This is the current state of affairs in Australia.  It could be the headlines
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              OWNERS of illegal or unregistered firearms have three
              months to hand in their weapons to police without fear of
              prosecution.

              Every South Australian police station will be a "receiving
              station" until midnight on September 19.

              They will also accept ammunition and gun parts.

              No financial compensation will be provided for the
              weapons and people will be given the chance to apply for
              licences.

              The amnesty was announced yesterday by Deputy
              Commissioner Neil Mackenzie and Police Minister Robert
              Brokenshire.

              "This is a running effort to make SA even safer than it
              has been, and I believe gun owners are thinking more
              responsibly than they have before," Mr Mackenzie said.

              "But we believe there are still firearms out there that, for
              one reason or another, have been kept by families who
              do not know what to do with them.

              "They now have three months to bring them to police,
              who will destroy them as appropriate."

              Mr Mackenzie said people who handed in semi-automatic
              or fully-automatic weapons – which are illegal in
              Australia – would not face police action.

              But any guns found by police during "normal business"
              would result in prosecution.

              Mr Brokenshire said the move was not designed to
              deprive professional and sporting shooters of firearms.

              "Professional shooters have been consistently good at
              meeting the legal requirements," he said. "We're
              concerned there are some people keeping unregistered
              weapons in their cupboards or sheds."

              This was the first amnesty since the buy-back four years
              ago, and the Government was not likely to offer another
              in the near future, he said.