[engtech]

If you're talking about the recent long gun registry, Canada has always had much stricter gun legislation than the U.S.

This website gives a walk through of the process required to legally obtain a gun in Canada:

http://www.howtogetagun.ca/

In 35 years of urban living in Canada, I've never seen a firearm that was not being carried by a law enforcement official. I do not know anyone who owns a fire arm.

This seems very different compared to some of the slogans I saw in the recent U.S. election where you could "vote and win a free gun". http://www.inquisitr.com/376318/vote-in-georgia-win-a-free-g...

[JoeAltmaier]

This underlines what NRA folks have been saying: strict gun registration laws are tantamount to a ban, as your experience illustrates.

[UnFleshedOne]

Not in my experience. There are plenty of shooting ranges in Canada and they are always full. Properly equipped shooting range is the only place where you can legally shoot restricted guns -- pistols and such. Rifles and shotguns (unrestricted) on the other hand are common in rural areas and you can buy one in Canadian Tire in hunting section and shoot on your property or crown land. I know few people who drive around with a rifle in the back of their truck. No automatics anywhere though. :(

You have to pass a safety test (common sense, plus some regulations) and get few references to slightly increase the chance that you are not criminally insane to get PAL, but it is really less than a weekend worth of effort (and some waiting for papers).