Scott Anthony Foster claims the Tamworth target who he gave the shotgun to was a work colleague, and an acquaintance.

The now 46-year-old from Armidale has a raft of firearm convictions to his name after pleading guilty and being sentenced in Tamworth Local Court.

Magistrate Julie Soars placed him on a Community Correction Order, or good behaviour bond, for 12 months, and ordered him to pay $850 in fines.

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The charges relate to three unauthorised firearms, including a 12-gauge shotgun; .22 calibre bolt-action rifle; and .243 calibre rifle in late 2018 in Belala and Bendemeer. The first two of which were both unregistered as well.

Foster supplied a 12-gauge shotgun at Bendemeer between December 4 and 18, 2018, to a man who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

He acquired the ammunition for the shotgun rounds, and the .22 calibre rounds, and then on-supplied the ammunition for the shotgun.

He came to the attention of Strike Force Radius police who were investigating the 'ice castle' gun supply and drug dealing ring in Tamworth.

According to the facts tendered in court for sentencing, Foster "was identified as being involved in the unlawful possession and supply of firearms and ammunition".

He was caught on an intercept with one of the primary targets in the ice castle ring on December 4, 2018 and "spoke about doing a switcharoo", before arranging to "do the swap".

When they spoke again two days later, the target said "yeah ... bloody beautiful", when Foster told him "it's never been registered".

"Yeah, there's no file on it, there is nothing, no trace on it all," Foster said.

Foster then travelled to an area on the New England Highway near Green Valley Road Bendemeer where he met the target.

"[The target] has swapped an unknown make/model .243 bolt action rifle with Foster in exchange for an unknown make/model 12g single-barrel shotgun which was his grandfather's and a number of 12g shotgun rounds," police facts stated.

"Foster retained possession of the .243 rifle for a short time and returned to it [to the target] due to it's extremely poor condition."

Foster had previously denied the charges against him, and the case was set for hearing in December, but he pleaded guilty.

Solicitor Frank Falcomata told the court at the time his client was employed; ran his own business; and had "no ties to any criminal elements".

At the time, Ms Soars said she needed a full sentencing report to examine his background and options for non-custodial sentencing options.

She said the supply of a serious firearm was concerning "with someone who was dealing drugs".

"He was a work colleague who was an acquaintance of my client," Mr Falcomata said at the time.

"My client has had no knowledge of his criminal connections or drug supply."

Mr Falcomata said "there is one intercept and a couple of following phone calls, that's it," of the evidence connecting the pair.

Foster was convicted of possessing three unauthorised firearms; possessing two unregistered firearms; supplying a firearm to a person unauthorised to possess it; and supplying ammunition.

He was also convicted of two counts of acquiring ammunition, and not keeping a firearm safely.

In 2019, the strike force went knocking at Foster's home before he led them to the Belala property where he showed officers the .22 calibre rifle "under clothing on a shelf within his bedroom".

He then made admissions to possessing the shotgun and the .22 rifle when interviewed by police.

Many of the 30 co-accused caught in the Tamworth ice castle ring have been sentenced, after admitting to more than 100 offences.

The Strike Force Radius operation unfolded with a series of raids and arrests in Tamworth in May 2019. The police sting, which was set up in August 2018, involves Oxley detectives and officers from the Tamworth Target Action Group.