Adoption of regulations that would require domestic and imported firearms in Canada to be marked by manufacturer, serial number and “Canada” or “CA” have been delayed for a seventh time. The regs are intended to meet international protocols from both the UN and OAS (Organization of American States).
To the delay, we say, “Yessssss!”
It makes sense to drop the plan altogether, as Canada’s National Firearms Association suggests. First, neither the UN nor OAS is any friend to civil firearms ownership, nor have they ever been. Second, such marking for the stated purpose of tracing is notoriously ineffective: Of the tiny percentage of firearms used in crimes, only two percent of those are usefully traced.
Lastly, the one thing such markings and their subsequent lists of owners are good for is confiscation, as oft-repeated history uniformly shows. There’s one good thing to do with the plan: Scrap it!
