UPDATE: FORMER Prime Minister John Howard believes there is still support for tight gun controls.

Mr Howard was speaking at a $350-per head lunch in Sydney yesterday hosted by Gun Control Australia.

Mr Howard said he opposed any winding back of gun control legislation.

“If the community thought the gun laws were being seriously weakened their would be quite a kick back,” he said.

Commenting on the controversial Adler A110 lever-action shotgun, Mr Howard said he supported the government’s temporary ban on imports.

“If the Government ends up letting this in, and not treating it as I think it should be on the evidence available to me at the moment — treated as akin to an automatic or semiautomatic — then I would be very critical of that, certainly, and that would be a huge mistake,” Mr Howard said.

The Federal Government will not be revoking its now temporary ban.

Senator David Leyonhjelm has ended his bid to have the initially permanent ban overturned with the Government agreeing to a “sunset clause” on the ban after 12 months.

Senator Leyonhjelm says gun owners will need to be vigilant, or else a ban may be reintroduced.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott intervened in July to suspend imports of what was dubbed a “fast and furious” shotgun, which threatened to undermine gun laws introduced after the Port Arthur massacre.

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The Government ban succeeded in stopping the arrival of 7000 Adler seven-shot lever-action shotguns entering Australia.

The shotguns would have been available to category A licence holders.

A modified version of the Turkish-made shotgun, now reduced to five shots, is expected to arrive in Australia later this month.

Senator Leyonhjelm, a Liberal Democrats senator for NSW, won plaudits from the pro-gun lobby after negotiating with the Government to have the ban replaced with a temporary halt.

Imports of the seven-shot Adler are suspended until the National Firearms Agreement review process, which is expected to take about six months, is completed.

Senator Leyonhjelm yesterday gave notice that he would withdraw his disallowance motion to disallow the permanent ban “because the government has advised that it will replace the permanent ban with a temporary ban”.

An online petition signed by 7300 shooters urged the Commonwealth to revoke the ban.

A spokesman for Senator Leyonhjelm said he would “assess the Government’s approach in detail and consider next steps for representing law-abiding shooters over the coming weeks”.

Critics have warned the Turkish-made Adler A110 threatened to open the door to thousands of ordinary shooters being able to own a rapid-fire shotgun for the first time since Port Arthur.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the decision to suspend imports was not about targeting law-abiding gun owners but reflected the heightened terrorist threat in Australia.

“We know gun technology has updated and we’re doing the work to ensure our laws aren’t outdated,’’ Mr Keenan said.

Senator Leyonhjelm said: “I am concerned that some people in the Government who would not know their backside from a popgun, want to renege on the National Firearms Agreement.”

“There is nothing new about the Adler. It is not rapid fire or more powerful than any other shotgun. I will continue to use my votes in the Senate in the interests of Australia’s 800,000 law abiding gun owners.”