Newly released RCMP reports are challenging a widely held assumption about gun crime in Canada, revealing that the majority of traced crime guns in recent years originated within Canada rather than being smuggled across international borders.
The findings, contained in internal analyses prepared by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and obtained through Access to Information requests, provide one of the most detailed pictures yet of where crime guns are coming from and how they are entering criminal activity.
According to the reports, most firearms traced by the RCMP in both 2023 and 2024 were found to have domestic origins. The data suggests that while firearm smuggling remains a concern, particularly involving handguns, a significant portion of guns used in crimes are sourced from within Canada itself.
In 2024, the RCMP’s Canadian National Firearms Tracing Centre completed 6,951 firearm traces. Of those, 4,197 were identified as crime guns, and investigators were able to determine the source of 2,814 firearms.
The analysis found that approximately 71 per cent of traced crime guns were domestically sourced long guns, including rifles and shotguns. Smuggled handguns accounted for 17 per cent of traced firearms, while nine per cent were domestically sourced handguns. Only two per cent were identified as smuggled long guns.
The reports also highlighted the growing presence of privately manufactured firearms, commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” In 2024, investigators traced 67 homemade or privately assembled firearms that had been linked to criminal activity. Such firearms often lack serial numbers, making them more difficult for law enforcement agencies to track.
Among firearms whose operating mechanisms were known, semi-automatic weapons were identified as the most common type recovered in criminal investigations.
The RCMP defines a crime gun broadly to include firearms used or suspected to have been used in criminal offences, firearms with altered or removed serial numbers, weapons that were recovered but not reported lost or stolen, as well as certain replica firearms, air guns, pellet guns, and 3D-printed weapons when used in criminal activity.
The reports also examined connections between crime guns and organized crime. Of the traced firearms in 2024, four per cent were linked to organized criminal groups, including street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and traditional organized crime networks. Of those firearms, 147 were domestically sourced and 37 were smuggled.
The findings were consistent with results from the previous year. In 2023, RCMP analysts found that 86 per cent of traced crime guns with identifiable origins were sourced domestically, while only 14 per cent were determined to have been smuggled into Canada.
The reports caution that the figures do not represent all crime guns nationwide. Ontario and Quebec maintain their own firearm tracing agencies, meaning the RCMP data does not include all firearm investigations conducted in those provinces.
The findings arrive amid ongoing national debate over firearm policy. Since 2020, the federal government has prohibited approximately 2,500 models and variants of firearms, including the AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14. The government argues that such firearms are designed for military-style use and have no place in civilian settings.
Ottawa has also launched a compensation and buyback program aimed at removing prohibited firearms from circulation. Supporters argue the initiative will enhance public safety, while critics contend that the program unfairly targets lawful firearm owners rather than focusing resources on criminal networks and border enforcement.
Some opponents of current firearm policies have long argued that smuggled guns from the United States represent the primary source of gun crime in Canada. The RCMP data suggests the picture is more complex and that domestically sourced firearms continue to play a significant role in criminal activity.
Blake Brown of Saint Mary’s University said the findings help broaden public understanding of firearm crime in Canada. He noted that discussions often focus on urban gang violence and smuggled handguns, while overlooking the role that domestically owned long guns can play in criminal incidents, particularly in rural and smaller communities.
The RCMP declined to interpret the findings in the context of public debates over firearm policy, stating that the role of the Canadian Firearms Program is to provide information and administer regulations rather than comment on public perceptions.
The national police force has indicated that its next annual firearm tracing report, covering 2025 data, is still being finalized.
The newly released reports suggest that addressing gun crime in Canada may require a dual approach—continuing efforts to combat cross-border smuggling while also focusing on theft, diversion, illegal transfers, and misuse of firearms already present within the country. As policymakers continue to debate gun control measures, the RCMP data provides important evidence about the diverse sources of firearms involved in criminal activity across Canada.