The Council of Australian Governments will meet on Friday to discuss the classification of the lever action Adler A110 shotgun, which carries seven rounds in the magazine and another in the barrel.

While it can be fired quickly, it is not as fast as a pump-action shotgun – imports were banned last year pending a review of the National Firearms Agreement.

The states are likely to classify the shotgun in category D, meaning only professional contact shooters, those employed by a government agency or a primary producer conducting an authorised eradication campaign will be able to access it, meaning it will be off-limits to all other primary producers and recreational hunters.

The newly-elected Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party member weighed into the issue after federal Nationals MPs claimed the Orange byelection result showed voters did not want their gun access limited.

“There’s no evidentiary fact-proof basis on which to change it,” Mr Donato said.

“We want it to remain with other shotguns in category A – it’s not a semi-automatic weapon, there have been no reported instances of lever action shotguns in any crimes, this will just make it hard for law-abiding firearms owners doing the right thing.”

According to NSW Police, most shotguns fit into the category A licence, which contains the least powerful and easiest to obtain weapons.

Self-loading or pump action shotguns fit into the C and D categories.

Mr Donato, a former police prosecutor, said most major gun crime involved handguns.

“They’re predominantly sourced illegally or stolen – category H is handguns and the permits are very hard to acquire, there are very strict conditions,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what category you put them in, criminals aren’t going to obey the law.”