Sources familiar with the situation say the Biden administration will issue its long-awaited ghost-guns rule as early as Monday. It aims at reining privately built weapons without serial numbers that are increasingly turning up at crime scenes.
The rule’s completion comes as the White House and the Justice Department face mounting pressure to reduce gun fatalities and violent crime in the US.
As per the source, the White House is considering appointing Steve Dettelbach, a former US attorney from Ohio, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or ATF. Biden had to withdraw his first choice, gun-control champion David Chipman. It is after resistance from Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate caused the nomination to stagnate for months.
The rule has been working its way through the federal regulatory process for nearly a year. For months, gun-control advocates and Democrats in Congress have pressed the Justice Department to complete the regulation. It will almost certainly face fierce opposition from gun-rights groups. Then, it will result in legal action in the coming weeks.
The sources say the exact timing of the announcement has still to be determined. They were unable to speak publicly about the situation and spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Ghost guns exorcism
Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate’s top Democrat, likewise urged the administration to move faster on Sunday.
“It’s high time for a ghost gun exorcism before the proliferation peaks, and before more people get hurt — or worse,” Schumer said in a statement. “My message is a simple one. No more waiting on these proposed federal rules.” Ghost guns are “too easy to build, too hard to trace, and too dangerous to ignore.”
According to Justice Department statistics, from 2016 to 2020, police enforcement found nearly 24,000 ghost guns at crime scenes. It reported them to the authorities. It’s also difficult to say how many are on the streets. Many police agencies don’t report the guns to the government because they are no traces of them.
The federal definition of a firearm
The rule intends to expand the current federal definition of a firearm to include unfinished pieces such as a handgun’s frame or a long gun’s receiver.
The ATF also wants manufacturers and dealers that sell ghost gun parts to get licenses from the federal government. Federally licensed firearms dealers must affix a serial number to any unserialized guns they plan to sell, according to a proposed regulation announced in May.
Before selling ghost gun kits, which contain parts needed to manufacture a firearm, the rule would compel guns dealers to conduct background checks.
Federal officials have been warning about a growing black market for handmade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns for years. Ghost guns have increased in use when federal officers buy guns in covert operations from gang members and other criminals, in addition to appearing more regularly at crime scenes.
In recent years, certain jurisdictions, including California, have introduced laws requiring serial numbers to have stamps on ghost weapons.
The lower receiver commonly consists of metal or polymer. It is a vital component in the construction of an untraceable gun. Unfinished receivers, sometimes known as “80% receivers,” can be lawfully purchased online without serial numbers or other markings. No license is necessary.