When it comes to Canada's often tense debate around gun laws, most Canadians likely will not have heard of an RCMP database called the Firearms Reference Table, or FRT.

But to people like Melody Philistin, unexpected updates to this database have a personal impact.

"Yeah. It really sucks," she said.

Philistin is a competitive shooter who recently represented Canada at an international event in the Czech Republic.

After one of her firearms was banned last year, she trained for the competition using the Sterling Arms R9 MK1, a semi-automatic nine-millimetre rifle.

"We were using those religiously to practice," she said.

Alberta firearms maker 'riled up' as Mounties ban popular rifle from Canadian market

Earlier this month, Philistin learned that the rifle had been classified in the FR

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