Australia’s biggest state of New South Wales (NSW) launched a fresh round of firearm destruction Tuesday, disposing of weapons seized and gathered by local law enforcement officers.

The haul of 2809 firearms came into police possession after being seized through criminal investigations, located as abandoned property, and surrendered. The state has a population of just over eight million people.

The NSW Police Force reports among the items destroyed were pistols, rifles, shotguns, military firearms, home-made firearms, airsoft, gel blasters, air pistols and air rifles.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb said every firearm destroyed “is a win for police and the community.”

“We’ve all seen the harm that is caused by the unlawful use of firearms and the fear it can cause within the broader community,” Commissioner Webb said. “Some of these items are collected through long term, complex criminal investigations and others are located through isolated search warrants and police incidents.

Weapons are cut into pieces before being melted down (NSW Police Force)

An old double-barreled shotgun is readied for disposal (NSW Police Force)

“By destroying these weapons, we prevent any that are kept for legitimate purposes falling into the wrong hands and used in other crimes.”

Deputy NSW State Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole added police continued to crack down on illegal criminal activity which regularly involved “the seizures of firearms, ammunition and other weapons.”

“We know the vast majority of those in our community possess firearms for a valid reason – and then there are those who use these weapons to inflict fear and cause serious harm to others,”  Toole said.

Seized weapons ready for disposal (NSW Police Force)

“Police across the state are committed to getting those weapons off our street to keep our community safe.”

Australia has some of the strictest firearm possession laws in the world.

They were launched on the back of a confiscatory gun return scheme launched after a shooting in a café in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur in April 1996 which resulted in 35 people killed, and another 23 wounded.

That program included a buyback of semi-automatic weapons and guns from owners no longer qualified to possess them. About 650,000 guns were destroyed, as part of the reforms that cost $500m as introduced by the national conservative coalition government led by then Prime Minister John Howard.

The law also created a nationwide firearms registry, and required a 28-day waiting period for gun sales.

Democrats are preparing a large gun control package to be considered in House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

The package, dubbed, “Protecting Our Kids,” includes eight bills designed to erode citizens’ Second Amendment rights.

Reportedly included in the massive gun control package are provisions to ban high-capacity magazines, increase the purchase age of semi-automatics from 18 to 21, ban bump stocks for civilian use while requiring existing bump stocks to be registered with the government, change the definition of “ghost guns” so they fall under background checks at point of sale, increase penalties for gun trafficking, and mandate how Americans store firearms in their homes.

According to Punchbowl News, the bill’s names and sponsors are:

1. The Raise the Age Act (H.R. 3015, Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland)
2. Prevent Gun Trafficking Act (H.R. 2280, Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois)
3. The Untraceable Firearms Act (H.R. 3088, Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island)
4. Ethan’s Law (H.R. 748, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut) 
5. The Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act (H.R. 6370, Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan) 
6. The Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act (H.R. 130, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas)
7. Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act (H.R. 5427, Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada)
8. The Keep Americans Safe Act (H.R. 2510, Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida)

It seems likely the Democrats in the House may have enough votes to pass the package. A vote will reportedly be held next week on the litany of bills. If the package narrowly passes the House, it will move to the Senate, where it must survive a 60-vote, filibuster-proof threshold to pass the deliberative body.

Last week, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) instructed Sen. John Cornyn (R-KY) to work with Democrats on gun control measures. “I’ve encouraged him to talk to Sen. Sinema, Sen. Murphy and others who are interested in trying to get an outcome that’s directly related to the problem. I am hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution that’s directly related to the facts of this awful massacre,” McConnell stated, referring to the deadly shooting at Robb elementary school in Uvalde, TX, last week.

The announcement of the legislation comes after President Biden claimed on Memorial Day the Second Amendment is not absolute.

“It makes no sense to be able to purchase something that can fire up to 300 rounds. There’s only one reason to buy a gun that can fire 100 rounds,” Biden claimed. “The Constitution, the Second Amendment was never absolute.”

Australia’s biggest state of New South Wales (NSW) launched a fresh round of firearm destruction Tuesday, disposing of weapons seized and gathered by local law enforcement officers.

The haul of 2809 firearms came into police possession after being seized through criminal investigations, located as abandoned property, and surrendered. The state has a population of just over eight million people.

The NSW Police Force reports among the items destroyed were pistols, rifles, shotguns, military firearms, home-made firearms, airsoft, gel blasters, air pistols and air rifles.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb said every firearm destroyed “is a win for police and the community.”

“We’ve all seen the harm that is caused by the unlawful use of firearms and the fear it can cause within the broader community,” Commissioner Webb said. “Some of these items are collected through long term, complex criminal investigations and others are located through isolated search warrants and police incidents.

Weapons are cut into pieces before being melted down (NSW Police Force)

An old double-barreled shotgun is readied for disposal (NSW Police Force)

“By destroying these weapons, we prevent any that are kept for legitimate purposes falling into the wrong hands and used in other crimes.”

Deputy NSW State Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole added police continued to crack down on illegal criminal activity which regularly involved “the seizures of firearms, ammunition and other weapons.”

“We know the vast majority of those in our community possess firearms for a valid reason – and then there are those who use these weapons to inflict fear and cause serious harm to others,”  Toole said.

Seized weapons ready for disposal (NSW Police Force)

“Police across the state are committed to getting those weapons off our street to keep our community safe.”

Australia has some of the strictest firearm possession laws in the world.

They were launched on the back of a confiscatory gun return scheme launched after a shooting in a café in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur in April 1996 which resulted in 35 people killed, and another 23 wounded.

That program included a buyback of semi-automatic weapons and guns from owners no longer qualified to possess them. About 650,000 guns were destroyed, as part of the reforms that cost $500m as introduced by the national conservative coalition government led by then Prime Minister John Howard.

The law also created a nationwide firearms registry, and required a 28-day waiting period for gun sales.