Gun shop owner says accessories left out of federal gun buyback program

“It’s very weak. There’s way, way more than that,” Donald Deforest, owner of Eagle Firearms in Tisdale, said Saturday. “It’s underfunded.”

Deforest said even if compensation is offered for a firearm on the banned list, it still results in a lot of equipment that goes with that gun that is now useless.

“It’s the accessories, your optics, your loading equipment. There’s so much more to it than just the gun,” he explained. “You’re probably spending more on on the accessories and the support to that gun.”

In addition to owning the store for nearly 10 years, Deforest is a hunter and gun owner himself. But he said he’s concerned for the potential loss of the sport of shooting.

“These sports are very family oriented — the wives, the kids, everybody participates. And after, there’s always big steak barbecues. It’s a very social event,” he said. “The shooting is just an excuse for everybody to get together.

“It’s just a loss of our culture.”

Deforest said a lot of money has been spent so far on gun control with little to show for it, adding efforts should instead be directed toward unlicensed firearm owners and gang violence.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree urged owners of the banned firearms to apply for compensation early, because it will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Owners of banned guns can also comply with the law by deactivating their firearms at their own expense, turning them in to local police for no compensation, or exporting them if they hold an export permit.

— with files from The Canadian Press

by Geoff Smith/CJME

Gun shop owner says accessories left out of federal gun buyback program

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