If The Feds Won’t Ban “Ghost Guns,” The States Must Take Action

BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 10 months ago

lehighvalleylive.com:

If Congress won’t close the “ghost gun” loophole — and that prospect seems unlikely, even with popular demand running high for common-sense gun restrictions — state legislatures must lead the way.

Ghost guns are rifles, shotguns or handguns that can be purchased legally, usually on the internet, and assembled at home. No registration or background check necessary — and no serial numbers. These weapons are a favored source of untraceable guns for criminals. They’re also a hit with many law-abiding gun enthusiasts and hobbyists.

Ghost guns have been used in single and mass killings across the country. The sales of these parts and kits can be banned outright — the New Jersey Legislature is considering this possibility now — but this can be a difficult flow to track.

At the least, gun kits should be regulated as other firearms are, requiring that sellers conduct background checks to ensure buyers are free of criminal records and mental health/domestic abuse restrictions. Gun components sold in kits should be identified by serial numbers. Sellers should be licensed.

Last week people in the Lehigh Valley learned through a local example how ghost guns can be obtained by felons.

Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin announced that a state trooper had been justified in shooting and killing an armed man, Aaron Ibrahem, in an Allentown-area Walmart in March. Martin said the weapon that prompted the trooper’s fire had been bought in parts and assembled by Ibrahem, even though he was prohibited by a criminal record from buying or possessing a gun.

Martin said Ibrahem was able to buy a serial-numbered slide/barrel, also known as an upper, for a Glock .40-caliber handgun, and then attached it a frame/receiver, or a lower, to make it functional.

“Ironically, this integral part of the pistol may be purchased legally on the internet (eBay) without scrutiny — no ATF form required,” Martin wrote. “It is not considered to be a firearm.”

The horror!  You can buy a barrel on the internet.  A barrel, for crying out loud?  A rifled tube of steel with a barrel lug!

If it wasn’t so amusing that someone thinks this is somehow complex manufacturing, it would be sad.  And I suppose it is sad that these folks know close to nothing about tool and die work, machinery, manufacturing processes, or metallurgy.

The editorial does essentially nothing except testify to the disconnectedness of people who write editorials with the great unwashed America who actually earns a living by the sweat of their brow, ingenuity, hard work, tenacity and patience.


Comments

  1. On May 22, 2018 at 7:40 am, Frank Clarke said:

    I can imagine that half-to-2/3rds of the readers of that editorial did so in horror, while the other half-to-1/3rd snorted coffee through their noses…

  2. On May 22, 2018 at 8:42 am, ragman said:

    Once again, a criminal does something illegal(who woulda thunk it) so the entirety of the Great Unwashed(us) must be punished. The denizens of the Police State go to General Quarters at the thought of a Citizen having something that they can’t control. I’m sure NJ is just the first of many states that will outlaw 80% lowers. In fact, I’m somewhat surprised that the Federales haven’t done so already.

  3. On May 22, 2018 at 8:49 am, Pat Hines said:

    “In order to outlaw guns, you first have to outlaw the knowledge of guns. To outlaw the knowledge of guns, you have to outlaw knowledge itself.” – L. Neil Smith, over 30 years ago.

    The above is being recommended by the drooling communists of Lehigh Valley.

    Every talented machinist in the country will become a licensed and inspected entity if they have their way.

    I say no.

  4. On May 22, 2018 at 11:31 am, Gryphon said:

    Just like the ‘problem’ (for the bolsheviks) of a Vast Number of Guns in the hands of the People, the Machining/Fabrication capabilities out there are essentially Unlimited and Certainly Untraceable in any practical sense. And (((they))) don’t want to Find Out the types of Weapons that can and will be manufactured once nobody pays attention to their ‘laws’.

  5. On May 22, 2018 at 5:57 pm, Poozinsc said:

    I’m a bit confused here — he bought a “serial-numbered slide/barrel, also known as an upper,”. If it had a serial number, how is it a “ghost” gun? The author has confused some details here I believe.

  6. On May 22, 2018 at 9:14 pm, DAN III said:

    ALCON,

    I encourage you to go the referenced essay and read the assorted comments. Most if not all comments could be summed up in four, simple words:

    “COME AND TAKE IT”.

    Contrary to the media’s propaganda and communist politician’s anti-firearm bluster, traditional Americans still believe in Liberty.

    Reminder: Verify your zero and invest in a dozen yards of hemp.

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This article is filed under the category(s) Gun Control and was published May 21st, 2018 by Herschel Smith.

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