Suppressors in Canada: A Proposal

[u/picatdim]

Firearm suppressors are currently illegal to own in Canada, but are legal and even encouraged in the US and many European countries. Suppressors alone do not make a gunshot silent; rather, they reduce its volume significantly. Suppressors can also be used in conjunction with subsonic ammunition, which does not produce a sonic boom when fired. This combination can render a gunshot almost completely silent and hearing-safe.

The legalization of suppressors is important for reducing the impact on the hearing health of the shooter and nearby people. It also lowers the gunshot noise generated by an active shooting range or a hunter out in the forest, resulting in fewer noise complaints by range neighbours and less environmental impact on the part of hunters.

If suppressors are legalized, I propose the implementation of a federal tax of $25 on the sale of each new suppressor. This special tax revenue would be partially allocated towards improved border security targeted at reducing the flow of illegal weapons smuggled into Canada from the United States. Smuggled weapons account for the vast majority of gun violence in this country. The second portion of the tax revenue would be allocated towards supporting the victims of gun violence, whether that be through mental health initiatives, enhanced medical care or direct financial support.

There are approximately 2 million licensed firearms owners in Canada. If each of them bought just one suppressor in a given year, the $25 tax per suppressor would result in an extra 50 million dollars the federal government could put towards eradicating firearms smuggling and assisting the victims of gun violence.

This suppressor initiative benefits everyone except for the criminals who smuggle and kill with illegal weapons. Firearms owners benefit from less hearing damage, range neighbours and the environment suffer less from noise pollution, the government benefits from increased funding to reduce the impact of gun smuggling and gun crime, and the victims of gun violence are granted increased support.

[u/Traditional_Bank2200]

Well written OP. This is the position I have had for a few years now as well. I have explained this ad nauseam to many Canadians who aren’t anti-gun, but who just don’t understand our rigorous gun laws and culture.

Is it ever going to happen? No - not under this government. I would argue than even $100 - $200 for a tax stamp is reasonable, but let’s focus on keeping our rifles out of tyrannical hands first.

[u/picatdim → u/Traditional_Bank2200]

Thank you, I appreciate that. I worked hard on the post! :)

[u/some_guy2024 → u/picatdim]

I just don’t get the tax stamp/money angle other than that’s how it works stateside. All Canadian gun laws are ideologically driven. If they cares about money more than ideology they wouldn’t be putting up such a concerted effort to run the whole Canadian firearms industry into the ground since the tax revenue from industry massively dwarfs what a $25/stamp tax would ever generate. I say this as a guy who would put a can on almost every gun I own and who frequently uses them stateside.

[u/UnderstandingSoft165 → u/some_guy2024]

First off, commend OP for putting up effort! But yeah. I get it works in persuasion, it’s just dumb and as humans we should work past that apprehension. Two reasons why i think it’s dumb..

1. “do it this way, because that’s how THEY arbitrarily did it”:
   And to be honest, I think at this point taking any cues from US legislation is detrimental to our cause. Since Euro model on this is better for once anyway, throw away terms tax and stamp. We currently use PAL and RPAL

2. Similar to talking to an elder person when your bias knows they will be closed minded, you have to ease them into a new idea with something more familiar to them - even if that thing is a very objectively negative thing, it can be the difference between their approval and rejection. All feelings based lol I know it’s how it is, unfortunate etc but don’t want to accept our government feeling it’s decisions

I get that money makes things happen and tax was probably main factor in getting weed passed. I’m all for do whatever we can on this, but god damn we always get the short stick. My other thoughts are that in reality, they might look at $25 and be like that won’t even cover admin for it. So then we’re paying annual registration for each moderators lol iykyk, just don’t get idea in their head unless last resort.
I do think it’s only a matter of time we get them here as common sense eventually prevails but I’d like it to be while we’re still a first world country.