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Mar30

Canada's Supreme Court - Are Pellet Guns Firearms?

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Airsoft in danger?

Canada's Supreme Court - Are Pellet Guns Firearms?

In what is an interesting news story spotted by Thumpy's 3-D House of Airsoft,  whatever the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada will affect ownership of airguns and even airsoft guns. Right now, Canadian airsoft players have to tread a fine line in importing and owning airsoft guns as airsoft guns can be classified as unregulated as long  as they have a muzzle velocity between 366 to 500fps on .20g BBs according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Anything below the minimum which will make them prohibited and classified as a Replica or above the maximum which will classify them as Firearms and thus, covered by the Firearms Act.

This is best explained in this chart made by Airsplat. Though it says in the chart that the maximum is 407fps, which is a narrower definition than what is stated at the RCMP website.

Following the link provided by Thumpy, the Ottawa Citizen reports that arguments will be heard by the Supreme Court, in case they agree with the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, will make owners of pellet guns to criminal charges and prison sentences if found guilty. The story is already dated, posted on the 21st of February, but so far, we have not heard of news if the Supreme Court already heard arguments on this issue.

The present way that owners of pellet guns are prosecuted only if they the pellet guns are used in intimidation or to cause bodily harm.

 

 

Such a definition is very broad that it can cover unregulated airsoft guns as BBs can also break skin or cause eye injuries for those not wearing protection if such injuries will be covered by what the Court of Appeal says as "serious bodily harm" as it will be open to different interpretations. Many Canadian air gun owners and airsoft players might want to cross their fingers, hoping that the Supreme Court will disagree with the Court of Appeal.

As to what action that the Canadian Airsoft Community can do, there's nothing much right now but hope the arguments of Dunn's lawyer, Solomon Friedman, would be taken seriously into consideration by the Supreme Court and decide in their favour. Otherwise, many then would be violating the Firearms Act together with air gun owners.

 

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