A new amendment to Bill C-21, which would prohibit many common hunting rifles and shotguns, was introduced on Monday, May 1, 2023.
The amendment defines a prohibited firearm as:
- A firearm that is not a handgun and that
- Discharges centrefire ammunition;
- In a semi-automatic manner; and
- Was originally designed with a detachable magazine with a capacity of six cartridges or more
Few details on the implications of the amendment are available, but the new definition would cover firearms designed and manufactured after Bill C-21 comes into effect. It wouldn’t cover “the classification of existing firearms in the marketplace.”
The amendments also:
- Require a valid Canadian Firearms Reference Table number before entering the Canadian marketplace
- Require the permanent alteration of any long gun magazines to limit the capacity to no more than five rounds
- Re-establish the Firearms Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Minister of Public Safety on firearms laws
- Tackles ghost guns that are assembled from firearms parts
It is not clear if the magazine restrictions apply to rimfire magazines, which were exempt under previous regulations.
More details will be provided as they become available.
