Kash Patel gave his Australian counterpart a 3D replica gun as a gift. It was destroyed within months

The FBI director, Kash Patel, gave a 3D-printed pistol to then AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw during the US agency director’s trip to Australia and New Zealand last July. Photograph: Nathan Posner/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen The FBI director, Kash Patel, gave a 3D-printed pistol to then AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw during the US agency director’s trip to Australia and New Zealand last July. Photograph: Nathan Posner/Shutterstock Kash Patel gave his Australian counterpart a 3D replica gun as a gift. It was destroyed within months Documents show the FBI director’s gift was ‘displayed proudly’ by the AFP before new commissioner ordered it be destroyed Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast When the FBI director, Kash Patel, visited the Australian Federal Police last year, he came bearing a gift: a 3D-printed imitation pistol that then was “displayed proudly” in the commissioner’s office. Yet within months, shortly after Krissy Barrett became the AFP’s new commissioner last October, she ordered it to be destroyed. Documents released by the AFP this week under freedom of information laws reveal Patel gave the pistol to Barrett’s predecessor, Reece Kershaw, during the US agency director’s trip to Australia and New Zealand last July. Those documents also show the level of excitement among some AFP staff about the gun. “Directors gift to the boss!! 3D,” one text message from a AFP member stated alongside a photo. “Thanks so much for your help over the last two days with the FBI gun – now being displayed proudly in the commissioner’s office!” an email from a staff member in Kershaw’s office stated. Their photos were redacted in the documents released, “on the grounds they would or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to the international relations of the Commonwealth”. A spokesperson for the AFP confirmed Barrett had ordered the destruction of the gift – which they described as “a challenge coin display featuring a 3D-printed imitation pistol” – last year. “After receipt, the display pistol was examined by the AFP’s forensic firearms team, which verified it as an inoperable, imitation pistol,” the spokesperson said. “AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett ordered the destruction of the gift when she became commissioner in October 2025.” View image in fullscreen Australian Federal Police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, ordered the 3D-printed imitation pistol be destroyed. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP In the gift registry document included in the release, it is noted that the gun “has been destroyed on advice from ACT Firearms Registry”. Last year it was revealed similar events took place in New Zealand, where media reported that three replica pistols gifted by Patel to local officials had to be destroyed in line the country’s gun laws. New Zealand law enforcement agencies also described the replicas as “a challenge coin display stand” that included the 3D-printed inoperable weapon “as part of the design”. However, after examination, they were destroyed after officials discovered they were potentially operable. According to the AFP documents, Kershaw did, however, get approval to retain on his retirement a bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon worth between A$51 and A$100. Woodford Reserve is the brand of bourbon the Atlantic reported Patel has engraved his name and title on the bottle with an image of an FBI shield. The shield is held by an eagle clutching the number nine, probably referring to Patel’s position in the sequence of FBI directors. When news broke of the personalised bourbon gifts in May, Ben Williamson, the FBI’s assistant director, said in a statement to the Guardian: “The Atlantic’s premise is false and misleading. The bottles in question are part of a common practice in the FBI that started well over a decade ago, long before Director Patel arrived. “Senior Bureau officials have long exchanged commemorative items in formal gift settings consistent with ethics rules. Director Patel has followed all applicable ethical guidelines and pays for any personal gift himself,” the statement added. The documents released by the Australian Federal Police do not provide detail on any personalisation on the bottle. The AFP was approached for comment. Both gifts came after Patel arrived in Australia last year. In later social media posts from the US embassy in Australia, Patel is seen with Sydney’s skyline behind him, saying he was “blessed to have Australia as a reliable ally in the region”. Kershaw is featured in the video, with the embassy saying the discussions in Australia focused on combating transnational crime, cyber threats and other global issues. Explore more on these topics Australian Federal Police Kash Patel FBI Australian police and policing news Share Reuse this content