Australia's police ministers have failed to reach a unanimous agreement to reclassify the controversial Adler shotgun, leaving the import ban on the firearm in place.
Victoria was among the states pushing for tougher classifications to restrict access to the firearm. But NSW is understood to be the only state that refused to fall into line with the others.
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Shotgun ban stays for now
There's been no agreement between states and territories on how the controversial Adler shotgun should be classified. Courtesy ABC News 24.
Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the import ban would remain until an agreement can be reached.
But he told reporters he hoped a deal could eventually be struck.
Meetings of police ministers are held every six months but Mr Keenan said discussions can be held between the meetings.
The police ministers' meeting in Melbourne on Friday came after the shotgun became the subject of tensions between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his predecessor Tony Abbott.
The majority of states had wanted to move the Adler model that holds up to five shots from the lightest classification of A up to B. All but NSW were willing to accept moving Adler rifles that hold more than five shots into the highly restricted category D.
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville said placing the firearm in category D would largely restrict it to use by only the military and police.
"Unfortunately, NSW wouldn't agree to go with the majority view," she said.
Ms Neville said NSW had argued for both models to be placed in category B.
She said it would take some time for the states to change legislation once a deal was struck.
"It's very important we get this right."
NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said there were "still some issues to be resolved" before NSW was satisfied, but his government's focus was on a "stronger national firearms agreement".
The current import ban applies to seven-cartridge Adler shotguns.
However, the meeting did produce an agreement on a national gun amnesty, first revealed by Fairfax Media last month. Ms Neville said the state government would fund the administrative costs of carrying out the amnesty in Victoria.
"This is a really important way of getting illegal firearms off the street."
The amnesty will allow the owners of unregistered firearms to surrender their weapons without facing prosecution.
Mr Keenan said it would not be a gun buyback nor was it targeting law-abiding firearm owners.
"The amnesty will provide an opportunity for people who for whatever reason are in possession of an unregistered firearm to hand it in without fear of being prosecuted," he said.
Each state and territory will have to determine how they conduct the amnesty, which will start in mid 2017.
On Friday, a firearms intelligence report revealed as many as 600,000 illegal guns may be circulating in the Australian underworld.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns also supported a national amnesty.
The Adler firearm shot to prominence after Mr Abbott denied cutting a deal to ease the ban with Senator David Leyonhjelm.
But Mr Turnbull contradicted his predecessor in Parliament this week, saying Mr Abbott's office was aware of a deal to scrap the ban in return for Senator Leyonhjelm's vote on a bill in the Senate.
With AAP