Restrictions on "ghost guns" are implemented by Biden

In an effort to curb the proliferation of private-assembled firearms, the Biden administration filed a legal challenge on Aug. 24 addressing so-called "ghost guns."

By requiring retailers to conduct background checks before selling kits that contain parts for someone to assemble a gun, similar to the rule for commercially made firearms, the White House posted the rules in April, preventing unlicensed guns from being sold to convicted felons and other ineligible buyers.

Aside from serial numbers being assigned to the main components, such as the kit's frame and receiver, serial numbers must also be assigned by the federal government to all commercial manufacturers. Their records must also be retained for the period of time they are licensed. Records can be purged after 20 years under the current rule.

“These guns have often been sold as build-your-own kits that contain all or almost all of the parts needed to quickly build an unmarked gun. And anyone could sell or buy these guns without a background check,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Wednesday.

“This rule will make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns,” he said. “It will help to ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes.”

Due to early records destruction, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was unable to trace thousands of firearms over the past decade, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced in a statement.

25 August 2022