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Mandatory gun registration in Quebec has few takers (VIDEO)

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A new law in Quebec requiring most guns in the Canadian province to be logged with the government has seen underwhelming results.

Adopted earlier this year, the Firearms Registration Act requires about 95 percent of the guns in the province of 8 million residents to be registered. However, The Canadian Press is reporting that less than 20 percent of the shotguns and rifles believed to fall under the new rules have been recorded by their owners.

Of the estimated 1.6 million guns affected by the guidelines, just 284,125 have been declared to authorities, who expect the process to cost as much as $15 million USD.

Guy Morin, a pro-gun activist who leads a group opposed to the registration, said he hopes the noncompliance will translate into the law becoming unenforceable. “We are Canadian gun owners, and this is insulting to us,” he said

Gun owners have to register the details of their firearms, including the make, model, barrel length, caliber, serial number and where it is stored as well as their own personal information backed up by documentation. Those who fail to register face fines of as much as $3,700 USD. The only exception is for antiques made prior to 1898, and devices such as flare guns and line-throwers.

Canada had a national firearms registry for both restricted and non-restricted guns from 1993 until 2012 when common guns such as bolt-action rifles and shotguns were removed from its requirements. A number of provinces, as well as the Conservative Party, campaigned to repeal the requirement citing it exceeded the federal government’s powers, was ineffective when it came to increasing public safety, and was too expensive.

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