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

0 Upvotes

41% Upvoted

91 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

33

u/LordRevan1996 May 20 '26

1st point isn’t 100% true. You can’t possess anything, including firearms, for the specific purpose of self defence. So this makes what OP is asking for illegal. BUT firearms possessed for other legal reasons can technically be used for self defence as long as its use is a “proportional response” to the threat. You will be charged either way to determine if your response was proportional.

Obligatory NOT a lawyer, so take this with a grain of salt.

1

u/mjskopun May 24 '26

Good to know.

Just as a general query, how are you expected to defend yourself, My mindset is that you have to hurt me first before I hurt you. I'm not trigger happy or scared when dealing with threats so it would definitely be less that proportionate.

1

u/airchinapilot May 25 '26

My mindset is that you have to hurt me first before I hurt you. 

I am not a lawyer but the self defense law allows you to act even if you fear harm will imminently befall you or someone else.

The law just doesn't want to give you license to go out and seek situations where you could say you were acting in self defense. The law is to give you legal backing if the situation comes to you. Someone coming unwanted into your own home is the situation coming to you. However, in some of the cases that were ruled against the owner, the owner left their home to confront someone.

And it isn't based upon hurt or level of hurt. The intent behind the self defense law is to allow you to act to stop the threat which doesn't mean you have to necessarily hurt someone back. For example, you could enact just enough force to get the aggressor out of your home. But if the act did require you harm someone, there is enough in the law to make it defensible in court.

1

u/mjskopun May 28 '26

I like this response. It's more sane than what sounds like I'm responsible for the robber.