Canada prohibits spudguns over 20mm

A place for general potato gun questions and discussions.
User avatar
Anatine Duo
Specialist
Specialist
Canada
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:16 am
Location: cottage country
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 20 times

Fri May 01, 2020 7:39 pm

So it looks like my 20mmplus bores are now prohibited!!! What do I do... get them grandfathered and so non-transferable? Do I get a compensation for turning them in?

All my pneumatics are firearms in Canada (over 500fps) and I think any combustion would be too (combustion = fire).

Not happy with the "democratic process" right now.

Sigh.
User avatar
mark.f
Sergeant Major 4
Sergeant Major 4
Eritrea
Posts: 3627
Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 11:18 am
Location: The Big Steezy
Has thanked: 52 times
Been thanked: 53 times
Contact:

Donating Members

Fri May 01, 2020 8:12 pm

Boooo. When did that happen?

Edit: did they bundle it with the assault weapons ban? I can't find anything.
Last edited by mark.f on Sat May 02, 2020 3:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Moonbogg
Staff Sergeant 3
Staff Sergeant 3
United States of America
Posts: 1731
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:20 pm
Location: SoCal
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 98 times

Fri May 01, 2020 9:39 pm

Why in the hell do governments feel the need to screw with people's hobbies? Spud guns? Really? They feel the need to tell people what kind of potato launcher to make or not make? GTFO.
User avatar
farcticox1
Sergeant
Sergeant
Posts: 1077
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 12:37 pm
Has thanked: 68 times
Been thanked: 93 times

Sat May 02, 2020 5:59 am

Well this is going to be interesting, can't find anything yet, but as far as airguns go this is the law as it stands. So over 500fps is ok if below 5.7 joules.

In Canada, most pellet, airsoft and paintball guns are not legally considered 'firearms. ' Only those guns capable of shooting a projectile faster than 500 feet per second and producing muzzle energy greater than 5.7 joules are regulated under the Firearms Act.
User avatar
Anatine Duo
Specialist
Specialist
Canada
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:16 am
Location: cottage country
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 20 times

Sat May 02, 2020 7:17 am

"Also included are two new categories of firearms that
exceed safe civilian use. These are characterized by the following physical attributes: a 20 mm bore or greater and the capacity to discharge a
projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10 000 joules "

Since that refers to 2 new categories it means that anything over 20mm is prohibited, and anything over 10KJ is prohibited (bye bye 50bmg or epic hybrid)

Yeah it's bundled with the "assault style military grade" prohibition.

Now it looks like there is an exception for "bomb disruptors" so in future perhaps my launchers will be "bomb disruptors", or 20.000000mm bore, or 10 000.000000 J muzzle energy. THeres also the 499.999999 fps muzzle option.

I'm not a lawyer (even if I pretended to be one on Lavalife) but I sure love to find loopholes;)

It would sure be fun to move a spuddy in a "buyback" as a firearm that exceeds safe civilian use.
User avatar
farcticox1
Sergeant
Sergeant
Posts: 1077
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 12:37 pm
Has thanked: 68 times
Been thanked: 93 times

Sat May 02, 2020 10:45 am

is that 20mm AND 10,000 joules ? 10,000 sounds like a lot of energy.

Found something, firearm over 20mm bore, so it would have to be classed as a firearm first ?
User avatar
jrrdw
Moderator
Moderator
United States of America
Posts: 6569
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
Location: Maryland
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 22 times
Contact:

Donating Members

Sat May 02, 2020 11:27 am

Anatine Duo wrote:
Fri May 01, 2020 7:39 pm
So it looks like my 20mmplus bores are now prohibited!!! What do I do... get them grandfathered and so non-transferable? Do I get a compensation for turning them in?

All my pneumatics are firearms in Canada (over 500fps) and I think any combustion would be too (combustion = fire).

Not happy with the "democratic process" right now.

Sigh.
Come south, we don't care if you have a 50mm bore. Just aim it north L0L... 8-)
SpudBlaster15
First Sergeant 3
First Sergeant 3
Seychelles
Posts: 2400
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:12 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 10 times

Thu May 07, 2020 5:43 pm

Could be wrong but my understanding of this new legislation is that in order to fall under this ban a device must have a bore >20mm and be capable of launching a projectile with a muzzle energy of >10kJ. Therefore it does not apply to most spudguns, which are capable of much less than even 1kJ. However, many of our cannons were already illegal under existing laws, which prohibited anyone without a PAL from owning and operating any device with >495fps muzzle velocity and I think >6J muzzle energy. This law tends not to be enforced very strictly.

Overall, the new ban is mostly security theatre intended to assuage fears after the recent NS shooting. It won't help much if at all with the crime problem when most of the crime guns are smuggled from the US.
User avatar
mark.f
Sergeant Major 4
Sergeant Major 4
Eritrea
Posts: 3627
Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 11:18 am
Location: The Big Steezy
Has thanked: 52 times
Been thanked: 53 times
Contact:

Donating Members

Thu May 07, 2020 8:30 pm

SpudBlaster15 wrote:
Thu May 07, 2020 5:43 pm
It won't help much if at all with the crime problem when most of the crime guns are smuggled from the US.
My bad bro. :mrgreen:
User avatar
jackssmirkingrevenge
Five Star General
Five Star General
Posts: 26179
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:28 pm
Has thanked: 543 times
Been thanked: 319 times

Donating Members

Thu May 14, 2020 4:57 am

Anatine Duo wrote:
Sat May 02, 2020 7:17 am
It would sure be fun to move a spuddy in a "buyback" as a firearm that exceeds safe civilian use.
You could turn out simple combustions by the dozen and turn a good profit :D

These new restrictions are so arbitrary and overreaching that they will hopefully tread on enough toes to generate a meaningful push-back.

The real question is what will become of my .223 stockpile without a Mini-14?
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
User avatar
mark.f
Sergeant Major 4
Sergeant Major 4
Eritrea
Posts: 3627
Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 11:18 am
Location: The Big Steezy
Has thanked: 52 times
Been thanked: 53 times
Contact:

Donating Members

Thu May 14, 2020 8:09 am

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 4:57 am
The real question is what will become of my .223 stockpile without a Mini-14?
Shoulda stockpiled .308. :) I don't see anything in the new bill about something like a PTR-91 although I'm certainly no expert on Canada's firearms laws and it may have already been restricted/prohibited.
User avatar
jackssmirkingrevenge
Five Star General
Five Star General
Posts: 26179
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:28 pm
Has thanked: 543 times
Been thanked: 319 times

Donating Members

Thu May 14, 2020 8:54 am

mark.f wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 8:09 am
something like a PTR-91 although I'm certainly no expert on Canada's firearms laws and it may have already been restricted/prohibited.
Already prohibited:
The firearm of the design commonly known as the G3 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it
Maybe a Kel Tec SU-16 or RDB...
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
Aaroneous
Private
Private
Canada
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2022 12:01 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 4 times

Thu Mar 24, 2022 1:39 pm

Late to the party but FWIW, the law is written as an AND. A medium sized potato leaving the barrel at 500 FPS has a bit over 3kJ of energy, so that's fine. A 2" barrel at the same velocity would be 1.6kJ. It would have to be shooting over 1200 fps to be prohibited. A 20mm slug of a potato is going to way less, maybe 60g... it would need a muzzle velocity of 2000 fps to be an issue.
User avatar
Anatine Duo
Specialist
Specialist
Canada
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:16 am
Location: cottage country
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 20 times

Sat Mar 26, 2022 8:02 am

It says here only one of the characteristics is sufficient unfortunately.

from https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntr ... fa-en.aspx

"In addition to the list prohibited by model, all firearms with one or more of the following physical characteristics are prohibited on the basis that their potential power exceeds safe civilian use:

Firearms with a bore 20mm or greater (e.g., grenade launchers)
Firearms capable of discharging a projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10,000 Joules (e.g. sniper rifles)"
Post Reply