NEW CSSA Legal Opinion opens another Pandora’s Box!
May 8, 2020
OSHAWA: Public Safety Minister Bill Blair insisted, via a Twitter post, that the CSSA Legal Opinion proving he – through ignorance or incompetence – banned many 12-gauge and 10-gauge shotguns in SOR/2020-96 was wrong.
“Both 10- and 12-gauge shotguns are under the 20mm provision, and thus not subject to the prohibition. Our government is taking action to protect Canadians by banning assault-style weapons – not those used for hunting.”
Thank goodness for Twitter. Apparently it replaces the Criminal Code.
Also included are two new categories of firearms that are newly banned.
These are characterized by the following physical attributes:
- Firearms with 20 mm bore or greater.
- Firearms capable of discharging a projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10 000 joules.
Even if we accept Minister Blair’s bombast on bore diameter (we don’t), the key words of the energy limitation of 10,000 joules are:
“capable of discharging a projectile…”
READ THE NEW CSSA LEGAL OPINION:
“Section 96, Capable of 10,000 Joules” written by noted firearms expert Edward L. Burlew LL.B.
On Sunday, February 9, 2020, two months before anyone knew the Canadian government would ban guns using muzzle energy limits, Reddit user Bigbore_729 used a chronograph to capture what happened when he fired a 656-grain slug from a specially modified 12-gauge shotgun.
The slug exited the barrel at 2,270 feet per second. This is 7,507 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, or 10,178 joules, exceeding the government’s muzzle energy ceiling.
The Order-in-Council’s criteria for its muzzle energy limit is “capable of …”
It does not say “safely.” It does not say capable of doing it “more than once.”
This Reddit user proved a modified 12-gauge shotgun is “capable of discharging a projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10 000 joules.”
While we strongly advise against attempting this with your 12-gauge shotgun, this video proves a 12-gauge shotgun is “capable of,” potentially turning 12-gauge shotguns into Prohibited firearms under SOR/2020-96.
This is not an isolated circumstance.
Many very expensive hunting firearms – bolt actions, single shot and double rifle types – are prohibited. Some of these are fine, handmade, one-of-a-kind firearms worth many thousands of dollars and not a single semi-automatic “assault-type” weapon among them.
“Minister Blair should be ashamed of himself. His promise to Canadian rings hollow with deceit. Circumventing Parliament to steal the lawfully owned property of ordinary people is contemptible,” says CSSA Executive Director Tony Bernardo.
“The use of Order-in-Council to further the Liberals cultural annihilation of licenced firearm owners is an affront to democracy and all Canadians should be outraged,” Bernardo added.
Remember the Public Safety Minister’s promise to hunters, farmers and target shooters?
“I want to assure hunters and farmers and target shooters in this country that nothing that we are doing today or will do in the future is intended to interfere with this lawful, responsible and legal activity.”
—Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety, Friday, May 1, 2020.
When someone screws up once we can attribute it to ignorance or incompetence. But when he screws up twice on the same issue, that sounds like intentional deception to us.
We demand Minister Bill Blair immediately rescind SOR/2020-96 until such time as he can figure out what he’s really trying to accomplish.
He clearly hasn’t done so yet, and all hunters, farmers and target shooters are paying the price for his deceit.
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For more information contact:
Tony Bernardo
Executive Director
905-571-2150
info@cssa-cila.org
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