NSW Police has received a massive haul of firearms during the National Firearms Amnesty including a whopping 778 from the Hunter region.
The three month amnesty started in July and ran until the end of September in a bid to crack down on the number of guns in the state.
Lake Macquarie has handed in the most with 266, followed by 169 in Port Stephens.
Across the state, nearly 10,000 firearms and firearm-related items including 602 handguns and 1575 shotguns have been surrendered to police.
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“It’s extremely encouraging to see community members recognising the danger posed by these weapons and doing the right thing by handing them in or having them registered,” Deputy Commissioner Worboys said.
"I think in the country areas its just a part of life out there in terms of firearm ownership and people handing firearms down through generations and these amnesties provide opportunities for people to have a look in sheds and cupboards and come forward and give those in and have them destroyed."
Surrendered items of interest include 20 SKS assault rifles, eight M1 carbine military self-loading rifles, four sub-machine guns, a Colt AR-15 rifle, a .44 calibre magnum revolver, an Adler 110 shotgun, and a Mauser model 1918 T-Gewehr-Bolt Action anti-tank rifle.
It wasn't just firearms which were surrendered to police, under the amnesty 130 prohibited items were handed in including 14 crossbows, 27 suppressors, samurai swords and knives.
Deputy Commissioner of Metropolitan Field Operations Jeff Loy is also very pleased with the number of guns which are now off the streets because he said gun crime affects everybody.
“In the wrong hands, guns are a lethal weapon so it’s pleasing to see people are keen to do the right thing and have used the opportunity to dispose of firearms and other weapons to ensure they don’t end up in the wrong hands,” Deputy Commissioner Loy said.
Deputy Commissioner Worboys said while so many have been handed in, there's no question there are still some out there in the wrong hands.
"The other thing that's important today is to recognise that we still accept that firearms are a part of criminal entities out there. People have information on that and they need to make sure they bring that forward."
