Australian Firearm Amnesty, Buyback and Destruction Totals: Official tallies and media-reported numbers, 1987-2015

Philip Alpers and Amlie Rossetti, 3 May 2016

GunPolicy.org, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney
Year

NSW
Period
1987 24/8 8wks
1988 1/1 10wks
31/10 - 31/12
1989
1990
1991 1/7 4wks
1992 1992-1995 (a)
1993
1994
1995 1992 >30/6
1996 > 30/6
30/9 12mths
1997
1998 1/7 4wks
1999
2000
2001 29/6 16wks
2002
2003 10/03 - 7/04 (b)
10/03 - 6/04
2004 > Jul 04
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009 1/3 12wks
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Collected

Period
404 13/8 6wks
18,600 22/2 - 31/5
31/10 - 31/12

5,772

38,210

4,066
7,448
4,461
6,155
8,585
9,308
4,366

38,876
280,634
319,510

Federal firearm amnesty

Short-term state amnesty
Long-term state amnesty
Open-ended state amnesty

Corresponding author:

Period

QLD

Collected

265,291

5/8 - 2/02
>8/99

8/98 - 2/02

30/9 12mths

130,893

4
5

6,000

1/7 12wks

43,700
283,294
326,994

Collected

Period

31/10 - 31/12

NT

Collected

Period

31/10 - 31/12

ACT

Collected

Period

31/10 - 31/12

29/10 12wks

2,835

64,811

unreported
138,168
138,168

1/10 - 31/12

51,499
47,218

28

14/7 - 31/12

8/12 - 10/12

30/9 12mths

9,474

8/01 - 7/11/01

31/10 - 31/12

30/9 12mths

5,380

137 11/7 - 5/10

1/7 - 31/12

1,490 1/10 - 31/12

450
271
1,100
1,881
15
2,854
1/8 - 31/10

67 1/7 - 31/12

71

2/09 > 3mths

189
80
1,200

1
7

912
96,114
97,026

1
3

Alpers, Philip and Amlie Rossetti. 2016. Australian Firearm Amnesty, Buyback and Destruction Totals: Official tallies and media-reported numbers, 1987-2015.
Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney. GunPolicy.org, 3 May.
Philip Alpers - pa@gunpolicy.org

38,860

284
300
334
443
433
456
1,213
508
419
543
23
601
695
3,576
4,656

220

290

176
259

0
1

unreported
100,285
100,285

State amnesties pre-Port Arthur:

State amnesties post-Port Arthur:
State amnesties total:
Federal amnesties:
Total amnesties (varying durations):

30/9 12mths

660 8/6 > > 12/01

193
258
1/7 - 31/12
178
143
88

888

In blank spaces, collection and destruction figures are unknown

a) Long-term amnesty of SLRs (self-loading rifles)
b) Run in unison with National Handgun Buyback
c) National total not disaggregated by state in 2003

30/9 12mths

2,719 7/01 - 6/04

12/15 - 6/16

1
3

Collected

27/11 >

19,635

12/08 - 2/09
10/09 - 12/09

4,440

TAS

912

9/96 - 1/99
30/9 12mths

9/96 - 1/99

847
734
3
5
1,734
10 1/2 - 30/4
19

10/12 - 11/12

WA

1992 >

1/7 - 1/7
1/7 - 31/12

10/09
10/09
4/10

Period

1/1 >

8,651

8/8 - 31/12

Collected

31/10 - 31/12

27,700

30/9 12mths

SA

Period

1/1 12wks

4
4
Total:

Suggested citation:

1,000

19,872 6/4 >

192,263

Collected

15,000 31/10 - 31/12

1/10 12wks

State Firearm Amnesties

Pre-Port Arthur:
Post-Port Arthur:

VIC

12
26
38
3
41

unreported
9,968
9,968

0
2

unreported
7,555
7,555

1996-97 Federal Firearm Buyback total:

2003 Federal Handgun Buyback total:
Pre-Port Arthur reported total:
Post-Port Arthur reported total:
All amnesties reported total:
(Totals include firearms voluntarily
surrendered without compensation)

1
1

758,471
68,727 (c)
83,488
1,038,089
1,121,577

unreported
53,344
53,344