Registering guns is being criticised as costly, and unlikely to work.

Parliament is investigating how to stop guns falling into the hands of criminals, and held submissions on the subject today.

Pistol New Zealand president Deborah Wakker said firearms registration would put a big burden on law-abiding gun owners, while also being unlikely to add helpful information.

She said it's well known among the pistol community that existing police data is often entered incorrectly, or not updated when guns change hands.

Ms Wakker is making a plea for more police, rather than hurting responsible gun owners with more red tape.

She said burglaries are a leading cause of illegal firearms, but not enough resources are put into stopping those burglaries.

"More money should be put into police resourcing for solving burglaries, especially those that involve the theft of firearms. Also more police are needed on the street to raise their profile, and also to act as a deterrent."