The Prime Minister is defending the government's gun buyback events.

More than 500 firearms were handed in and a million dollars forked out at the first event in Canterbury over the weekend.

WATCH: Mike's Minute: A lot of people will be inconvenienced by gun buyback

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Mike Hosking no one will ever know how many of the guns are out there.

“It’s not a reason not to remove them from the market, or ban them. I absolutely back what we are doing here. I think the return from the first event is looking pretty good.”

The Government's second gun buyback event will be held in Dunedin on Friday.

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