Mr Wolverine
CGN Regular
- Location
- Manitoba. Canada
Let’s take a look at the classification of the AR15.
Prior to Bill C68 the AR 15 when fitted with a barrel over 18.5 inches was a non restricted sporting rifle, if the barrel was under 18.5 inches the firearm was restricted. Life was simple, we all knew where we stood.
When Bill C68 was passed various OIC (Orders in Council) were used to change some firearm classifications.
The AR15 and variants’ all became restricted regardless of manufacture or barrel length by OIC.
On 7th March 2017 Mr Murray Smith RCMP SFSS announced a change in the policy that the RCMP SFSS used to classify AR15 pattern semiautomatic rifles and pistols for their FRT programme. Basically if there was sufficient space between the lower receiver walls, adjacent to where a full auto sear could be fitted, to allow the fitting of a full auto sear, these lowers would be classified as prohibited. Obviously the full auto sear and other fire control parts had to be fabricated and the sear pivot pin hole drilled. So the wider gap between the lower receiver walls was only a small detail in the illegal job of converting an AR15 to fully automatic fire.
The above is important in light of the following court case which stated: If a firearm is considered to be readily and easily converted to discharge shots in rapid succession with a single pressure of the trigger in a relatively short period with relative ease. R. V. Hasselwander, (1993) 2 S. C. R. 398. Then the firearm would be prohibited. In this court case I understand an experienced armourer modified a converted auto Thompson SMG back to full auto in the court room, with a few hand tools in 15 minutes.
While the AR15 receiver drawings are freely available on the internet providing a template on where to drill the FA sear pivot pin hole, the full auto fire control components are not readily available in Canada, these would all have to be handmade and fitted, a task that would alone take considerable skill and this conversion to full auto is illegal and would show a permanent modification to a registered firearm, hardly an act any sane gun owner would carry out. So the AR15 and variants’ are restricted, but for how long.
I have just learnt that Troy Industries XM177E2 carbine (This is a replica of the first M16 “shorty”) has been re-classified prohibited reference the Hasselwander case. Apparently this is simply because the lower receiver is marked with a “Pretend” head of a full auto sear pivot pin and this could be used as a template in order to drill the prescribed hole. Again this is only one minor detail in converting an AR15 to fully automatic fire.
What is the difference in having an alleged “drill here” spot marked on the receiver and detailed plans available on the internet?
The pattern is plain to see, slowly, step by step we are moving towards the prohibition of the AR15 family of firearms. This should be of concern to every owner of an AR15 firearm and every dealer who markets them.
What is the next step?
Prior to Bill C68 the AR 15 when fitted with a barrel over 18.5 inches was a non restricted sporting rifle, if the barrel was under 18.5 inches the firearm was restricted. Life was simple, we all knew where we stood.
When Bill C68 was passed various OIC (Orders in Council) were used to change some firearm classifications.
The AR15 and variants’ all became restricted regardless of manufacture or barrel length by OIC.
On 7th March 2017 Mr Murray Smith RCMP SFSS announced a change in the policy that the RCMP SFSS used to classify AR15 pattern semiautomatic rifles and pistols for their FRT programme. Basically if there was sufficient space between the lower receiver walls, adjacent to where a full auto sear could be fitted, to allow the fitting of a full auto sear, these lowers would be classified as prohibited. Obviously the full auto sear and other fire control parts had to be fabricated and the sear pivot pin hole drilled. So the wider gap between the lower receiver walls was only a small detail in the illegal job of converting an AR15 to fully automatic fire.
The above is important in light of the following court case which stated: If a firearm is considered to be readily and easily converted to discharge shots in rapid succession with a single pressure of the trigger in a relatively short period with relative ease. R. V. Hasselwander, (1993) 2 S. C. R. 398. Then the firearm would be prohibited. In this court case I understand an experienced armourer modified a converted auto Thompson SMG back to full auto in the court room, with a few hand tools in 15 minutes.
While the AR15 receiver drawings are freely available on the internet providing a template on where to drill the FA sear pivot pin hole, the full auto fire control components are not readily available in Canada, these would all have to be handmade and fitted, a task that would alone take considerable skill and this conversion to full auto is illegal and would show a permanent modification to a registered firearm, hardly an act any sane gun owner would carry out. So the AR15 and variants’ are restricted, but for how long.
I have just learnt that Troy Industries XM177E2 carbine (This is a replica of the first M16 “shorty”) has been re-classified prohibited reference the Hasselwander case. Apparently this is simply because the lower receiver is marked with a “Pretend” head of a full auto sear pivot pin and this could be used as a template in order to drill the prescribed hole. Again this is only one minor detail in converting an AR15 to fully automatic fire.
What is the difference in having an alleged “drill here” spot marked on the receiver and detailed plans available on the internet?
The pattern is plain to see, slowly, step by step we are moving towards the prohibition of the AR15 family of firearms. This should be of concern to every owner of an AR15 firearm and every dealer who markets them.
What is the next step?
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