Joe Biden cracks down on ‘ghost guns’ with new rule to tackle US firearms violence

The privately made weapons are not marked with a serial number and are difficult for law enforcement to trace when used to commit a crime

Last year, there were 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported as having been recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations – a tenfold increase from 2016

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US President Joe Biden hugs Mia Tretta, who was a victim of gun violence, after announcing executive actions to crack down on so-called ghost guns at the White House on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:22am, 12 Apr 2022

US President Joe Biden unveiled a new rule to rein in so-called ghost guns and ban the manufacturing of the untraceable firearms on Monday as the administration faces growing pressure to crack down on gun deaths and violent crime in the United States.

Ghost guns are privately made firearms that are not marked with a serial number and are difficult for law enforcement to trace when used to commit a crime.

The Department of Justice’s final rule has been making its way through the federal regulation process for nearly a year and is likely to draw opposition and litigation from gun advocates in the coming weeks.

“These guns are weapons of choice for many criminals,” Biden said during an event in the White House Rose Garden. “We’re going to do everything we can to deprive them of that choice.”

A 9mm pistol build kit with a commercial slide and barrel with a polymer frame is displayed in the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday. Photo: AP

The rule would make it illegal for businesses to manufacture such kits without a serial number and for a licensed gun dealer to sell them without a background check, Biden said.