A B.C. gun and ammunition store owner says handgun sales in the Lower Mainland have sky-rocketed following the Liberal government announcement about a handgun sale freeze.
Scott Carpenter, owner of International Shooting Supplies in Surrey, told The Mike Smyth Show on 980 CKNW, that he sold a month’s worth of sales in one day.
“I just want to apologize to the 70-plus people who’ve left messages that I can’t return right now,” Carpenter said.
“(I want to) let (people) know, we’re at the top of the wave and don’t know what we’ll do next. We’re going to do our best.”
The federal government announced on Monday it has tabled legislation that seeks to freeze the buying, selling, importing, and trading of handguns nationwide.
However, the measure does not ban handguns outright, allowing existing owners to continue to possess and use them.
The bill, which was tabled on Monday, aims to be a key piece of legislation for gun control within the country, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“This is concrete and a real national measure that will go a long ways towards keeping Canadians safe,” said Trudeau, in a news conference.
The bill would also allow for the automatic removal of gun licenses from people who commit domestic violence and criminal harassment crimes.
The number of registered handguns in Canada increased by 71 per cent between 2010 and 2020, reaching 1.1 million, according to federal statistics.
“People have been actually pretty patient, don’t get me wrong. They understand that we’re under a lot of pressure right now and it’s a time-sensitive situation,” Carpenter said.
“My clients have been pretty understanding and decent with us. I’m not going to complain about that, but it’s just the sheer volume — it’s overwhelming.”
Carpenter said some of his competitors have had to close their doors to replenish stock.