Gun amnesty nets assault rifles and Magnum

NSW Police have collected thousands of firearms as part of the national gun amnesty which ends on September 30.

An array of guns in seen on a table in Canberra,

NSW Police have displayed firearms surrendered so far under the national gun amnesty. (AAP)

Thousands of firearms, including a .44 Magnum revolver, assault rifles and sub-machine guns have been handed to NSW police as the national gun amnesty reaches the half-way mark.

The amnesty which ends on September 30 allows anyone with an unregistered firearm or firearm-related item to legally dispose of, or register, such items with police without penalty.

Since being declared a month ago, 1700 rifles, 460 shotguns and nearly 200 handguns have been surrendered and thousands more firearms submitted for registration.

Surrendered items include four SKS assault rifles, a 9mm homemade sub-machine gun, a Colt AR-15 rifle, M1 carbine, a .44 calibre Magnum revolver, and a Leader Dynamics T2 MK5 assault rifle.

Police have also received more than 110 prohibited weapons including samurai swords, knives, knuckle-dusters and other edged weapons, Forensic Services detective chief inspector Wayne Hoffman told media on Tuesday.

""We are pleased the people of NSW have made a statement supporting NSW Police in reducing the number of unregistered and unwanted firearms," he said.

The amnesty was announced earlier this year by federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan in response to concerns about gun violence and illegally imported weapons on the nation's streets.

It's the first national amnesty since the crackdown on gun ownership prompted by the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 when Martin Bryant murdered 35 people and wounded another 23 at the historic site in Tasmania.


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Source: AAP

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