Ghost guns: Biden, DOJ announce new rule on weapons

President Joe Biden and the Department of Justice announced Monday a new rule to regulate “ghost guns.”

Biden also announced that he will nominate Steve Dettelbach to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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What are ghost guns and what does Biden intend to do about them? Here is what we know.

What are ghost guns?

Ghost guns are firearms that often come in a kit that can be bought online or at gun shows and assembled at home. The assembled guns do not carry a serial number and are untraceable.

The kit generally contains all the parts of the gun and usually the equipment necessary to build the weapon.

There are no federal restrictions on who can buy ghost gun kits nor how many kits they can purchase.

The Gun Control Act of 1968 required that firearms be marked with serial numbers on the frames or receivers so they can be traceable. However, the law didn’t require the other parts of the gun to have serial numbers.

Do you need to have a background check to get the gun kit?

Currently, the kits may be purchased without a background check. The new rule would require background checks before such kits could be purchased.

How many ghost guns are in circulation in the US?

Between 2016 to 2020, law enforcement recovered more than 23,000 weapons without serial numbers from potential crime scenes, according to the Justice Department.

Is this the first time the government has taken up the issue of ghost guns?

No, last year the Justice Department proposed a rule that would require a federal background check when customers buy unassembled firearms online.

In addition, the proposed rule would require manufacturers to include a serial number on the firearm frame or receiver.

What have states done about ghost guns?

Ten states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington) and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to at least partially address ghost guns, according to Giffords Law Center.

How does the new rule issued Monday impact ghost guns?

The “Frame or Receiver” Final Rule, modernizes the definition of a firearm and clarifies that parts kits used to build ghost guns are subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms, according to the Department of Justice. The rule requires background checks to be performed on ghost gun kit buyers and for serial numbers to be printed on ghost gun parts. That would allow the federal government to better track them.

Biden declared the rule “basic common sense.” The National Rifle Association said the new regulation would do nothing to stop “violent crime sprees” in U.S. cities.

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