Biden’s “Ghost Gun” Rule Is In Effect. Here’s What That Means for You.

 

by Beth Baumann | Aug 24, 2022 | News

View original story on Armed American News.

 

 

President Joe Biden’s “ghost gun” rule officially went into effect on Wednesday after two federal judges refused to block the effort while litigation is pending.

 

The goal, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland, is to “make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns” while “help[ing] ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes, and will help reduce the number of untraceable firearms flooding our communities.”

 

According to President Biden, the decision to take action on “ghost guns” was based on information he received from the ATF, which was ultimately deemed a hoax.

 

“Last year alone, law enforcement reported approximately 20,000 suspected ghost guns to be – to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That’s a tenfold increase in these ghost guns from 2016. Tenfold in five years,” he said during a press conference earlier this year. “These guns are weapons of choice for many criminals. We’re going to do everything we can to deprive them of that choice and, when we find them, put them in jail for a long, long time. Law enforcement is sounding the alarms. Our communities are paying the price. And we’re acting.”

 

 

Redefining What’s Considered a “Ghost Gun”

 

When the Biden administration announced their plans to tackle the so-called issue of “ghost guns,” the ATF redefined what constitutes a “frame or a receiver,” effectively changing what a firearm is.

Under the rule change, an 80% lower is now considered a firearm, even though it has no ability to fire a live round. The change in designation means the piece of metal is now required to have a serial number on it, meaning a gun owner has to go to an FFL and undergo a background check to obtain the 80% lower.

 

 

Concerns Behind the Rule Change

 

When the ATF redefined what constitutes a firearm, they also took aim at parts kits. Now, under the “ghost gun” rule change, every single part associated with a gun has to go through an FFL.

 

Example: I have to replace a barrel on my H&K USP Compact. Traditionally, I could go online and order the part. The manufacturer would ship the barrel to my house. Now, the barrel will have to go through my FFL. I’ll have to fill out a 4473, undergo a background check, and pay a transfer fee. But that record now stays on file for 20 years.

 

Up until Biden’s war on so-called “ghost guns,” FFLs were prohibited from maintaining records. Now, this creates a de facto registry, which is illegal, something Gun Owners of America has repeatedly talked about.

 

Every single part a gun owner buys for a gun, whether it’s an AR-15 or a pistol, the government will know about it. And the danger behind that is the potential for confiscation.