Ep. 188: Why Canada Really Bans Your Guns | Blair Hagen NFA

Get your FREE Authorization to Carry guide: https://www.silvercore.ca/authorization-to-carry Blair Hagen has spent 30 years fighting Canada's firearms laws, and now, days after the National Firearms Association lost its president Rick Igercich, he is the one holding it together.In this episode of the Silvercore Podcast, Travis Bader sits down with Hagen, executive vice president and now acting president of the NFA, for a clear-eyed look at where Canada's gun fight actually stands in 2026: the assault-style firearm confiscation, the Order in Council (OIC) bans, the handgun freeze, and the amnesty that keeps getting extended because almost no one is complying.Hagen survived two armed robberies behind the counter of a Vancouver gun store, then was refused a permit to protect himself. He explains why firearms in Canada get banned for how they look rather than what they do, why a serious gun charge is the first thing a prosecutor drops, why the numbers behind the confiscation do not add up, and the one thing every gun owner can actually do that works.What we get into:Why "assault-style firearm" is a political marketing term, not a legal oneThe "comply or become a criminal" trap inside the current buybackEstates, the handgun freeze, and how a widow loses a collection's valueThe NFA Save Firearms program and storing prohibited firearms legallyWhether you can still buy and transfer a handgun in Canada, and where an Authorization to Carry fits inWhether you have owned firearms your whole life or have never touched one, this is a conversation about property, rights, and who decides what is yours.Find the NFA: https://nfa.caNFA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/national_firearms_association/NFA on Facebook: https://facebook.com/NFACANADANFA on X: https://x.com/CanadasNFA_____Silvercore Club - https://www.silvercore.ca/clubOnline Training - https://www.silvercore.ca/course/canadian-firearms-safety-course-onlineOther Training & Services - https://www.silvercore.ca/course/categoryMerchandise - https://www.silvercore.ca/collections/all-merchandiseBlog Page - https://www.silvercore.ca/blogHost Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors____Timestamps:00:00 Cold open00:46 Remembering NFA president Rick Igercich02:28 How Blair got into the fight: the registry and David Tomlinson08:38 Canada's gun culture, and a global audience listening12:49 Two armed robberies behind the counter17:00 Denied a carry permit in a store full of guns20:19 "What can I do?" and the early '90s political wasteland26:00 Property rights and the slippery slope30:35 The amnesty extension and the courtroom no-win34:32 Why gun charges get dropped first, and "assault-style" spin40:49 Estates, the widow problem, and the caliber ban48:24 "We do not make mistakes": the inheritance test case50:44 Magazines, deactivation, and rules you can't comply with57:03 OIC chaos and the meaningless word "variant"1:03:15 Aesthetics over ballistics: why guns really get banned1:09:41 Talking guns with someone who fears them1:13:22 The handgun freeze and the Save Firearms program1:22:00 The toll of 30 years on the line1:24:45 Cooking the numbers: only 4,000 Mini-14s?1:29:00 The quiet plan to put gun stores out of business1:33:31 The Conservative Outdoors Committee and revolving-door courts1:37:57 Which org to support, and what you can actually do1:45:08 Closing, and Blair's goodbye to Rick