Malcolm Turnbull has added fuel to the stoush with Tony Abbott over gun policy, saying the 2015 decision by the former prime minister on a temporary import ban was not taken to cabinet.
Mr Abbott claims there was "no deal" last year involving him or his office to get Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm on side for a national security bill.
However, emails show ministers Peter Dutton and Michael Keenan last year agreed the government would insert a 12-month sunset clause on the import ban on rapid-fire shotguns in exchange for Senator Leyonhjelm's support.
And Mr Turnbull told parliament on Thursday the import ban had been imposed with the full knowledge of Mr Abbott's office.
The prime minister - a former Abbott government cabinet minister before seizing the leadership in September 2015 - added to his comments on Friday, saying the decision to impose a sunset clause had not been a cabinet decision.
"The sunset clause wasn't a decision of the Abbott cabinet. I ensured the extension of the ban, that was made by my government, was a decision of the cabinet," he said in Sydney.
"When that sunset clause was coming close to its conclusion in August this year, I brought the matter to my cabinet and we resolved - that is the Turnbull government resolved - to continue the import ban indefinitely."
Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne told the Nine Network it was "not true" to say the prime minister had effectively called Mr Abbott a liar.
Asked if he accepted Mr Abbott's assertion he didn't know about an agreement reached by Mr Keenan and Mr Dutton, Mr Pyne said: "I don't know what was in his mind or not at the time.
"But I can tell you one thing - there is no fissure between Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott over the fact that we will not water down John Howard's gun laws."
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese described it as a "cage fight" between Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott.
"It's on for all to see," he said.
