Excuse my ignorance

I must admit, I havent followed the stories and the media as far as this gun registration issue is concerned. So excuse my ignorance when it comes to my questions. Question: Am I correct in assuming that I have to have my little .22 rifle registered by the end of this year? If not, what are the TV commercials about... certificates or something like that? Anyways... if anyone could help me clarify this.

Thank You.

I believe this to be the case... This December 31st, you will have to obtain what I beleive is referred to as a PAC (personal acquisition cert.) and a POC (personal owners cert.). This will allow you to buy amunition and own a gun... I beleive that you do not have to get your rifle registered until the year 2002? Can anyone else help on this issue? My information may not be exactly correct. But I tried.

I've written about this issue recently, so the research is fresh in my mind.

By January 1, 2001, every owner of a firearm in Canada must be licensed. No guns need be registered at that time. However, by January 1, 2003, all firearms must be registered. That said, there is some rumor that as long as you have applied for a licence by January 1, 2001 you'll be O.K. That remains to be seen, although it's hard to believe they will be able to process all applications and issue licences by that date. However, the legislation/regulations state that you must be in possession of such a licence (or a valid FAC) by that date.

Licences can either be a Possession Only Licence (POL) or a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL). The POL is the easiest to get -- only requiring a one page application with little or no extra investigation into your background. However, with the POL you will not be able to purchase (or otherwise acquire) any more firearms. You will not be able to acquire a POL after January 1, 2001, but you will be able to renew it.

A PAL is more difficult to acquire. The application is longer, there is more investigation into your background, and it requires that you have either taken the federal firearms course or passed its test.

You will require a licence or valid FAC to purchase ammunition as of January 1, 2001. (There is no truth to the rumor that such a licence will be required to purchase provincial hunting licences.)

If you have a valid FAC that does not expire prior to January 1, 2001, it is as good as a PAL. When it does expires, you will have to apply for a PAL.

Confused? You're not alone. Go to the Canadian Firearms Centre web site (www.canadianfirearms.com) for more information, and licence application downloads.

Although I think we're stuck with licensing (we accepted it when FACs first came to be), I believe registration to be a costly boondoggle that penalizes law-abiding owners for the the actions of a few criminals. Registration will fail, one way or another, you can count on it! But it's convincing the politicians in power that it must be scrapped that is the problem. The gun control activitists have the upper hand in terms of public opinion, and as long as that is the case, it will be an uphill battle that will cost taxpayers more millions.

Don H. Meredith

Hi Jake: In a nutshell Don is correct. But, I don't think for a heartbeat we should think that this registry is going to fail. At the start I sort of felt that way too but I work in this industry as a gun shop owner and I have seen first hand the advance of this bureaucratic night mare. At first it was taking up to 6 months to get guns into our inventories (gunshop inventory). On top of that it was taking up to two months for us to turn guns over to our customers after they purchased the them from us.
The system has been changed and modified over the last two years to smooth out and stream line the registry system. At this date September 21/2000 it is taking one day to add a firearm to our inventory. It takes from 15 to 35 minutes to turn a firearm over to a customer unless the registration has to be sent to the province. Registration applications that are directed to the province are sent there because of grey areas about the applicant. These grey areas are generally things like mix ups with names. Say, too many John Smiths living in Edmonton. Or old criminal records.
They are not processing in the 10 minutes that they said they would but they are getting damned close. You must also remember that they are doing it this quickly during their and our busiest season.
Also there are a lot of rumors floating around that a change of government will toss this crap out . Well, Stockwell Day has not come forth publicly and said this.
On top of that how the hell do you un-spend a billion dollars and un-create 5000 jobs!
Don't get me wrong though, I'm not in favor of the registry and I have high hopes that Mommy will come and make it all better. But I am also a realist and I think we are stuck with it.
Rod Henrickson

Rod,

You make good points, especially with regard to the gun dealer point of view. And I'm glad customers are getting better service. But shouldn't that be the least the system should do?

I don't doubt the system should be able to efficiently register the day-to-day sales of firearms. Where I believe it will fail is in the registration of the seven to 20 million firearms that are not yet in the system. Many owners will not comply, or will register them incorrectly. The police will not use the system because it will not provide accurate and up-to-date information. And we live next to a country where firearms are not registered and our border with it is as leaky as a collander.

I agree with you about Stockwell Day, the Alliance, and any other political party that may take power. I'm sorry to see the opposition to registration go so party-political. That alienates a bunch of gun owners who may not wish to support certain parties for reasons other than gun control (and gun control is not an issue that will elect or defeat a government). And, who's to say party X will change the system. Once in power, they will be subject to the same pressures the Liberals are.

I also agree we may be stuck with registration. What I fear is that we may be stuck with it regardless of its failure, as has happened elsewhere. Because registration allows a government to say it is doing something about gun-related crime (when registration doesn't), they may tempted to keep it, despite soaring crime, lack of police confidence in the system, and a large black market in unregistered guns among people who otherwise aren't criminals.

Don H. Meredith

"Jake" There is no need for you to feel bad and apologetic over "ignorance about canada's gun laws". I don't think there are many in Canada or on the planet for that matter that "understand" them. (I'm not sure what planet Allan Rock is from.) It is good to see that you wish to get some kind of an understandable answer as to what you have to do to avoid becoming one of Canada's brand new criminals. Yes these laws "to reduce crime" will be creating new criminals. There will be millioms like you that do not know what they must do. And millions who will hold up one finger and say "register this!" We can only hope that there will not be too much actual violent crime caused by these new laws. Real criminals may think that they are in less danger of being opposed by what they think are safe unarmed canadians. They may be surprised and shot. Police may think they will have an easy job taking guns away from canadians. They may be surprised and........

I of course will drop my pants and bend over and comply with all laws regarding firearms.

The forward thinking minds of those who have the ear of the likes of Mr. Rock see the need,an urgent one,to remove all firearms from the general population. Nothing is likely to change their direction. Not to say they are just or right.This world has been and remains to be,at war....

Radar