Acting Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt has urged on the federal government as well as the entire Australian populace to ponder on banning the issuance and release of semi-automatic handguns in the resource-rich nation following the Connecticut massacre of innocent school children as well as school teachers in the U.S.

"It's now time to ban semi-automatic handguns in Australia," Mr Bandt told reporters in Canberra on Monday, noting private citizens have no reason to own and carry such weapons.

"They are not recreational toys, they are killing machines."

Mr Bandt advised the federal government to hold immediate talks with state and territory leaders to ban the weapons, more so that hundreds of thousands of semi-automatic handguns are legally being circulated in Australia.

Based on 2009-10 data from the Australian Institute of Criminology, knives were found to be the most common homicide weapon in Australia at 39 per cent, versus firearms at 13 per cent.

"I think everyone wants Australia to be as safe as possible," he said.

On December 14, 20-year-old, but heavily armed Adam Lanza forced his way into the Sandy Hook Elementary, and shot dead 20 school children and six female school teachers before eventually taking his own life. Prior to the shooting rampage, he had killed his mother Nancy, also on Friday.