exceeding ten shots capacity are not prohibited devices if reduced in capacity to ten shots or less by pinning or by other means described in the magazine regulations.

Action Required

CFP will continue to distribute the information to law enforcement (CACP, CROPS, NWEST, Public Safety Canada), businesses and clients (through CFO's offices) concerning the classification of those magazines."

(source: http://www.police.midland.on.ca/news/prohibited-1022-platform-magazines-chargeurs-prohib%C3%A9s-de-plateforme-1022#.V4-jO_mU0uV)

Industry Response

The Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association, representing Canadian firearms distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, and media (including this publication), held an emergency meeting to address the issue. Calibre has been informed that legal representation was present during this meeting, and that the CSAAA’s legal team is exploring all avenues and options available to both industry members and consumers that may be affected by the RCMP’s statements. The CSAAA released the following statement:

“We have confirmed the RCMP has internally instructed CFOs and law enforcement that any 10/22 high capacity magazine (any magazine not limited to 10 rounds) is considered prohibited. No new bulletin has been issued, the RCMP states this is based on the original Bulletin No. 72 dated March, 2011 and updated September 2013. They are claiming this is simply enforcement of an existing regulation.

The CSAAA Board met this afternoon to consider options, an announcement will be coming shortly.

In the meantime, as a result of the current controversy, the CSAAA advises wholesalers, distributors and retailers with current inventory of 10/22 high capacity magazines to cease any trade or transfers of this product until further advised. Retailers should remove them from store shelves and websites. We do not recommend destroying, returning or "turning in" this product to anyone at this time until further clarification is received.

Retailers are advised to tell their customers who currently own any of these magazines not to transfer, trade, or "turn in" these magazines at this time. Nor should they attempt to modify or "pin" the magazines themselves. Consumers should keep the products safely stored where they are and await further instructions.”

What does this all mean?

Astute Calibre readers will recall that much of this scenario closely mimics the situation that arose months ago involving similar overtures from the Canadian Firearms Program staff interpreting .50 Beowulf magazines as prohibited devices. In that situation, public outcry and political pressures resulted in the firearms program cancelling a planned bulletin release, and pulling back from their position that possession of a .50 Beowulf magazine be formally prohibited.

However, while possession of a .50 Beowulf magazine is unlikely to result in criminal charges, the steps made by the RCMP towards the prohibition of those magazines was enough to place the import of the magazines in some form of as-yet unexplained grey area. As a result, importers have had inbound shipments of American-made .50 Beowulf magazines denied entry into Canada; turning the shipments around at the border.

But with the notice served to police departments this morning, the situation surrounding 10/22 magazines obviously represents yet another step forward by the RCMP; a step beyond de facto prohibition through undeclared importation bans, such as we saw with .50 Beowulf magazines. This evolution, and the recurrent theme of “dual-use” magazines being the targets of these statements and releases, fits with the Firearms Program’s well-known agenda of reducing magazine capacities through creative interpretation of the regulations.

So just what do the regulations, canonized in law, stipulate? Well for those we must turn to the 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). The title of the document gives a clear insight into its “clear, concise” nature.

Within what we will now simply call “the regulations,” the sections pursuant to general magazine capacity are as follows, with the particular sections speaking to the legality of 10+ round 10/22 magazines highlighted:

Section 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.

Note that the phrase “for which the magazine was originally designed” refers not to the firearm the magazine was designed for, but rather, the cartridge the magazine was designed for. The latter clause, “that is designed or manufactured for use in” is the clause that actually determines the legal capacity of a magazine.

Also note that the issue is further muddied by subsection two, which limits the scope of paragraph (1)(a) to not include rimfire rifle magazines, but it should be noted that the RCMP’s allegation hinges upon the application of paragraph (1)(b), which is not limited in the regulations in a manner pursuant to the various 10/22 magazines available.

In short, our own (admittedly non-law-degree-equipped) understanding of the situation is that the Canadian Firearms Program is alleging all 10+ round magazines that will fit a 10/22 magazine well were designed or manufactured for pistols; such as the Teck-22 or Ruger Charger. It is an interpretation that would see all Ruger 10/22 magazines are subject to the capacity limits imposed by Section 2, Paragraph (1)(b). Note that this allegation does not require any changes to regulations, but rather represents a change in the application of the regulations, by way of the new alleged definition of 10+ round 10/22 magazines as “pistol,” or “dual-use” magazines.

However, as almost all of these magazines were designed prior to any “10/22 platform” pistol’s existence, and have been manufactured, marketed, and marked “for rifle use only,” the argument to the contrary seems obvious; that the magazines are manufactured and/or designed for use in rifles and, as such, not limited in their capacity.

What can you do?

In the coming days, form letters and statements will be made available to the general public by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association for individuals to circulate to their own MPs and the Minister of Public Safety, Ralph Goodale. The aim of these letters and statements will be to educate our legislators and community stakeholders about the matter at hand in a manner that is consistent, clear, and concise. We at Calibre will work to make this letter easily accessible to all gun owners.

RCMP MOVING TO DECLARE ALL 10+ ROUND 10/22 MAGAZINES PROHIBITED DEVICES

Update:

We have uploaded the audio from the most lucid of our three phone calls with the Canadian Firearms Centre and it can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3mlD4rvzvU

Original Story:

The RCMP have made statements indicating there may be internal machinations working to declare that all Ruger 10/22 magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds are now prohibited devices. This definition is the result of the RCMP determining that all 10/22 magazines are “inherently designed for the [10/22] handgun."

Calibre learned of the story through the following release from the Moncton Fish & Game Club, and confirmed the story through a series of three phone calls to the Firearms Centre to ensure the consistency of the information we were being told. The press release follows, with our own information gleaned from the trio of phone interviews below.

“The Moncton fish & Game Association (MFGA) has just learned today, that ALL large capacity magazines (more than 10 rounds) for the Ruger 10/22 are now considered Prohibited Devices under the Firearms Act.

From what we have been told at the moment, these large capacity magazines will fit certain specific handguns (pistols) thereby creating a situation where the pistol capacity now exceeds the 10 round limit on handguns. Individuals, who for an example, have a Butler Creek 25 round magazine for their 10/22 must now have the magazine "pinned" to 10 rounds, leave the magazine at home, or turn it in for destruction by the RCMP.

This does not affect those with Remington rim fire rifles or other manufacturers. Apparently this is unique to the Ruger 10/22.

Our Range Manager has been in contact with the RCMP-CFO and some form of official notification will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. As soon as we get official word we will pass it along. We advise our Association members not to use or destroy the large capacity magazines for their 10/22s until we get the official wording and more technical information from the RCMP-CFO.

The MFGA wants to thank Green Diamond Outfitters for letting us know about this new regulation as they received a visit from the CFO earlier today, and were required to pull some inventory from their shelves in order to not violate the new regulations.

Apparently Cabela’s and Bass Pro were going to be visited by the RCMP as well to review their stock.

We are providing this information as a courtesy in order to ensure people do not run afoul of the law.

Robert Snider
President
Moncton Fish & Game Association”

In our own follow up research, we have learned that distributors of some 10/22 magazines, such as the GSG drum magazine, have not been informed of this change. The distributor of the popular Butler Creek Hot Lips and Steel Lips magazines was unavailable for comment at the time of writing. Furthermore, we have learned not all retailers have been made aware of the change, with many independent gun retailers still currently stocking the effected magazines. However, larger national chains such as Cabela’s were informed, and as such have pulled all effected magazines from store inventory.

Unfortunately no public bulletin has been released, but staff at the Canadian Firearms Centre have been furnished with what we can only assume is an early draft of the bulletin, which clarifies the RCMP position that all 10/22 magazines are handgun and was read to Calibre staff in precisely the same manner in a trio of phone calls to the CFC earlier today: “Were .22 calibre long rifle magazines originally designed for rifles? No. .22 calibre long rifle magazines originally designed for 10/22 platform rifles are also inherently designed for the handgun.”

The logic here is grossly negligent, ignoring the simple fact many of the 25-round capacity 10/22 magazines predate the 10/22 Charger pistol’s creation, which in turn creates an obvious conflict with the existing Bulletin 72 that clearly states “that the maximum permitted capacity of a magazine is determined by the physical characteristics of the firearm it is designed or manufactured for.” In other words, a magazine designed in the 1970s for a rimfire carbine cannot possibly be considered “designed” for a handgun that first appeared in 2007. At least, not without Marty McFly involved.

However, due to the lack of formal public notice in the form of a Special Bulletin or otherwise, and the unchanged status of the legal regulations, Tony Bernardo and the CSSA suggests anyone in possession of a potentially effected magazine await further instructions.

We will be in contact with additional resources over the coming days and will continue to stay on this story until it is resolved.