Firearm owner numbers rising

[Gilroy]

An increased gun ownership can result in an increase to the restrictions, which in turn could potentialy result in an incremental loss of priveledges such as the recent restricted gun sales.

We, as gun owners, can follow one of two general paths.

1. We can continue to operate as individuals, jump up and down, and complain when our priveledges are incremnentaly reduced
2. We can join together and show more response to society's gun concerns and lobby the government for a more challenging PAL test, more accountability for gun use/storage, and an increased overal difficulty and cost to the process

In scenario 1 we will gradually loose priveledges, in scenario 2 we keep privledges.

In the US there seems to be an initiative put forth by Matthew McConaughey which the governrment should take action that can save lives without infringing on second amendment rights. He takes an impartial approach which creates inclusion from both sides. Ulitimately, gun ownership is retained.

This is a very good post and the problem I see is that gun owners who I agree are very law abiding should have been a little more sensitive to the Canadian publics concern about guns in general.

I advocated on here for years that the gun REGISTRY was a pretty reasonable approach to indicate to the public that we are :

Law Abiding
Are prepared to account for the whereabouts of our guns.
Are prepared to store them properly and report any theft immediately.

But what we saw was an extreme position taken by the various gun rights lobby groups to act as a political force and opposed the registry.

I have not meet any hunters for instance who opposed the registry and the VAST MAJORITY of gun owners did comply and register their guns.

So the money on the registry was already spent, the system was up and running and MOST importantly we looked like A REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE BUCH OF FOLKS.

It was the more EXTREME element IMHO with gun rights views fueled by gun companies and our American cousins and by a POLITICAL PARTY in Canada who decided they needed the registry gone.

I warned everybody on here that the Liberals and gun rights groups would FIGHT BACK and as it turns out got even MORE EXTREME in their demands.

Guess what you got back to back Liberal Governments backed by the anti gun NDP as a result and we have the situation we have today.

We also have Police Services placed in a much more difficult situation to investigate gun crimes and even to RETURN STOLEN GUNS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS when recovered.

Gun owners in Canada will not be standing together as one entity because you have many many sub groups LIBERALS, NDPers, Conservatives, The Bloc.

Divide that again by hunters, target shooters, assault rifle enthusiasts, so no we will not all be rowing this boat in the same direction.

So getting back to the thread if we accept that PAL ownership is up in Canada and most on here accept that means more people own guns, it will be then natural to expect the Police Services to assume you own guns and what the implications of that might mean?

[bellerivercrossbowhunter]

I am a hunter and I am and always was very opposed to the long gun registry!

Mainly because it did nothing to stop the illegal gun trade in Canada...

[Gilroy]

I am a hunter and I am and always was very opposed to the long gun registry!

Mainly because it did nothing to stop the illegal gun trade in Canada...

Its purpose was not to stop the illegal gun trade ONLY, the purpose was to make gun owners accountable for their guns, to ensure safe storage and have a method to trace guns back to their source.

How do officers retrieve guns on a court ordered prohibition if they do not know if the prohibited person now has guns. The registry told them the guns owned and bye and large where they could be located.

If a prohibited person lets say who has been convicted of threatening his ex spouse to shoot her, their is no way now of taking their guns if they do not voluntarily turn them in or even knowing what they own,
sure they have a PAL but the road ends there.

Your home gets broken into and your guns collection is stolen, if you have no serial numbers you can say goodbye to your guns because a description of the make and model will not be enough as most all CPIC checks are done by serial number exclusively.

Your only hope of recovery is a diligent LOCAL officers recognizing a particular description of guns from a particular break and enter or theft.

[GuyJR]

This is a very good post and the problem I see is that gun owners who I agree are very law abiding should have been a little more sensitive to the Canadian publics concern about guns in general.

I advocated on here for years that the gun REGISTRY was a pretty reasonable approach to indicate to the public that we are :

Law Abiding
Are prepared to account for the whereabouts of our guns.
Are prepared to store them properly and report any theft immediately.

But what we saw was an extreme position taken by the various gun rights lobby groups to act as a political force and opposed the registry.

I have not meet any hunters for instance who opposed the registry and the VAST MAJORITY of gun owners did comply and register their guns.

So the money on the registry was already spent, the system was up and running and MOST importantly we looked like A REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE BUCH OF FOLKS.

It was the more EXTREME element IMHO with gun rights views fueled by gun companies and our American cousins and by a POLITICAL PARTY in Canada who decided they needed the registry gone.

I warned everybody on here that the Liberals and gun rights groups would FIGHT BACK and as it turns out got even MORE EXTREME in their demands.

Guess what you got back to back Liberal Governments backed by the anti gun NDP as a result and we have the situation we have today.

We also have Police Services placed in a much more difficult situation to investigate gun crimes and even to RETURN STOLEN GUNS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS when recovered.

Gun owners in Canada will not be standing together as one entity because you have many many sub groups LIBERALS, NDPers, Conservatives, The Bloc.

Divide that again by hunters, target shooters, assault rifle enthusiasts, so no we will not all be rowing this boat in the same direction.

So getting back to the thread if we accept that PAL ownership is up in Canada and most on here accept that means more people own guns, it will be then natural to expect the Police Services to assume you own guns and what the implications of that might mean?

Your opinion of the gun registry is vastly different from any gun owner I have ever met. More in line to a power tripping cop or lefty politician. Registry was the first step in the liberals confiscation plan and nothing more.

[trimmer21]

Oh well we will all be OK when Pierre gets into power, all the handgun guys will get their privilege's restored, our AR 15 weekend warriors will be blasting away at pretend enemy positions at the range.

I am sure he will try and bring in minimum mandatory sentences once again just like Harper did and once again they will get shot down by the Supreme Court. Not to be outdone Doug is promising to build lots of new jails, following the example of the USA some 30 years ago did not work for them and will not work for us.

Firearm competitors of all stripes are NOT the people dealing drugs and shooting up neighborhoods killing innocent victims or targeting other gangbangers and paying organized criminals to import firearms into the country illegally. They should get ALL firearms returned,especially, the much-maligned,specifically designed for the civilian market semi-auto Armalite rifles so conveniently misnamed and vilified by the alt-leftist media, know-nothing BS artists.
The mere fact that handguns have been registered and strictly controlled since 1938,but,today are proliferating among the criminal element at an alarming rate despite of it, is in-yer-face testament to the futility of any registration system. Ripping up hundreds of millions of dollars on a continuing basis for a useless failed system only serves to show further failed political ideology. What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same useless thing over and over again expecting a different result.

[Gilroy]

Your opinion of the gun registry is vastly different from any gun owner I have ever met. More in line to a power tripping cop or lefty politician. Registry was the first step in the liberals confiscation plan and nothing more.

In your humble opinion.

My opinion seems to have been shared by Canadians who voted not once but twice lefty government and reflected the Majority of Canadians views and the gun issue was front and center in both elections.

[Gilroy]

Firearm competitors of all stripes are NOT the people dealing drugs and shooting up neighborhoods killing innocent victims or targeting other gangbangers and paying organized criminals to import firearms into the country illegally. They should get ALL firearms returned,especially, the much-maligned,specifically designed for the civilian market semi-auto Armalite rifles so conveniently misnamed and vilified by the alt-leftist media, know-nothing BS artists.
The mere fact that handguns have been registered and strictly controlled since 1938,but,today are proliferating among the criminal element at an alarming rate despite of it, is in-yer-face testament to the futility of any registration system. Ripping up hundreds of millions of dollars on a continuing basis for a useless failed system only serves to show further failed political ideology. What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same useless thing over and over again expecting a different result.

The registry was an excellent tool for keeping gun owners honest, storing their guns properly and assisting the police in the confiscation of guns from prohibited persons.

The added bonus of tracking guns back to scene scenes and return of stolen guns to owners.

The money was only WASTED when an already UP AND RUNNING system was demolished for Political gain.

[trimmer21]

The registry was an excellent tool for keeping gun owners honest, storing their guns properly and assisting the police in the confiscation of guns from prohibited persons.

The added bonus of tracking guns back to scene scenes and return of stolen guns to owners.

The money was only WASTED when an already UP AND RUNNING system was demolished for Political gain.

I disagree that it was the registry that "kept owners honest" (certainly not that they were an issue in the first place),but,rather the licensing system with it's educational attributes that I truly believe works, without doubt, above all else. As for returning stolen guns to their owners,I submit they could be counted on one hand,hardly justifying wasting taxpayer dollars on a failed program on a continuing basis. We were tossing good money after bad for no tangible result. The registry was useless,then,and it's still useless,now.

[bellerivercrossbowhunter]

I have a few LEO's and CBSA in my family and we had the discussion about firearms registry.

If they have to enter a residence or search a vehicle with a search warrant, they always presume a firearm is in the house/car.

Do you honestly think if the person they are after has no registered restricted guns or PAL they will just walk in with guns in their holster!

Boys never try to be logical with a Liberal you will get a headache. lol

[GuyJR]

I have a few LEO's and CBSA in my family and we had the discussion about firearms registry.

If they have to enter a residence or search a vehicle with a search warrant, they always presume a firearm is in the house/car.

Do you honestly think if the person they are after has no registered restricted guns or PAL they will just walk in with guns in their holster!

Boys never try to be logical with a Liberal you will get a headache. lol

I was going to reply again until I read your last sentence, lol. I will save the headache.