Canada has far fewer gun murders and mass killings despite being very similar to the US in most demographics. Let's see what Canada is doing differently.
Canada assault weapons ban
Prohibition on assault-style firearms
As of May 1, 2020 the Government of Canada has prohibited over 1,500 models of assault-style firearms and certain components of some newly prohibited firearms (the upper receivers of M16, AR-10, AR-15, and M4 patterns of firearms). New maximum thresholds for muzzle energy (greater than 10,000 Joules) and bore diameter (20 mm bore or greater) are also in place. Any firearm that exceeds them is now prohibited.
Canada large magazine ban
As a general rule, the maximum magazine capacity is:
* 5 cartridges for most magazines designed for a semi-automatic, centre-fire long gun
* 10 cartridges for most handgun magazines
Canadian licensing
Starting in 1979, people who wished to acquire firearms were required to obtain a firearms acquisition certificate (FAC) from their local police agency. From 1995 to 2012, all firearms owners were required to possess a firearms licence—either a possession and acquisition licence (PAL), a possession-only licence (POL), an FAC, or a minor's licence—and all firearms were required to be registered.
Before the 2020 assault weapons ban, guns like the AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14 (used to kill 14 women in Montreal in 1989) have been moved on and off Canada's restricted list since 1977.
https://rsc-src.ca/en/node/4117 The requirement that local police sign off on a FAC & PAL amounts to a strong limits on assault weapons since about 1977.
Of course, the UK and most of Europe have strong gun control and very few gun murders or mass killings. Gosh, gun control works in the rest of the world - maybe it could work here!
