Canadian Liberals Fold, Remove Hunting Rifles from ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban

Liberals in Canada folded amid backlash from farmers, hunters, and indigenous groups, and have removed hunting rifles and shotguns from the long list of firearms being banned under Prime Minister Trudeau’s “assault weapons” ban.

On May 10, 2020, Breitbart News noted Trudeau’s “assault weapons” ban targeted 1,500 firearms, a number of which were bolt action rifles.

Bolt action rifles require manual operation of the action between shots in order to eject a spent shell casing and load a fresh cartridge into the chamber. Such an action is typical for traditional hunting rifles, not “assault weapons.”

Firearms that leftists label “assault weapons” rely on semiautomatic actions, which are designed to use the energy from one round to eject the spent shell casing and load the next round, thereby keeping the gun at the ready.

Moreover, on December 5, 2022, Breitbart News pointed out an amendment added to Trudeau’s handgun ban would broaden the prohibitions so as to cover hunting rifles.

A CBC.ca report indicated:  “The proposed changes to Bill C-21 were tacked on by Liberal MP Paul Chiang after it had passed second reading — drawing complaints from opposition MPs who accused the government of sneaking in changes that would expand the scope of prohibited weapons to include hunting rifles.”

But on February 3, 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported the Liberals are ceding ground on their ban and will not target hunting rifles and shotguns.

The WSJ noted, “Following complaints from rural dwellers and indigenous leaders, Canada’s New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois said that they didn’t support the broader ban on rifles and shotguns.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.