First Australia national firearms amnesty since 1996 nets 50,000 guns

By Chris Eger

While there have been several state and regional turn-in events, Australia just concluded the first nationwide period in over two decades. (Photo: Australian NFA)
While studies believed as many as 600,000 unregistered firearms are floating around the continent, the three-month amnesty which ended last week saw far fewer turned in.
Under threat of a fine of up to A$280,000 ($219,000), 14 years in jail, and a criminal record for being otherwise caught with an unregistered or illegal gun, Australia’s National Firearms Amnesty concluded on Oct. 1. Australian media is reporting that 51,461 firearms of all type were turned over to police in the three month period, up from the 26,000 tallied by early September.
Announced in June by Australia’s Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan of the Liberal Party, the program sought to get unwanted firearms out of homes in the nation of 24 million that had turned over 661,000 firearms in 1996 after the National Firearm Act banned several types and required strict licensing and registration.
“This is as much about giving a family a chance to get rid of an old heirloom as it is about getting rid of guns off our streets,” said Keenan.
According to a 2016 report by the Australian Criminal

Source: Guns.com