Canada bans .22 rifle because it looks similar to an AK-47

[Glassunion]

54. I agree.

You actually pointed out my issue with these types of laws.

Scenario in a nutshell:
Monday I buy something legal
Tuesday it's made illegal
Wednesday I need to turn it in or dispose of it at a financial loss because I cannot be grandfathered in.
Thursday if I fail to turn it in or dispose of it at a financial loss, I'm suddenly a criminal.

This does not only happen in Canada, however in the US it is usually a state law that effects this. So I could simply drive to the next state and sell the prohibited item possibly at a minimal loss.

During our assault weapons ban, owners did not need to turn in their magazines or rifles, the manufacture and import was banned, not the possession.

The difference with the example you gave was that it was an activity that was made illegal. However both of our countries prohibit ex post facto laws. So an individual could not be convicted of commiting a crime before it was illegal to do so.

They get around this with the registry because the law on prohibited firearms already exists, they however continually change the scope of it.

In theory Canada could just simply continue to add makes and models to the list of prohibited firearms forcing the registered owners to turn them in at a complete loss.