Possible eight-month hold-up before Labor's 'urgent' guns crackdown is locked and loaded

A day after Police Minister Lisa Neville unloaded on the state opposition, accusing the Coalition of helping Melbourne's underworld by delaying passage of the crackdown, the fate of the legislation is back in the government's hands.

But despite Ms Neville's claims that the laws, which would allow police to slap gun ownership bans on criminals and their associates, are urgently needed, the opposition says it will take another eight months to get the system in place.

The government says the Liberals have got it wrong and the new guns regime should be in place from May or even earlier if Victoria Police can put their processes in place.

Premier Daniel Andrews said on Wednesday morning that the government was likely to accept an amendment from the Shooters and Fishers Party lifting a ban on online advertising by legitimate gun dealers.

Mr Andrews said the changes suggested by the Shooters and Fishers did not weaken the legislation.

"It doesn't water the bill down and I think we'll have no problem in accepting that amendment, at least that's the early advice I've got," the Premier said.

Mr Andrews said it was the Liberals, whose proposed amendments failed to pass the Upper House, who had tried to weaken the bill.

"The amendments that would have watered this down and effectively given the Chief Commissioner less than he was seeking to fight crime and keep our community safe, those amendments did not pass," the Premier said.

But opposition police spokesman Ed O'Donohue rubbished the government's claims, saying his party's amendments had been sensible and that they had not sought to water down the laws.

"This bill should already be law if Daniel Andrews had put it to a vote months ago instead of prioritising other bills," Mr O'Donohue said.

"The Liberal Nationals support the Firearms Amendment Bill, as various Coalition speakers stated last year.

"We flagged some reasonable amendments like changing the avenue of appeal to the Magistrates Court and the operation period of the order.

"We also made it clear that if these amendments do not pass, the Liberal Nationals will vote for the governments' bill.

"This is a desperate, panicked government clutching at straws and over-reaching."

Shooters and Fishers MP Jeff Bourman said his changes would bring Victoria's gun laws into line with those of other state's and territories.

"We're not weakening gun laws, we're just aligning them with the national firearms agreement, as per the rest of the country," Mr Bourman said.