Firearm and weapon offences are charged under sections 84–117 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
Firearms in Canada fall into three classes: non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited. Roughly speaking, non-restricted firearms include rifles, shotguns and air guns with a length of 660mm or greater (these tend to be used in hunting); restricted firearms cover most handguns and AR-15 rifles; and prohibited firearms include all automatic and semi-automatic firearms. One needs a license to purchase and possess restricted firearms. It is not legally possible to acquire new prohibited firearms in Canada, but owners who possessed the weapons before they were prohibited are allowed to keep them.
