What are ghost guns?

The Supreme Court seems likely to uphold a major gun regulation imposed by the Biden administration that requires background checks, serial numbers and sales records for the nearly untraceable firearms known as ghost guns.

A majority of the justices seemed skeptical during oral argument on Tuesday of the position taken by gun owners, parts makers and Second Amendment groups: that the government exceeded its authority in 2022 when it imposed new rules for the weapons.

Ghost guns, which have been used in a growing number of crimes over the past decade, are typically assembled at home using parts, kits or pieces printed by 3D printers. Manufacturers say they don’t have to comply with regulations on other guns sold commercially because ghost guns don’t meet the legal definition of a firearm under the nation’s main gun control law and are marketed for hobbyists.

Caption from original article by Justin Jouvenal.

[No.Mercy.]

Didn't know JD Vance was spooky like that

[moneyman]

Well hey, thankfully with Chevron, ambiguous definitions can be sorted out by experts in their field and not by any judge who hears the wait

[jordanmcgrory]

My prediction is that in June, the court will rule 6-3 that ghost guns are not covered by these regulations and additionally that ghost guns are people with full constitutional rights. 'cause that's just the kind of wild thing this court likes to do.

[Minifigure]

Was that a stealth "guns don't shoot people" joke?

[elonchan]

They should have used the argument that the chemicals necessary to make meth are highly regulated. And those chemicals are used to make other things. But for you to get them, you still need to have your identity verified because the risk to public good is high enough that it warrants it.

[Socalfishing-zmru]

Instructions unclear, I now have an omelette gun

[NimbZephyr]

Don’t forget a lot of the times people throw in guns that have had their serial numbers removed into the stats for ghost guns completely muddying up the numbers.

[claytonkammeraad]

What he forgot is they also classify any real put together gun with a serial number scratched off is also classified as a ghost gun which I think takes up 600 of those kills

[pressstart]

Ok, but a 3d printer and filament can be used to make almost anything, the ingredients are more versatile than the omelet ingredients.

The materials that are used to make a ghost gun(assuming that's just plastic and 3d printers) are totally capable of making an uncountable number of things.

Edit: now requiring serial numbers and sales records of the actual ghost gun is totally logical. But it unreasonable to regulate 3d printers as weapons manufacturers.

[Barty.Crowell]

An endmill can be used to make anything. Individual firearm parts have been specifically deregulated and can be used in *serialized* firearms as well as *homemade* firearms

[Toopydroppymoopy]

It’s crazy that people are just figuring out parts kits exist

[buuuuuuuuuu]

aaah the good ol trick of the i dont feel like making a decision now lets way until later and see if the problem goes away

[logmegadeth]

The grocery list analogies are so dumb. A closer analogy would be comparing them to a model kit or something. Since those parts are specific to that thing

[pikachufantastic]

I wonder where the conservatives are saying that any form of gun regulation or gun control is a violation of the 2nd amendment

[GreenLanternCorps]

"Like guns that shoot people?"
"No, that's impossible."

I assure you, it's possible. 🤣

[Plexiux]

So it sounds like another layer of obfuscation is needed? If I can't buy the parts as a "kit" what is to stop the manufacturer of the Kit from publishing a list of parts and then recommending their customers buy the parts individually(because the purpose of an individual part could be anything)? Then selling instructions like lego sets?

[under]

"We will get back to this in June" is a code message to say we are waiting until after the election

[hbomb]

An unfortunate misunderstanding is that the term ghost gun was recently expanded to mean any gun without serial numbers. Odds are a large chuck of that number are guns that were regulated then later had the serial numbers defaced.

[danielbanks]

Did anyone ever tell you you look like JD Vance

[beefchicken]

I’m confused. I have a metal lathe and a milling machine in my garage, and all kinds of chunks of many different kinds of metals. I make model steam engines, but the same stuff could be used to make ghost guns. Exactly what tools or materials do they think are exclusively used to make guns?