The Legal Fight Over Ghost Guns, Explained
Seized ghost guns on display at LAPD Headquarters during a news conference to announce a reward program focused on getting unserialized ghost guns off the street in 2022.
Photographer: Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images
As major cities across the US dealt with increases in gun violence in the wake of the pandemic, some local leaders petitioned the federal government for action. President Joe Biden announced new rules in 2022 meant to crack down on so-called ghost guns, prompting legal challenges.
They’re unregistered guns typically assembled from a kit, or 3D-printed based on instructions purchased on the internet or at a gun show. Because they lack the serial numbers required to be stamped on complete weapons, it’s impossible to find out where they originated. Under current rules, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) doesn’t consider them firearms, meaning they aren’t subject to the restrictions placed on weapons sales, including the requirement that buyers undergo a background check. But once they’re assembled — a process that can take as little as 15 minutes, according to sellers — ghost guns operate exactly like regular guns.