The site claims there are 1340 registered owners and 6058 registered firearms in the Macleay, giving an average of five per owner. The highest amount for one individual is said to be 89.

Wayne, from the Kempsey branch of Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia, was surprised about the number of firearms in the Valley.

"I disagree with the stats given; I'm not entirely sure where they have gotten those figures from because, in my experience, those numbers don't match up to reality," he said.

Regardless of what the actual numbers are, Wayne isn't overly concerned with the volume of firearms in the Macleay.

"I don't see an issue with licensed gun owners having as many firearms as they need to carry out their sport, or recreational activities," Wayne said.

"When you are living and working in a primarily regional area, you'll need multiple rifles. Target shooters will require several firearms for different courses, and hunters need different calibres to dispatch whatever they are shooting humanely.

"It's no different from a golfer who needs 18 clubs; they are necessary for different situations, sport is sport, you need the best equipment available to suit the situation."

Gun ownership has been a hot topic for years, and recently, the police launched 'Operation Armour' in the hopes of preventing, disrupting and reducing firearm thefts. While Wayne agrees with some of the laws and initiatives being taken up by the authorities, he insists that law-abiding licensed owners often receive some of the harshest penalties.

"Whenever an incident occurs, they crack down on the law-abiding licensed owners. The laws are already stringent - for anything except a traffic fine, our licence can be taken away," he said.

"There used to be a permanent amnesty in place, meaning if somebody were to find an old firearm, they could bring it to the proper authorities, and have it registered or destroyed ... I believe it was a mistake to change this."

Wayne has been involved with firearms nearly all his life; and insists that restrictions aren't the answer to solving the controversies surrounding them, but rather education.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but before people get out there and condemn firearms and their owners, go down to a range, and learn about the subject, and make up your own mind," he said.

"We have had thousands of people come through the range in the last few years, and they have all left with a better understanding and knowledge to make informed decisions about the subject.

"I think, if you don't know, don't comment, and leave it at that."

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