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.
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u/Rough_Increase1325 May 19 '26
Canada did not “ban” suppressors on a single, specific modern date; they have been treated as prohibited‑weapon accessories under the federal firearms regulations for decades, essentially since the 1970s‑style consolidation of Canada’s firearms control regime.
How suppressors are classified Under the Criminal Code and the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons… (SOR/98‑462), any device designed to muffle or reduce the report of a firearm (i.e., a suppressor/silencer) is classified as a prohibited device rather than merely a tightly‑controlled accessory.Because they are prohibited devices, they are effectively illegal for civilian ownership or use, except in very narrow, tightly controlled circumstances (for example, some military or police use).
From what I understand The modern legal framework that pulled suppressors into the “prohibited” category arose from the 1977 revision of the Criminal Code governing firearms and related devices, when Canada significantly tightened accessory controls and aligned many provisions with U.S.‑style thinking (including the negative view of silencers).
There hasnt wxactly been a standalone “ban date” for suppressors in Canada; instead, existing regulations have simply continued to treat them as prohibited, while more recent reforms (like the dang disarming of the people[ gun grab] ) have focused on firearms themselves, not on introducing a new suppressor‑specific ban. All I could find...