OFAH Releases Hunting Gun Report

"It is hard to wrap things up in a short paragraph, but I’ll give it a shot. If you plan to read the report, then consider this to be your spoiler alert.

Of the 64 firearms examined in the report that were previously non-restricted, almost all of them were used for hunting by Canadians. When looking at the form and function, the report concludes that there is nothing that separates these now prohibited firearms from other non-restricted firearms available for hunting in Canada."

That's how the author of a recently publicized report submitted to the Supreme Court presiding over the OIC case sums up his findings.

The report, spanning 68 pages and addressing everything from misconceptions around terminology like "military-style" or "military-grade" to discussions around what a hunting gun is, was compiled after a survey of members found nearly 86% of the different kinds of formerly non-restricted firearms prohibited by the OIC last year were used by OFAH members for hunting.

This result flies in the face of the legal requirement that sets out the Minister, in this case the former Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair, "is not of the opinion that any thing prescribed to be a prohibited firearm or a prohibited device, in the Annexed Regulations, is reasonable for use in Canada for hunting or sporting purposes."

Notably, OFAH has maintained absolute independence from all legal actions around the OIC, and have declined to support any party, morally or financially, in order to maintain independence during the preparation of this report for filing with the Supreme Court. As a result of this, and OFAH's longstanding history as a hunting organization, this report (and more importantly, the unassailable data it's based on) should carry a tremendous amount of weight and credibility alike with the Supreme Court.

There is one downside: Because the report is founded on the polling data, which determined how OFAH members used their firearms within the confines of Canadian statute, the AR-15 is not among the 64 varieties of formerly non-restricted firearms OFAH found were used commonly as hunting guns. As a result, it cannot be included in the report's formal findings regarding primary hunting firearms. However, it's not difficult to draw the parallels between the report's various technical conclusions and the argument in favour of the AR-15's re-legalization.

Read the author's summary and full report here: OFAH releases public version of the firearms report filed with the Federal Court - OFAH Insider