Proposed 'ghost gun' rule could reshape battle against homemade guns: Experts

For nearly 11 months, firearm manufacturers and gun control advocates have waited as a major "ghost gun" regulation has snaked its way through federal regulation processes, inching closer toward implementation.

Meanwhile, each year since 2016 has seen growing numbers in untraceable firearms to date, according to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives statistics— in schools, makeshift factories and rising crime scenes as some state legislatures have scrambled to act, in what Everytown for Gun Safety's president called "the most unregulated corner of the firearms industry."

In the coming months, a measure that will modify the federal definition of "firearm" to include unfinished gun parts like frames and receivers is expected to receive approval. The Justice Department introduced the proposal last May in an effort to curb the rise of so-called ghost guns — unregulated, easy-to-make firearms that can be ordered online. Ghost guns often come in kits and many can be assembled within an hour.

The modified definition is meant to disrupt a supply chain that has strengthened over the past five years, gun control experts said. The number of unserialized (and thus unregulated) firearms seized by major metro police departments has grown exponentially. In Philadelphia, local police seized 571 ghost guns in 2021 compared to 13 in 2018. In New York City, police seized 375 ghost guns in 2021 compared to 48 in 2019, according to city data.