I don't want more control. I had - and foolishly sold - my AR15 builds. Semiautos are really a hell of a lot of fun.
That said, there is no purpose defined in law for a black rifle: you can't hunt with it and you have no right to self-defense. Given the damage it can do if it falls into the wrong hands, a society that is at best ambivalent towards firearms ownership doesn't really have much of a problem with a ban.
What about sport shooting? The AR platform is hands down the most common firearm for service rifle and 3-gun shooting. It is ubiquitous in the well-attended shooting sports.
I don't accept that argument, but I also see that it is a matter of when not if. The SAFE ACT in NYS has tigen the liberals a template for what constitutes an assault rifle: semi automatic+detachable mag+ (pistol grip OR thumbhole stock OR bayonet lug OR threaded barrel OR flash hider OR forward grip OR collapsible stock). One sentence eliminates everything from 10/22 to Tavor to M1 Carbines to AR15s to Modern Hunters, etc.
And it should be argued by us to the government that this definition is inane, and evidence does not reflect an inherent danger in these firearms. Bear in mind that the absolute vast majority of gun crime in Canada is committed with illegally smuggled handguns. That "military style" rifles are a danger is a complete red herring, a symbolic scapegoat for gun crime. They're also expensive, comparatively.
Canadians are not in favor of guns. You can argue natural or God-given law all you like. You can argue Molon Labe all you like. The overwhelming majority of gun owners - who have kids, professional lives/careers, or who can't afford to take on the govt will all line up to toss their Tavors in the smelter when the OIC drops.
The most signed petition in Canadian history is e-2341. Sure, it's not everyone, but it's a substantial number given how common petitions are. Hunting brings in a ridiculous amount of revenue for Canada every year, so while not as common as in the US, I would say this is inaccurate. There's a great deal of ignorance about different types of guns, but I wouldn't say Canadians are anti-gun, especially not west of Ontario.
I'm not in the "everyone should have one" camp. But gun control is about as logical in premise as is banning alcohol because of drunk driving, banning marijuana because of hard drug trafficking, banning spoilers on Honda Civics because they're "racing-style cars", banning Ferrari's because they're "too fast" (when in reality any car is capable of exceeding the speed limit), etc. The evidence doesn't indicate that it works, and spending money on anything from improving mental health services to social programs substantially improves crime rates and violence overall.
Realistically, while mass shootings are unspeakably awful, they comprise an
extremely small percentage of yearly deaths in Canada. Gang violence kills exponentially more people, as do car accidents, as does drowning, as does suicide, etc. If you narrow this to "military-style weapons", it becomes an irrelevant number, especially given the insane cost.
what Koenig Tiger said.
