Revelations fugitive father Tom Phillips had access to at least eight firearms while on the run from the police

Phillips was killed in a police shoot-out last week after almost four years of hiding in Waikato bush with his three children.

Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers says police recovered three firearms from the incident scene, and five more at Phillips' two campsites.

Police are expected to investigate how he gathered his stockpile and whether they were purchased before going on the run, or if they were provided by anyone who may have helped him evade capture.