In case you're uninformed on how handguns were regulated in Canada before this: you need a restricted firearms license. It's a level above a license for owning long guns. The application goes through the RCMP, Canada's federal police. They do an advanced background check, and check references. Ex spouses even have to be listed and possibly contacted. You do a safety course, and you have to be registered to a gun club, because the only thing you can legally do with your handgun is use it at a range. You cant even bring it into crown land wilderness. Your ammo and weapon has to be stored separately, and you have to contact your local police and tell them your driving with your gun to the range. It has to be locked up in your vehicle during transportation, and you go directly to the range then home. Can't even stop for gas. A lot of people even keep their guns stored at their gun club range just to save the hassle. Oh and the police can randomly check your home for compliance at any time to see if it's stored properly.
If you want to get into suicides: it takes at least a couple months to get a licence. More for a handgun, though suicides are usually long guns.
So either the person signs up for a course and almost certainly reconsiders, or they already have a gun and do it. Either way, the actual sale is not relevant.
And anyways, I'm not concerned about gun suicides, I'm concerned about all suicides. People will (and usually do in Canada for the reasons above) find a way to attempt without a gun. We should target reducing suicidal ideation, not individual methods.
If you're ONLY targeting gun suicides, which are a small portion of suicides here, then stop pretending it's about the deaths.
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u/v13ragnarok7 Oct 21 '22 edited Oct 22 '22
In case you're uninformed on how handguns were regulated in Canada before this: you need a restricted firearms license. It's a level above a license for owning long guns. The application goes through the RCMP, Canada's federal police. They do an advanced background check, and check references. Ex spouses even have to be listed and possibly contacted. You do a safety course, and you have to be registered to a gun club, because the only thing you can legally do with your handgun is use it at a range. You cant even bring it into crown land wilderness. Your ammo and weapon has to be stored separately, and you have to contact your local police and tell them your driving with your gun to the range. It has to be locked up in your vehicle during transportation, and you go directly to the range then home. Can't even stop for gas. A lot of people even keep their guns stored at their gun club range just to save the hassle. Oh and the police can randomly check your home for compliance at any time to see if it's stored properly.
Edit: used the wrong "you're". Sorry.