r/canadaguns • u/mjskopun • May 20 '26

Buy recommendations New to gun ownership

I thought Canada was safe, then I got home invaded. Still dealing with the PTSD but in the meantime, looking at gun ownership. Want to do it correctly, any tips about how to get one?

Also, (this is for the experts) based on the legal list of guns (hand guns for now) what is the best quality gun that -

  • doesn't require tons of maintenance
  • is Quality (not cheap crap)
  • Doesn't lose it's aim after some use

Thanks for the feedback.

Noob

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u/Relevant_Diver_3228 May 20 '26

first you cant use a firearm for self defense legally in Canada

second you cannot buy a handgun in Canada because they have been frozen since 2022

third in order to get a firearm in Canada you need to pass a PAL course and then get approved by the RCMP which takes time but will probably take more time because you have PTSD

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u/mjskopun May 24 '26

Good info. I still don't understand this "can't use a firearm for self defence. " I guess all the US televsion influences what's legal without actually knowing how it works in Canada.

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u/airchinapilot May 25 '26

People have had charges dropped or been acquitted for using a firearm in self defense in Canada. It all comes down to the circumstances of what happened - and whether your lawyer was smart enough to use the existing law to protect your rights.

In Canada you can have acquire a firearm for other purposes - just not self defense (except for against an animal).

At the same time, you are allowed to defend yourself and it does NOT exclude using a weapon (could be anything - could be a kitchen knife, a hammer, a table leg) if the circumstances support your action as reasonable. It is also the case that in Canada, it is very unlikely you will have a firearm available legally when you are attacked since our legal use of firearms is very restricted.

If you see it this way, really the likely scenario of most Canadians using a firearm to defend themself is only if someone has threatened or used force against them or a loved one in their own home which is where their firearms are legally stored.

The Crown would look very severely if you were outside of your residence and had a firearm and used it in what you said was self defense. That said, even criminals on the street have successfully defended themselves in court for using firearms in self defense - though they most probably had to plea to other charges because they shouldn't have had the firearm in that circumstance.