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Darren Reed has been through countless regulatory changes since he opened his Saskatoon gun shop three decades ago.

Most of them have been “somewhat reasonable” to deal with, he said.

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Now, though, the Saskatoon Gunworks Inc. owner is worried the federal government’s plan to ban “military-style” firearms, and allow municipalities to ban handguns, will force him to find another line of work.

“I’m scared that I’m going to be put out of business,” Reed said, adding that while hunting makes up a portion of most gun shops’ business, most rely heavily on selling AR-15s and handguns to recreational shooters.

“If there’s a handgun ban and an AR-15 ban, I’m done. And it’s not just me. Every gun shop across this country is done. There’s no way for us to survive … The sporting segment of the firearms is where the majority of us make our business.”

Reed and other shooters also take issue with the basis of the Liberal government’s proposal, which they describe as a political smokescreen that will hurt businesses and lawful firearms owners without addressing crime in Toronto and other large cities.