As the new legislation aimed at ‘Ghost Guns’ takes effect, gun owners, manufacturers, and gun shop operators need to make sure they know how to stay in compliance with the new regulations. Since only a small percentage of guns sold are ghost guns, most people will not need to do anything in order to remain in compliance with all state and federal firearm regulations.
It is important to note, however, that when ghost guns are sold at gun shows, gun shops, or even as a private party sale, you need to make sure that the weapon is in compliance before making the purchase. For this reason, it will benefit anyone who owns a gun today or might own a gun in the future to have a good understanding of these laws.
Add a Permanent Serial Number
One of the biggest attractions to ghost guns for many people was the fact that they did not have any serial number and were therefore very difficult to track. This new legislation makes it so that serial numbers need to be etched onto the gun in order to own it. The etching must be done in a way that will leave the serial number permanently in place. It is likely that gun shop owners will offer an etching service to make these guns in compliance.
If you are attempting to buy a gun, you will want to make sure to check and confirm that there is a serial number visible. Even if the gun does not appear to be a ghost gun, it is a good practice to double check that the serial number is present and readable.
Register the Ghost Guns
All ghost guns must be registered based on the type of gun that it is. Most ghost guns sold were pistols, so you will need to make sure that it is properly registered after the serial number has been put in place. The registration process will be very similar as it would be for any similar gun that was made through a traditional manufacturing method.
Gun Kits Must be Made by Licensed Manufacturers
The majority of ghost guns were made by just a handful of different manufacturers, most of which were licensed anyway, so this will have little effect today. The main thing that this requirement will impact is the future ability for people to use advanced 3D printers to create guns at home or in small unregulated facilities. As 3D printing technology advances, this new regulation will help the government ensure they have laws in place to handle this possibility.
Don’t Hesitate to Talk to an Attorney
If you have bought a ghost gun in the past, or you believe you purchased a gun that was made in this fashion, you want to make sure that you are in compliance with all regulations. If you aren’t sure what to do, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Law Offices of Charles A. Banker, III to discuss your specific situation. We’ll be glad to assist in any way we can.
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