On March 2nd, Dauphin RCMP Officers arrested a man on Main Street South who was in breach of court-ordered curfew conditions. In a news release, they said they found a prohibited rifle after a search. Looking closer, it doesn't look like a rifle at all. The firearm is short, compact, and looks to be held together by duct tape.
It's a textbook example of what the RCMP calls a PMF, or Privately Manufactured Firearm. In an emailed statement to 730 CKDM, a representative of the RCMP's National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) said a recent increase in the number of PMFs seized is concerning.
"In recent years, the RCMP has observed an increase in the number of seized firearms that can be identified as Privately Manufactured Firearms (PMFs) based on the descriptions reported by Canadian police and public agencies to the Registrar of Firearms, in accordance with the Public Agents Firearms Regulations. For example, in 2021, Canadian police and public agencies seized 187 PMFs and, in 2025, they seized 367 PMFs," the statement read.
That's an increase of 96%, almost double the number of PMFs seized in a 4 year span. There's no doubt that recent advancements in techonology like 3D printing have made fighting the issue more difficult for the RCMP.
"PMFs can be assembled with 3D-printed parts and other unregulated components. This is of concern to law enforcement because it circumvents firearm licensing and other regulatory regulations that protect public safety," the statment read.
"The RCMP is aware of the changing technology and continues to monitor developments. Disclosing specific investigative tools or procedures could compromise ongoing and future investigations," read another part of the statement.
Though the fight against PMFs is difficult with technological advancements, the RCMP isn't without an answer. In recent years, legislation has been passed to give police agencies a better chance.
"Bill C-21, an Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), received Royal Assent on December 15, 2023. It included measures to help combat PMFs, namely requiring a firearms licence to import or transfer certain firearm parts and creating offences for the possession or distribution of blueprints and other computer data for the purpose of manufacturing or trafficking. It also updated the list of designated offences eligible for wiretap authorization under section 183 of the Criminal Code to include new firearms offences, including those related to the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of firearms," the statement read.
Manitoba is no stranger to makeshift firearms. Seizures of similar weapons have happened in the past, most recently in Spruce Plains in February. Locally, there was a similar seizure in Dauphin in June of 2023. With Bill C-21 both creating specific offences related to PMFs and expanding ways to discourage criminals from manufacturing or trafficking them, police agencies across Canada are better equipped to fight new dangers that come as a result of new tech.
