DNA Explainer: What are 'ghost guns' and why is Biden administration against them

Mass shootouts in American schools, colleges, markets and other public places is a common news hitting headline too often in the United States. This has always triggered a debate on gun laws in the US, a country with one of the most lax controls on gun ownership in the world. The US has the highest civilian gun ownership globally.

This may be one reason that the country sees greater rates of homicides, about six times higher than in other developed nations, according to a 2016 study. After coming to power, US president Joe Biden last year made announcement on gun control.

While it is difficult to know exactly how many guns civilians own around the world, by every estimate the US, with more than 390 million, is far more than other countries. The latest figures from the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based leading research project, are for 2018. There were 14,400 gun-related homicides in 2019.

Read | DNA Special: Buying a gun in US is as easy as grocery shopping in India

In keeping with his poll promise, President Joe Biden has announced a crackdown on 'ghost guns' to tackle gun violence across the country. The President said that the new Department of Justice rule would make it easier for law enforcement officials to track and catch those who use illegal firearms. The new rule is drawing condemnation from a gun rights group but support from gun control advocates. 

It is basically aimed at combating gun crimes, including a rule targeting the manufacture and sale of so-called 'ghost guns', or homemade firearms that lack serial numbers and are difficult to trace. The new rule will require ghost guns, which can be made with 3D printers or sold as assembly kits, to be treated like other firearms made and sold in the US.

The untraceable firearms assembled from kits have been used in a rising number of shooting crimes. The weapons, which can be bought as kits to be assembled at home and lack federal tracking serial numbers, have been increasingly recovered at crime scenes across the US in recent years, according to the White House.

What are 'ghost guns'?

(Image Source: Reuters)

The 'ghost guns', or homemade firearms are privately-made firearms without serial numbers.

Ghost guns are untraceable, self-assembled firearms, often put together with parts sold online.

The weapons are referred to as 'privately made firearms' or PMFs and do not have serial numbers.

Firearms that lack serial numbers and are difficult to trace make them all the more difficult to regulate.

Generally, firearms manufactured by licensed companies are required to have serial numbers.

The serial numbers on licensed firearms is usually displayed on the frame of the gun.

This allow officials to trace the gun back to the manufacturer, the firearms dealer and original purchaser.

Ghost guns, however, are made of parts and are then assembled together from kits purchased.

The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver.

Some are sold in do-it-yourself kits and the receivers are typically made from metal or polymer.

An unfinished receiver, sometimes referred to as an '80-percent receiver', can be legally bought online.

This will have no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license will be required for it.

Under current rules, the federal government does not consider unfinished lower receivers to be firearms.