In the aftermath of the Nova Scotia mass killings that took place last 18-19 April in which the suspect went on a shooting spree killing 22 people before being shot dead by responding members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian government imposed new restrictions on military-grade “assault-style” weapons, banning 1,500 weapons in a list that it released on 1 May.

For those who have taken a closer look at the list and knowledgeable in airsoft guns will notice that one airsoft AEG is included in the list, the Blackwater BW-15. There is no real world Blackwater BW-15 though there were news reports in 2008 that Blackwater was making a 5.56mm AR with plans for 6.8mm and 7.62×39mm variants, nothing really came out it. The only BW-15 in existence as far as we know, is the Cybergun-licensed BW-15 AEG made by King Arms.

But other than that, we do not see airsoft guns included in the ban and perhaps this was an oversight by an overzealous bureaucrats tasked to making a list of guns to be banned. If you check the list, the weapons ban covers the following:

• M16, AR-10, and AR-15 rifles and M4 carbine
• Ruger Mini-14 rifle
• US Rifle M14
• Vz58 rifle
• Robinson Armament XCR rifle
• CZ Scorpion EVO 3 carbines and pistols
• Beretta Cx4 Storm carbine
• SIG Sauer SIG MCX and SIG Sauer SIG MPX carbine and pistol
• Swiss Arms Classic Green and Four Seasons series

Federal government banning ... by User on Scribd

The document also includes two new categories of firearms that the government deems to exceed safe civilian use. These are characterized by the following physical attributes: a 20 mm bore or greater such as grenade launchers and the capacity to discharge a projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10,000 joules. This also means missile launchers, rocket launchers, and any military style artillery are covered which of course are totally restricted for military use only.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair clarified that licensed firearm owners will still be allowed to own 10 and 12 gauge shotguns even if the chokes are removed. Shotgun owners are concerned that removing the choke in their shotguns, which is a constriction at the muzzle end of the gun that tightens the pattern of pellets when fired, would exceed 20mm.

Some are also concerned that large bore hunting rifles, including expensive vintage ones, are covered by the ban even if they are not "assault weapons"-style.

Whilst airsoft guns (or 6mm replica firearms) have not been included, the dilemma faced by the airsoft community in Canada is that most, if not all, airsoft rifles are based on the military grade designs. If you look at the list of weapons banned above, airsoft replicas fit the description though not the calibre and muzzle energy. A bigger problem is that they also bear the names of many of the rifles specified in the list due to using the designs and trademarks licensed from the firearms manufacturers.

Another issue that airsofters in Canada will encounter are overzealous police forces that might consider airsoft rifles to be covered by the ban since many of the model names of airsoft replicas are taken from the real world guns and the mere fact that airsoft guns can be mistaken for real guns.

We have not heard word if the Canadian airsoft community has reached out to the government in Ottawa for clarifications.

There is a two-year amnesty for owners to surrender their firearms, with the amnesty ending on 30 April 2022. There is no mention of a buyback program during the amnesty period though the Liberal Party, the party in power, have it in their campaign platform in the recent election.