r/canadaguns • u/Noah_S_Schwartz • May 19 '26
News / Politics / Activism When did Canada ban firearm suppressors/silencers/sound moderators?
Hi all. I am a researcher who does work on Firearms Policy. I am working on a policy paper to advocate for legalizing suppressors (as is the case in New Zealand, the UK, and most of Canada's peer countries in Europe).
I'm trying to figure out exactly when Canada banned firearm suppressors, and it's proving more difficult than I thought.
Most commentary or news sources trace the prohibition to the "early 1900s" but don't reference any laws, acts, or statutes - or even a specific year. I have checked the 1919 and 1927 editions of the criminal code, and can find no reference to a ban. It's not until the 1953 edition that Section 84 lays out a clear prohibition.
I've also searched through newspaper databases from that period (Globe, Citizen & Gazette), and the Parliamentary Hansard.
It's clear I'm missing a piece of the puzzle, but I can't seem to find it. Thus, I turn to the great collective wisdom of Reddit.
Any information or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
14
u/waitwhatnothing May 19 '26
I’ve also tried to find the answer to this and not gotten nearly as far as you. I was working on a fairly detailed letter on the topic to send to public safety since they are supposedly doing a comprehensive review of all firearms laws this year. Suppressors is a pet topic of mine since I’m at high risk of occupational hearing loss in addition to being a hunter/shooter.
As someone involved in manufacturing I also think it would be a nice economic boost to the industry. Suppressors are not hard to make and most countries where they are permitted have numerous local manufacturers producing them.
My suspicion is that originally they may have been banned because of fears around poaching as opposed to influence from action movies since that hadn’t really happened yet in the 1930’s/40’s. No doubt that the Hollywood silencer perception keeps them prohibited though.