r/canadaguns • u/Low_Bar_804 • Apr 19 '26

News / Politics / Activism Owning guns- Right or Privilege?

So obviously here in Canada our government sees private firearm ownership as a privilege rather than a right. My question is, how you guys feel? Do you think gun ownership is a right or a privilege?

When you look at other things people view as rights, such as abortion, freedom of expression and freedom of religion etc. These are all viewed by most as inherently “good rights”, but in many countries these rights are restricted. I think, along with many others, that it is justified to ignore unjust laws that restrict human rights.

I personally believe that firearm ownership is a fundamental human right because it protects all of our other rights and freedoms from being taken away. So even though legally speaking firearm ownership is a privilege that can be taken away at any time here in Canada, I don’t agree with the way our country and many others treat firearm ownership.

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u/NefariousNatee Apr 19 '26

We aren't a country that was founded under war.

Yes firearms serve as a legitimate tool for hunting

No it shouldn't be a universal blessing to own firearms.

My stance is this, reverse the May 2020 firearms ban, drop the incoming amnesty period that ends October 30th, double the maximum magazine to 20 rounds on rifle calibers. No cap on handguns, and continue the existing vetting process for firearms license.

This is a conversation that needs to be had not only amongst firearm enthusiasts but the wider public.

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u/Eisgeschoss Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26

"My stance is this, reverse the May 2020 firearms ban, drop the incoming amnesty period that ends October 30th, double the maximum magazine to 20 rounds on rifle calibers. No cap on handguns, and continue the existing vetting process for firearms license."

I agree with all of this, but in addition my stance is that we should repeal the Section 91 Criminal Code amendments and return to how things worked under the FAC system until the mid-90s; i.e. we need to decriminalize "unlicensed" possession of Non-Restricted firearms, because in my opinion there is no legitimate reason for an innocent person to be thrown in jail for merely possessing an ordinary firearm (criminal acts done with a firearm, as well as cases where someone is demonstrably too dangerous to be trusted with a firearm, are already both covered under other laws/regulations; possession alone has no business being treated as a "crime"), like imagine an elderly farmer with no criminal record being arbitrarily hauled away for simply having a hunting rifle/shotgun that he rightfully bought at the hardware store 50+ years ago (back when licensing was minimal or non-existent), and other oppressive situations like that.

Also, we need to abolish the blanket classification of all handguns as Restricted, because certain types of handguns (long-barrelled and/or single-action revolvers, etc.) should rightfully be Non-Restricted.