Roughly 38,000 gun owners sign up for Liberal confiscation program as court challenge looms
The Liberals' controversial firearm 'buyback' program continues to face backlash.
More than 38,000 licensed firearms owners have signed up for the Carney Liberals' firearm confiscation scheme, according to newly released government documents, with participants declaring over 68,000 firearms as of May 11, 2026.
A response to Order Paper Question Q-1113, submitted by Conservative MP Andrew Lawton, reveals the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program has received declarations from 38,412 individuals covering 68,406 firearms.
The most commonly declared firearm was the GSG-16, with 4,146 claims, followed by the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 at 2,656, the Ruger PC Carbine at 2,286, and the Kodiak Defence WK180C at 2,076.
The figures provide the clearest picture yet of participation in the federal confiscation program, which has been plagued by delays since the Liberal government's May 2020 Order-in-Council prohibited hundreds of firearm models that had previously been legally owned by licensed Canadians.
The disclosures come just days after Public Safety Canada announced another extension of the gun ban amnesty. The amnesty will now remain in effect until 90 days after the Supreme Court of Canada rules on the legal challenge brought by the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights.
Despite six years of planning, repeated deadline extensions, and billions in projected costs, the government has still not completed the confiscation effort. While 38,412 individuals have submitted declarations covering 68,406 firearms, Canada has more than 2 million licensed firearms owners, and estimates have long suggested that hundreds of thousands of legally owned firearms were affected by the 2020 prohibition.
The government declined to provide compensation figures in its parliamentary response, directing MPs instead to a publicly available compensation schedule. Officials also emphasized that the declaration system is "not a registry" and said information collected through the program will eventually be destroyed in accordance with its privacy policy.
The response was tabled in Parliament on June 10 by Public Safety Canada.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
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COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-06-11 21:20:08 -0400What a tragedy! I would never declare my guns if I had any. It’s an illegal and immoral gun grab which smacks of Chinese-style brinkmanship.
