Online Gun Sales in Canada

Likened to an eBay for guns, an online gun auction website launches tomorrow in Canada. Gun collector Dennis Hingsberg conceived of GunAddicts.com to serve an estimated 1.6 million Canadians involved in hunting and recreational shooting.

According to the Canadian Firearm Program's numbers for 2009, nearly a million Canadians have a possession and acquisition licence (PAL), which is needed to sell or receive a firearm.

And those people have more than 7.3 million registered firearms.

Any exchanges on GunAddicts will follow federal gun rules, Hingsberg said.

The buyer sends his PAL number to the seller, who verifies with the RCMP that the licence is valid. If there are no problems, the seller ships the firearm.

If someone tries to circumvent the laws – say, buy or sell a gun without a PAL – the site has "full right to disclose personal information to the necessary authorities," Hings- berg said. But firearm sellers say they're doubtful the site would be co-opted for illegal sales.

"I've never come across someone using a bogus PAL to get a firearm," said John Hipwell, co-owner of Manitoba-based gun seller Wolverine Supplies.

The launching of GunAddicts includes a promotional giveaway of a Czech-made semi-automatic CZ-858 tactical rifle (similar to the banned in Canada AK-47).

Of course, anti-gun people are having cows.

Companion post at GunWatch.