The federal government has revealed how much it plans to pay gun owners for the banned firearms they surrender as part of a mandatory buyback program.
On Thursday, Public Safety Canada released a full price list outlining how much compensation individual owners can expect to receive under the program. The buyback offer applies to more than 1,500 models and variants of “assault” weapons that the government banned from sale and use on May 1, 2020.
“It will be mandatory for individuals to participate in the buyback program, have their assault-style firearms rendered inoperable at the government’s expense, or otherwise lawfully disposed of,” Public Safety Canada said in a statement.
Here is the proposed compensation amount for the 11 categories of prohibited firearms:
- AR Platform firearms such as the M16, AR-10, and AR-15 rifles and the M4 carbine: $1,337
- Beretta Cx4 Storm: $1,317
- CZ Scorpion EVO 3 Carbine and CZ Scorpion EVO 3 Pistol: $1,291
- M14 rifle: $2,612
- Robinson Armament XCR Rifle: $2,735
- Ruger Mini-14 Rifle: $1,407
- SG-550 Rifle and SG-551 Carbine: $6,209
- SIG Sauer MCX, MPX forearms like the SIG Sauer SIG MPX carbine and the SIG Sauer SIG MPX pistol: $2,369
- Vz58 Rifle: $1139
- Firearms with a bore diameter of 20 mm or greater – other than intended exclusively for the purpose of defusing explosive devices: $2,684
- Firearms capable of discharging a projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10,000 joules: $2819
The price tag is based on what Canadians might have paid to buy those guns before the policy change that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned on in 2019 and continued to announce after the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia.
Between now and Aug. 28, the federal government is seeking input from firearms owners, businesses and the gun industry on proposed compensation amounts, with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino saying the goal is to get firearms out of Canadian communities while fairly compensate the current owners. The government has published an online survey for those interested to complete.
Once the consultation period is over, the government says known firearm owners will be approached about taking part in the programme. The Liberals have already introduced an amnesty period until October 20, 2023, allowing legal owners of these banned firearms to be protected from criminal liability while they take the necessary steps to comply.
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