Handgun Quick Facts

Handgun Quick Facts


· The January 22, 2004 Toronto Police Services Board Minutes reported that of the 183 identified crime guns (all types) recovered by Toronto Police, only 5 (all types) were reported as stolen.

· Lawful handguns owner obtain $5 million Liability Insurance for less than $10 per year. There have been no claims in 40 years!

· All handguns have been registered since 1934, effectively banning them from criminal possession. The law requires all legal owners, to possess a RCMP issued Firearms Licence and the individual handgun must be registered with the RCMP. All Canadian police services have access to this information.

· There are currently over 1.1 million legally owned handguns in Canada (588,000 new registry, 519,000 old registry). Of these, 230,000 are registered in Ontario to 550,000 licensed firearms owners. The average value of these handguns (including accessories) is approximately $1,000 each.

· A handgun gun ban will cost Canadian taxpayers approximately $2 Billion.

· There are 212 handgun shooting clubs licensed in the Province of Ontario (Chief Firearms Office)

· Of the 108 handguns used in Canadian homicides in 2006, only 6 (5%) were registered. In 2005, of 129 handgun homicides only 4 (3%) were registered. (Ministry of Public Safety)

· The Vancouver Police reported in their 2004 Strategic Plan Report that, “97% of the firearms (all types) seized in crimes had never been in the Canadian system.” (VPD Strategic Plan)

· In May 2007, an Access to Information request filed by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association to the Ontario government showed that no studies or documents had ever been done regarding a handgun ban in Ontario.

· Of the 1,527 firearms (all types) collected by the Toronto Police Service in 2006, only 64 (4.2%) were registered handguns. These firearms include crime guns, turn-ins and recovered guns. (Access to Information Request)

· After a complete ban on handguns in Great Britain in 1997, handgun offences more than doubled and injuries from handguns rose from 314 in 1997 to 1,024 in 2006 (British Home Office). Obviously, the ban had no effect on criminal misuse of handguns. The British Olympic Team however, now has to train in the Netherlands in order to represent their country at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

· On Nov 23, 2006, Chief William Blair testified to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, “What I think we're seeing now, in our latest work this year, is that close to 80% of the firearms we're seizing have in fact been smuggled across the border.”: (Ministry of Public Safety)

· On Monday, January 21, 2008, Councillor Michael Walker admitted on the “Goldhawk Live” show that “there was not a shred of evidence that banning guns from lawful owners would make the streets of Toronto safer.”

· On January 15, 2008, Councillor Michael Thompson told the Globe and Mail. “he supports increased penalties, but is sceptical of a handgun ban: "It is a great thing to say, but . . . the practical ability to enforce it is impossible

· On January 15, 2008, Tony Cooper, Deputy Chief Firearms Officer of Ontario told the National Post, "I would like to believe, and do believe, that people who take the time to take the training course, get their licence lawfully, acquire their firearms lawfully, sign up in a gun club, by and large are the decent people who are really trying to do things right". "And it's an anomaly when somebody goes left of centre."

· On January 17, 2008 OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino told the Hamilton Spectator, “ Finding out why youth are turning to gangs and guns will have better results than simply banning all handguns”. “Criminals will find guns or other weapons but society should ask, “Why is this happening?”