These graphics show just how much of an insane outlier the US is on guns

[Spazito]

54. No, Canada's laws are not "largely the same as ours"...

Here are the laws governing firearm control in Canada:

he control of firearms in Canada is predominantly governed by the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code, and their subordinate regulations. The Criminal Code defines the main categories of firearms, which include restricted, prohibited, and non-restricted firearms. The Firearms Act regulates the possession, transport, and storage of firearms.

Canadian law has both licensing and registration requirements for the possession and acquisition of firearms. These requirements are administered by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) through the Canadian Firearms Program (CFP).

Applicants are required to pass safety tests before they can be eligible for a firearms license. Applicants are also subject to background checks, which take into account criminal, mental health, addiction, and domestic violence records.

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Overview of Firearms-Control Laws and Regulations

At the federal level in Canada, firearms are predominantly regulated by the Firearms Act[1] and Part III of the Criminal Code.[2] Apart from these federal laws, “[p]rovinces, territories or municipalities may have additional laws and regulations that apply in their jurisdiction. For example, provinces are responsible for regulating hunting.”[3]

Categories of Firearms

The Criminal Code identifies “the various firearms, weapons and devices regulated by the Firearms Act.”[4] The Code classifies firearms into three categories: restricted,[5] prohibited,[6] and non-restricted.[7] Non-restricted firearms “include ordinary shotguns and rifles, such as those commonly used for hunting. But some military type rifles and shotguns are prohibited.”[8] Restricted firearms include “certain handguns and some semi-automatic long guns (not all semi-automatic long guns are restricted or prohibited). Rifles that can be fired when telescoped or folded to shorter than 660 millimeters, or 26 inches, are also restricted.”[9] Prohibited firearms “include most 32 and 25 caliber handguns and handguns with a barrel length of 105 mm or shorter. Fully automatic firearms, converted automatics, firearms with a sawed-off barrel, and some military rifles like the AK 47 are also prohibited.”[10]

Note also that “antique firearms are not considered firearms for licensing and registration purposes.”[11]

Licensing and Registration Requirements

1. Licensing and Permits

The Firearms Act and its supporting regulations govern the possession, transport, and storage of firearms.[12] The Act stipulates the rules for possessing and acquiring a firearm,[13] which include both licensing and registration requirements.[14] A person must have a valid firearms license to possess or acquire firearms as well as ammunition. A firearms license is issued to a license holder if he or she has “met certain public-safety criteria and is allowed to possess and use firearms.”[15]

According to the RCMP website, “ndividuals must be at least 18 years old to get a licence that will allow them to own or to acquire a firearm,”[16] known as a Possession and Acquisition Licence, or PAL. Applicants seeking to acquire a license for non-restricted firearms are required to pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) tests.[17] If applicants are applying for a license for restricted or prohibited firearms they must pass the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFC) tests in addition to the CFSC.[18]

The PAL is the only license now available to new applicants over eighteen years old. An existing Possession-Only License,[19] or POL, can be renewed, but new ones have not been issued since 2001. According to the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), “[a] Possession-Only Licence lets you use firearms already registered to you. It also lets you borrow firearms of the same class as the ones you own.”[20]

Minors aged twelve to seventeen can get a minor’s license that will “allow them to possess a non-restricted rifle or shotgun, but a licensed adult must be responsible for the firearm.”[21] Applicants must also complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and pass the test in order to get a minor’s license.[22]

A PAL can be issued for a firearm of any class (non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited). However, possessing or acquiring restricted[23] or prohibited firearms is subject to very stringent requirements. The general rule is that restricted and prohibited firearms must be possessed in the holder’s residence (or at a place authorized by a chief firearms officer), as recorded in the Firearms Registry.[24] According to the Act, a restricted or prohibited firearm can be transported and used under very strict and specific circumstances, including among others “for use in target practice, or a target shooting competition.”[25]

Under the Firearms Act and its regulations, a person can carry a restricted firearm or prohibited handgun, whether concealed or unconcealed, only in very limited circumstances.[26] In most cases, a permit known as an Authorization to Carry (ATC) is required, such as when “an individual needs restricted firearms or prohibited handguns for use in connection with his or her lawful profession or occupation”[27] or to protect life.[28]

According to the RCMP, persons are allowed to possess only certain prohibited firearms “if they had one registered in their name when it became prohibited, and they have continuously held a valid registration certificate for that type of prohibited firearm from December 1, 1998, onward.”[29] Moreover, a PAL “allows an individual to acquire only prohibited firearms in the same categories as the ones currently registered to them, and only if the firearms they wish to acquire were registered in Canada on December 1, 1998.”[30] Restricted or prohibited firearms must also be “verified by an approved verifier if they are being transferred to a new owner and have not been previously verified.”[31]

Firearms licenses are “generally valid for five years, and must be renewed before they expire.”[32] It is the license holder’s responsibility to apply for a license renewal.

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2. Registration

Under the Firearms Act, all restricted and prohibited firearms must be registered.[33] After April 2012, pursuant to amending legislation, non-restricted firearms no longer have to be registered.[34] However, “due to a Court Order issued by the Quebec Superior Court, residents of Quebec are still required to register non-restricted firearms.”[35]

All licensing and registration is managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Canadian Firearms Program (CFP).[36] The CFP manages the Canadian Firearms Registry.[37]

more here:

http://www.loc.gov/law/help/firearms-control/canada.php

Common sense gun control, imo.