A ghost gun is a firearm without serial numbers. The term is used by gun control advocates, gun rights advocates, law enforcement, and some in the firearm industry. By making the gun themselves, owners may legally bypass background checks and registration regulations. Some ghost guns become part of the illicit firearms trade. Under US Federal law, the creation and possession of ghost guns is permitted but transferring them is a felony.
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Production
There are three main techniques for creating a ghost gun receiver or frame. 3D printers can create a receiver from scratch, using plastic or more durable metal. Ghost guns have been made long before the advent of 3D printing, though. "Unfinished receivers", also called "80% receivers" on account of being 80% done, can be completed using a drill press or dremel. Companies sell kits including drill bits, stencils, and jigs to aid the process. Defense Distributed markets a computer-numerical-controlled (CNC) mill called the "Ghost Gunner" which carves the lower receiver from an aluminum unfinished receiver.
Some ghost guns are AR-15 style firearms. AR-15s are modular firearms and the serial number is applied to the lower receiver, which holds the trigger group and the chamber. Once an individual has an AR-15 lower receiver, they can assemble a complete weapon using widely available components, such as barrels, stocks, magazines, and upper receivers. Other ghost guns include pistols and AK-47 style semi-automatic rifles. The Philippines is a center of ghost gun production, especially .45 semi-automatic pistols.
Legality
Tracing ghost guns used in crimes is much harder than tracing serialized weapons due to the lack of a serial number. There are no manufacturer or sales records to check. The difficulty means local law enforcement officers often do not even attempt traces of ghost guns.
Under US federal law, transferring a ghost gun is a felony but owning one is allowed, assuming that no other impediments exists. ATF officials characterize this as a loophole. The US State Department has sued to take computer files to control 3D-printers off the internet. The FBI reported in 2013 that it had seized hundreds of ghost guns, including a machine gun, and unregistered silencers. The FBI does not generally track the use of homemade firearms. ATF agents say that ghost guns are sold at a $1,000 premium due to being untraceable. According to the FBI, the popularity of ghost guns grew following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, which sparked fears of new gun control measures.
Other jurisdictions have laws prohibiting possession of ghost guns. California, especially Sacramento, has been a hub of ghost gun production. The ATF speculated in 2014 that there are tens of thousands of ghost guns in California alone. Three noted crimes in California were committed with ghost guns: a murder-suicide involving college students in Walnut Creek, a shootout between hostage-taking bank robbers and Stockton police officers, and a mass shooting at Santa Monica College in 2013 by a student who was prohibited from owning a gun. In 2014, California enacted a law to require serial numbers on unfinished receivers and all other firearms, including antique guns. In 2016, it passed a measure requiring anyone planning to build a firearm to register with the state and to pass a background check. Because of uncertainty over the laws in various jurisdictions, two US shipping companies, FedEx and UPS, have refused to transport Ghost Gunner milling machines. New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in 2015 it is "easy" for "criminals to make completely untraceable, military-grade firearms."
Proponents
Proponents of ghost guns include gun rights activists and anarchists. They say that making weapons is the right of every American which maintains the privacy of gun owners. Individuals have organized "build parties" where equipment and expertise are shared to help create ghost guns. One organizer in California advertised, "No Serial Numbers, No Registration, No Big Brother...We Host Build Parties." The same vendor predicted he would sell 75,000 unfinished receivers in 2014. The ATF raided his store that year and confiscated 6,000 receiver blanks which they said were too close to finished units. A Sacramento man was arrested for "creating the fiction" that buyers were creating their guns themselves. Advocates say that ghost guns are used in crime rarely despite widespread ownership. Gun rights advocates and law enforcement say that, because of the cost and effort needed to create ghost guns, criminals are more likely to use commercial weapons instead.