'Black Rifles' Popularized by Games Trending in Canada

The demand for modern day weaponry is apparently on the rise in Canada, and video games are the reason why, according to a report in The Times Colonist. The paper of note for Newfoundland notes that the tastes of Canadian gun owners has shifted from firearms associated with hunting to modern-day, military grade weapons, or what the cool kids call "black rifles."

These modern collectors are more interested in shooting guns than hunting and want access to the guns they might see in games such as Call of Duty or Battlefield. The report highlights one such collector, a 28-year-old Newfoundlander named Greg MacDonald who calls the research and attention to detail that goes into these armaments as "poetry in motion."

"When I see a firearm, I see engineering, mathematics and physics," he says. "In terms of technology and machining, these modern black firearms simply outclass anything my grandfather ever owned.

And, he adds, "they happen to look as good as they work."

As a new generation of young men become interested in shooting, retailers are trying to meet the growing demand for black rifles. Canadian authorities are worried about the trend in the face of a repeal of the long-gun registry by the federal government. Gun enthusiasts and those who sell to them accuse them of trying to stop the legal sale military technology to the public.

Chris Youngson, a leading Canadian firearms retailer, sells black rifles through his Vancouver-based website CanadaAmmo.com. He says the consumer behavior of Canadian firearms enthusiasts is clearly changing and that selling only antiquated hunting rifles and shotguns is no way to stay in business.

"The growth industry in this country is not hunting," he said. "Hunting is a declining activity. In reality, the average customer is a young person who wants something they see in a video game."

Source: Times Colonist