SIMON LAWRANCE remembers when buying a gun was a matter of walking into a police station, pulling out ID and buying a three-year licence for $6.

''I've been in the firearms industry for 35 years,'' Mr Lawrance said. ''So I've seen everything. Things have changed now. We've got these laws in place, we have a registration system which I don't think is working terribly well because it's very top heavy in paperwork.''

Mr Lawrance opened his George Street shop, Lawrance Ordnance, selling ex-military rifles, antique weapons, swords and armour two decades ago.He has sold about 3000 firearms.

He entered the business as a 14-year-old. He is now 49, and five of the six George Street gun shops that used to operate between Central and Town Hall railway stations have closed.