Politicians have heard arguments allowing competitive shooters to use the weapons.
But police say the data obtained under the Official Information Act is limited.
The new minister in charge of firearms is about to shake things up.
Firearms owners will have five years to register them after the new registry goes live.
For some, the wait times are so long for renewals their existing licenses run out and they risk becoming criminals.
This follows a report claiming the Christchurch gunman was wrongly granted a firearms licence.
"Let bad habits die, not your mates."
