NSW POLICE and firearms distributors across the Western Plains have welcomed an initiative to give people who own illegal firearms and ammunition the opportunity to give them up.

Crime Stoppers and police are giving Australians a chance to surrender for destruction unwanted or unregistered firearms, parts, and ammunition at no cost and without penalty for illegal possession, depending on circumstances, through a national permanent amnesty.

Amnesties to hand in unwanted or illegal firearms, parts and ammunition have been run in the past with a specified start and end date, the most recent one being from July to September 2018.

The amnesty - which came into effect from Thursday 1 July - coincides with the launch of a new state-wide online portal called Gun Safe which manages firearms transactions in NSW.

State Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the introduction of a permanent national amnesty sends a clear message that community safety is the top priority for police.

“This new permanent amnesty will allow community members to surrender for destruction unwanted or unregistered firearms and ammunition cost free,” said Mr Elliott.

“Gun safe, the new online portal will ensure that all firearms transactions are accounted for, giving the community peace of mind that police can access real time information when it comes to guns to help prevent crime and keep our communities safe.”

According to NSW Police, locations where residents can drop off their unregistered firearms are local police stations as well as firearms distributors who sign up to the Gun Safe portal.

Local distributor David Thwaites from Walgett Hunt Camp Fish/Newsagency said he was always in favour of ways to ensure unregistered guns were handed in.

"We've got to clean up the industry because it’s a tarnish on licensed firearm holders when there are people that have unlicenced firearms in their possession," Mr Thwaites said.

"We've had very positive experience with past amnesties - last time, we probably had around 100 firearms registered and a handful of firearms handed in."

Previous gun amnesties in NSW have proven to be very successful in the past. Photo courtesy of NSW police.

The Police Prosecutions and Licensing Enforcement Commander Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook and Crime Stoppers CEO Peter Price said the their focus, as always, was public safety and the permanent amnesty would go a long way to ensure that.

"We want to reduce the number of illegal firearms in the community, so they don’t fall into the hands of criminals, who use unregistered firearms for intimidation and violence,” Assistant Commissioner Cook said.

"Previously, firearms amnesties had a definitive time frame, but we understand that some members of the community might change their minds about handing in illegal firearms, so we want to give them the opportunity to do so anytime, anywhere,” Mr Price said.

Mr Thwaites said people in rural communities can sometimes come across firearms on their properties they weren't even aware of and giving these people a chance to hand them in without fear of consequence was also a good idea.

"I believe firearms are still being found in sheds that perhaps were never sorted or may have been used in an untoward fashion and discarded," he said.

"People are also a bit frightened sometimes to involve police or anything to do with firearms, so they might be inclined to ignore the firearm is there.

"Now that there's an amnesty, they could come across something in 10 years' time and feel comfortable to hand it in - the main thing is that the firearm is recorded and registered.

"We now have to get the word out there so farmers know, if there are any unregistered firearms on their properties, to please come and get them registered so there aren't cany complications down the track."