The new Ghost Run regulations could help close a half-century-old loophole that made guns developed using 3D printers or assembled with homemade parts invisible to law enforcement. Commercial manufacturers of gun assembly kits will have to include traceable serial numbers and run federal background checks in order to sell their products. The definition of a firearm has been updated to account for Ghost Guns and the amount of time manufacturers are required to keep records has been increased. If Ghost Guns can survive gun industry legal attacks, these efforts could help quell an apparent surge of Ghost Guns. Ghost Guns are firearms that are assembled with individual parts from kits. Ghost Guns, also known as privately made firearms, lack serial numbers making them difficult for law enforcement to track and trace if used during a crime. Though manufacturers sell full kits for firearm enthusiasts, the recent rise of 3D printing has allowed tinkerers to create their untraceable lower receiver, which was what legally constituted the "firearm" component of a gun. The DOJ tried to address this issue by stating that kits capable of being converted into functioning firearms are subject to the same regulations as more traditional guns. Prior to this week, the language used to define firearms was written in 1968.
They were supposed to get an update.
The Attorney General said that the rule will make it harder for criminals to get guns. Ensuring that law enforcement officers can get the information they need will be helped by it. Reducing the number of untraceable firearms will be a benefit.
The rules will probably do little to address the overall issue of gun violence in the country and may not do much to address Ghost Guns. Ghost Guns are on the rise, but they make up a small portion of the 400 million firearms in the country. It is not clear what will happen to gun owners who choose to buy kits or download parts illegally.
Ghost guns have seen an increase in popularity in the last few years. According to a report by the Los Angeles Police Department, there was a 400% increase in Ghost Guns recovered in 2017! The agency categorized the increase as anemic. Law enforcement officials in California told The New York Times that between 25% and 50% of guns collected at crime scenes were ghost guns.
The issue isn't limited to other states. According to recently released Department of Justice data, ghost gun recoveries have increased by over a thousand% in the past five years. According to the White House, there will be a ten-fold increase in the number of Ghost Guns recovered and reported by law enforcement in the year 2020. The majority of evidence shows that Ghost Guns are more popular than ever.
Conservative lawmakers and gun rights organizations are angry with the new rules. A group of state attorneys general, led by Arizona AG Mark Brnovich, filed a lawsuit trying to block the measure because they claimed it would cause chaos in the firearms community. Republican lawmakers in North Dakota tried to block the rules from taking effect.
The resignation could ruin certain businesses and leave workers without a job. The Gun Owners of America, a major gun lobby, has criticized the new rules on federalist grounds.
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