According to a website published by the NSW Greens for each licensed firearms owner in Orange – there are four guns.

For postcode 2800, toomanyguns.org says there are 10,504 firearms with 2514 registered owners and the largest number of firearms held by one person, outside of collectors was 54.

The figures from March this year don’t take into account the recent National Firearms Amnesty, where Canobolas Local Area Command received 375 guns in three months.

Member for Orange Phil Donato said a firearms amnesty should operate continuously.

“The spirit of the amnesty was to get unregistered firearms off the street,” Mr Donato said.

“I believe there should be a permanent amnesty.”

Mr Donato said in his experience a large number of people came into possession of firearms when family members died and relatives discovered their guns.

“[The amnesty] gave those people the chance to register it or hand it in if it’s not wanted,” he said.

He said some people were often scared to come forward as they weren’t sure what would happen if they went to hand it in when it was not registered.

Mr Donato said the website highlighted the number of law-abiding citizens who were licensed firearms holders who faced strict storage requirements and an inspection process from police.

He said the website also could be used as a “shopping list for criminals”, was “inappropriate” and added to the risk faced by licensed firearms owners.

“The real issue is how many illegal firearms are out in the community, which is very difficult to quantify,” Mr Donato said.

“By and large, 97 per cent of all gun crime is committed by people who have illegal firearms.

“They’re not licensed and their firearms aren’t registered.”

Bullets and Bits owner Ray Hawkins said many sporting shooters used different types of firearms in different sports.

Mr Hawkins said different firearms including rifles, shotguns and pistols were used in the different kinds of target shooting.

“In clay target shooting, there are three or four different disciplines,” he said.

“It’s just like golf, you can’t play golf with just a putter.”

Meanwhile, farmers also used different types of guns depending on whether it was to hunt pests.

Mr Hawkins said that might mean a .22 calibre rifle or shotgun for rabbits where as guidelines required at least a .222 for kangaroos while wild pigs required something bigger again.

He said there were families around Orange who went shooting at the range together as their hobby but also to educate people and build respect about firearms.