Canada has a lot of gun laws and keeps looking to create even more. Eventually, it’ll probably follow the lead of its UK brethren and ban most everything except under a handful of circumstances. It’s not like they have a Second Amendment analog up that way.

Yet, despite that, Canadian police are still having an issue with guns falling into criminal hands.

Usually, they opt to just blame the United States for their issues–a lesson they learned from New Jersey, perhaps–but a recent bust in Canada illustrates the real problem with gun control.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that police in Winnipeg, Manitoba, shut down an improvised gun manufacturing operation, seizing a dozen firearms and the equipment being used to make them. Police say they found the operation after trying to stop a man who was riding a bicycle dangerously. The suspect tried to flee; they spotted what looked like a gun in his waistband and chased him into a house, where they arrested him, along with one woman. In addition to the homemade guns, law enforcement also seized power tools, pieces of pipe, and bullets. Police also say they found methamphetamine at the scene and worry that the guns were being sold to drug addicts.

Guns aren’t overly difficult to make. Hell, they can be constructed with hardware store materials and tooling, for crying out loud. And this was before 3D printing was a thing.

Now, the cat’s out of the bag. Give it up, folks. Guns are here to stay, at least until something more effective is created.

Because of the ease in constructing guns, there will always be people who make them at home. For some, it’s little more than an engineering challenge. They’re a fascinating puzzle to solve. These are the people who will stop if the practice is banned. They’ll simply move on to another puzzle.

Others, however, do it for profit. They see a market and they’re going to tap into that market. They know there are people who want guns that can’t get them through legal means. These folks build guns for criminals, and guess what happens if you ban the practice? They keep on doing it.

As gun rights activists have noted for decades, only the law-abiding abide by the law. Criminals, by definition, aren’t law-abiding. They break the law as a matter of course. Why would anyone believe more laws would have any meaningful impact on such people?

It’s insane.

Canadian gun laws are much more strict than they are here, yet still, criminals get guns. That’s something that will continue for an eternity. The question is, what will it take for anti-gunners to wake up and recognize that all their efforts are simply creating a thriving black market for guns? Criminals are continuing to get guns on both sides of the border, and there’s little anyone can do to prevent it.

The best you can do is empower the good people to carry firearms in their own defense. After a time, the bad and stupid will either be in prison or dead. Those who are left will get the hint and find a new vocation, and the law-abiding will continue to be law-abiding.

It’s not rocket science here, so why is it so hard for a nation like Canada to grasp?