Up to now ghost gun kits somehow did not meet the definition of a firearm and were exempt from the ATF requirement that they have a serial number. But a new rule went into effect that certain parts of a ghost gun kit, the incomplete frames and receivers , key parts of the kit, have to be serialized. The rule also asks federally licensed gun dealers to keep records of gun kit sales until they go out of business. Ghost guns are usually sold unassembled and are often sold to people who want to put them together as a hobby. But recently they have increasingly been found at the site of mass shootings, neighborhood homicides and in raids of makeshift gun factories. It is not the entire gun that will be serialized, only key parts of it, but obviously that will make a difference. The new rule mainly affects people with a record, or people with a domestic violence history. It is not a panacea just puts under ATF jurisdiction a category of guns which were previously totally under the radar. As can be expected this new rule from the current administration does have its detractors. Division 80, a manufacturer of the kits key parts is suing to stop the rule. Another suit to request an injunction on the rule was filed by an individual gun owner, firearm dealer and gun right advocate in North Dakota, and he has been joined by people in 17 states. They claim that the rule would bring irreparable damage to the industry and interfere with individual owners building their own guns. Still the lawsuits are not expected to stop the rule from going forward. Ghost guns are easily trafficked and this new rule would make it a little harder to traffic guns, it is therefore welcomed.
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One response to “Ghost Guns and Serial Numbers”
I had no idea that such a business existed–naive! I hope the new rule is effective.