Canada is considering legislation to allow cities to ban handguns, which would also allow officials to void firearms licenses and enable friends and relatives to request weapons be confiscated.
The legislation, which is expected to be passed by the Canadian Parliament, would also will also expand efforts to limit guns coming from the United States and increase the criminal penalties for smuggling them, The New York Times reported.
Like the United States, fully automatic weapons are banned in Canada, but no firearm can have a magazine of more than five rounds. The country has no definition of "military-style assault weapon." The Royal Canadian Mounted Police determines which guns are to be banned on a model-by-model basis.
While hunting rifles are not uncommon in rural areas, Canada has relatively few pistols, as their possession has long been heavily restricted.
Besides law enforcement and the military, handguns may only be used at shooting ranges and they must be kept in locked containers when not in use.
The Times said a federal effort to outright ban handguns likely would be fiercely opposed by Western Canada.
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