The Great Gun Control Debate

[zipperhead_cop]

Wow my roommate just got off the phone with them cause he was a reference and they were asking questions like:

Has he shown any fascination with violence?

Can you think of *any* situations where he would approve of violence?

and of course "can you think of any reason he should not own a firearm" blah blah...

Haha.  You spend tonnes of time playing a violent war game.  I'm gonna rat you out!! 

 

[ballz]

Just an update...

The RCMP website for the Firearms Program says my license (PAL-Restricted) has been issued, and if I don't have it in 2 weeks to call them.

So, it showed up as "received" on 27 Sep 2010, shortly after they contacted myself and my references. They weren't able to contact my references first try (one had moved, the other was writing an exam), so they gave me a number for them to call.

My references had no concerns, and now, maybe a week later (if that... just check my posts I guess), the license is issued.

So the process for me, having no former spouses to be contacted, no criminal record, no former complaints (basically as blank a slate as you can get), with 2 references that had no problem, took them less than 30 days to approve it and send out the license. I can't say it was a painstaking process by any means.

Does this thing probably make a difference? No. Is it probably a waste of money? Yes.

But, the real concern for me, did they make it hard for myself, a law-abiding citizen with no reason to worry about, hard to obtain a firearm... No not really...

The registry I believe is crap, the licensing program has some legs but could be improved ten-fold).

 

[Ex-SHAD]

Couldn’t the constitutionality of the firearms registry be challenged under the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms?

 

[dangerboy]

Couldn’t the constitutionality of the firearms registry be challenged under the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms?

What exactly would you challenge? Not that I like the registry, I am curious to see what rights and freedoms are being violated.

 

[ModlrMike]

What exactly would you challenge? Not that I like the registry, I am curious to see what rights and freedoms are being violated.

How about:

Unreasonable search and seizure; or entering a home without a warrant? Both are provisions allowed under the Registry.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

How about:

Unreasonable search and seizure; or entering a home without a warrant? Both are provisions allowed under the Registry.

My understanding of the law was that if a police officer came to your door and asked to inspect your firearms you had two options: one let them in. If you let them in and the officer observed any other illegal activity (e.g) pot growing in the window) you were busted. Second option was to say NO. In this case the officer had to get a search warrant from a JP. If the JP said No, officer was SOL.

 

[DexOlesa]

I'd have to look it up but I believe that your choices actually are Let them in, or they are coming in anyways.

 

[ModlrMike]

My understanding of the law was that if a police officer came to your door and asked to inspect your firearms you had two options: one let them in. If you let them in and the officer observed any other illegal activity (e.g) pot growing in the window) you were busted. Second option was to say NO. In this case the officer had to get a search warrant from a JP. If the JP said No, officer was SOL.

Pot growing in the window would fall under the plain sight rule.

What the Firearms Act gives police is the authority to open any container or object in which a firearm or records of a firearm might be contained or may have been contained. This gives overly broad latitude to search, and without warrant.

 

[Kat Stevens]

The choices are;
a) Step aside and let them in, or
b) Handcuffed on your face with a knee in your back, and let them in.

 

[bdave]

Why would the law need to inspect my firearm?

 

[Kat Stevens]

They need to make sure that it's properly encased in carbonite, completely inaccessible, and that you havent used it to bust caps up in the hood, yo.

 

[Sig_Des]

Couldn’t the constitutionality of the firearms registry be challenged under the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms?

Have you ever had a look at the National Firearms Association (NFA) Website?

You won't have been the first to look at the constitutional defence:

Constitutional Defences

http://www.nfa.ca/node/226

Also: Search Warrants. The Police are at your door, what do YOU do?

http://www.nfa.ca/node/44

Also, a couple of informative articles by by the Canadian Shooting Sporst Association Legal Counsel here:

http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/legalinformation.html

 

[Colin Parkinson]

For your viewing pleasure I set up a blog to record peoples problems with the gun registry. If you have had an issue with the gun registry feel free to submit it. I might later set up a blog for PAL/POL/FAC problems

http://epicfailuresgunregistry.blogspot.com/

 

[Ex-SHAD]

So if the NFA site is correct, then any law enforcement officer must have a warrant if he wishes to inspect your firearms.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Correct or as I understand it, the CFO can request to inspect your firearms and arrange mutual agreed time to do so. You may also question the reasoning for the inspection and request if photos will suffice. If you refuse they must request a warrent which you can challenge in court prior to issuance.

 

[KevinB]

Several years ago I bought a FN L1A1, and a Hk91, both then Prohib 12(5) guns, they then called then wife (the training wife), and asked her if I havd talked about Brinks trucks and robberies (I shit you not).  I was working at a Police Station at the time, and going to U of C after getting out of the first time.  :

The CFO did asked to come and inspect my storage to which I obliged, he recommended some changes to where my AR's and MP-5 where stored, but only looked where my weapons where stored and did not ask to look anywhere else.

I beleive the Canadian system is broke and retarded, but so are so many other Canadian systems, that I don't see any changes coming down the pipe.

I let my Canadian RPAL expire, and sold off all my cdn guns when I moved down here, and lets just say I am not missing it...

 

[ballz]

So I purchased a Stag Arms AR15 Wednesday evening here in St. John's... Today I find out from the RCMP that I will not be getting it for a few weeks... Why?

You must register a restricted weapon under a category of your reason for owning one. You must either be registering it as a collector, or a target shooter.

Now, my intention was to buy the rifle and then get a membership, since what's the point in paying money for a membership without the damn rifle. Now in order to get the transfer completed so I can get an ATT to bring it home, I need to fill out an application to be a fricken collector which has to get reviewed.

What was the fricken point of all this harassing of me and my references they did before they gave me the RPAL just a couple weeks ago then???

 

[George Wallace]

The whole idea is to make the whole process as frustrating as possible that people will give up in their attempts to get a PAL, etc. and then not be able to legally purchase and legally own a firearm. 

 

[Stoker]

So I purchased a Stag Arms AR15 Wednesday evening here in St. John's... Today I find out from the RCMP that I will not be getting it for a few weeks... Why?

You must register a restricted weapon under a category of your reason for owning one. You must either be registering it as a collector, or a target shooter.

Now, my intention was to buy the rifle and then get a membership, since what's the point in paying money for a membership without the damn rifle. Now in order to get the transfer completed so I can get an ATT to bring it home, I need to fill out an application to be a fricken collector which has to get reviewed.

What was the fricken point of all this harassing of me and my references they did before they gave me the RPAL just a couple weeks ago then???

You know if you get collectors status you open yourself for inspections. The last prohib AK I bought they tried to get me to get collectors status as well, when I checked in to it I found out about the inspections. I kicked up a stink and ended up not having to do it. Getting a membership is not to bad, drop down the money and do the introduction course.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Several years ago I bought a FN L1A1, and a Hk91, both then Prohib 12(5) guns, they then called then wife (the training wife), and asked her if I havd talked about Brinks trucks and robberies (I crap you not).  I was working at a Police Station at the time, and going to U of C after getting out of the first time.  :

The CFO did asked to come and inspect my storage to which I obliged, he recommended some changes to where my AR's and MP-5 where stored, but only looked where my weapons where stored and did not ask to look anywhere else.

I beleive the Canadian system is broke and retarded, but so are so many other Canadian systems, that I don't see any changes coming down the pipe.

I let my Canadian RPAL expire, and sold off all my cdn guns when I moved down here, and lets just say I am not missing it...

You should have kept the RPAL as now you grandfather status would be gone, you likely could pick up some great deals and exported them to the US. I know it's frustrating but if circumstances change you will miss that 12(5) status and how I kick myself for not spending a $100 to get a pistol that would have put me into 12(6), I have 12(5) still.