Ban on 40 Families of Assault‑Style Firearms

Summary#

Regulations Amending the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted: SOR/2025-86 is a final regulation that adds more weapons to Canada’s list of prohibited firearms. It reclassifies 40 families of firearms (covering 179 unique makes and models) as prohibited. An accompanying Amnesty Order gives owners time to comply; that amnesty ends on March 1, 2026. The measures were made on March 7, 2025 and published in the Canada Gazette on March 26, 2025.

What it does#

• Adds 40 families (total 179 makes/models, including current and future variants) to the list of firearms classified as prohibited because they are considered assault-style, semi‑automatic weapons with sustained rapid-fire capability.
• Immediately bans importing the listed firearms into Canada.
• Prevents selling or keeping these firearms once the amnesty ends, unless an owner takes an allowed step during the amnesty.
• Puts an Amnesty Order in place that:
  • Protects people who lawfully owned one of these firearms when the rule came into force, provided they keep a valid licence during the amnesty.
  • Allows limited uses during the amnesty, including transporting the firearm to dispose of it and, if the firearm was previously non‑restricted, using it for sustenance hunting or to exercise an Indigenous right recognized by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
  • Lists acceptable ways to come into compliance: deactivation (including at owner or government expense in some cases), handing the firearm to police, lawful export, or, for businesses, return to the manufacturer.
• Announces the government’s intent to make the affected owners eligible for the Assault Style Firearm Compensation Program (ASFCP), but the program must be opened to these newly prohibited firearms before compensation is available.

Who's affected#

• Licensed firearms owners in Canada who possess one of the newly listed designs. The government estimates about 3,800 previously restricted assault‑style firearms are affected; the number of previously non‑restricted affected firearms is unknown.
• Sport shooters and hunters who use any of the listed models for sport or hunting. The government notes many Canadians hunt or shoot for sport, but it is unclear how many will be directly affected.
• Firearms retailers, manufacturers and other licensed firearms businesses (there are about 4,036 licensed firearms businesses nationally, 1,658 of which are ammunition-only), which may hold inventory of affected models.
• Indigenous and sustenance hunters who may rely on certain firearms previously classified as non‑restricted; the amnesty includes limited allowances for subsistence or constitutionally protected hunting during the amnesty period.
• The broader public, because the change aims to affect availability of these weapons across Canada.

If it’s unclear whether a particular make or model you own is on the list, the regulation provides specific design names; owners should check official guidance or contact the government.

Why it matters#

• The government’s stated goal is public safety: these items are being banned because they are judged to be “assault‑style” designs with high lethality and not reasonable for typical hunting or sport uses.
• Owners have a limited, protected window (until March 1, 2026) to dispose of these firearms lawfully. After that date, possession could lead to criminal charges.
• The government plans compensation through the ASFCP, but that program is not yet open for these newly prohibited firearms. Owners who want compensation will need to wait until the program is available and follow its rules.
• The change will affect some businesses and recreational users in the short term. It may also change what firearms are available for sport shooting and hunting in local markets.