Rifle used in shooting restricted in Canada

Semi-automatic rifles like the one used in Sunday’s deadly mass shooting in Florida are classified as a restricted weapon in Canada and most people can only use them at a gun range.

Similar rifles to the AR-15, a civilian model of the M16 rifle used by the U.S. army, have been used to carry out mass slayings in the past, including the 2012 killing of 20 children in Newtown, Conn. The gun Orlando shooter Omar Mateen used was an outwardly similar Sig Sauer MCX rifle, officials clarified Monday.

That gun uses a different internal mechanism to the AR-15, and is also restricted in Canada.

One of the top-selling rifles in the U.S., the AR-15 is also popular in Canada, according to Ontario Provincial Police.

Although purchasing one doesn’t require a licence in Florida, anyone looking to buy one here must have a firearms licence that includes restricted weapons, which involves passing a two-day safety course.

They must also have authorization from their province’s chief firearms officer to transport the gun to a shooting range, gun show, gunsmith or a few other permitted locations.

The RCMP says there are only a few purposes for which individuals can obtain a restricted firearms licence, “the most common being target practice or target-shooting competitions, or as part of a collection.”

“In limited circumstances, restricted firearms are also allowed for use in connection with one’s lawful profession or occupation, or to protect life,” the force’s website says.

Still, the AR-15 — a brand name for that particular style of rifle — is widely available and in demand, said Insp. Steve Ridout, a spokesman for Ontario’s chief firearms officer.

That’s in part because the patent for the rifle, which was owned by Colt, ran out years ago, allowing other companies to make their own versions, he said.

“It’s very popular,” Ridout said. “Especially since the patent ran out, there’s lots of variations of it now.”

Prices listed on various Canadian gun-store websites ranged from $700 to several thousand.

“There’s lots of different AR-15 platforms so it kind of covers the gamut of price points,” Ridout said.

More than two million Canadians had firearms licences last year, according to an RCMP report.

As of Dec. 31, there were a total of 978,347 restricted or prohibited firearms registered to individuals or businesses in Canada, the report said.

One of the purposes for which individuals can obtain a restricted firearms licence is target practice