Ghost guns need to be regulated

Whether someone purchases a gun or builds one at home, there should be a background check and the weapon should have a serial number so that it can be traced.

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Editorials

June 1, 2021 - 9:23 AM

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has taken a firm stance when it comes to the so-called “ghost guns” made from do-it-yourself kits or 3D printers — they should be subject to the same regulations as other guns, including background checks on buyers and the requirement of a serial number. It’s a commonsense position that the Biden administration supports in a proposal now under review that should be enacted into law.

In April, President Joe Biden ordered the Justice Department to draft a rule that cracks down on ghost guns, closing a loophole in federal law that allows those purchasing gun-building kits to skirt requirements for serial numbers and buyer background checks. The proposal, which is now in a 90-day public comment period, is the type of gun reform that almost makes too much sense. Whether someone purchases a gun or builds one at home, there should be a background check and the weapon should have a serial number so that it can be traced.

Shapiro, who testified before a Senate panel in mid-May to make the case for federal regulation of ghost guns, has been out in front of this issue for several years. In 2019, he ordered the state police to treat the unfinished frames and receivers, the components of the guns, as firearms under state law. State police then directed gun dealers to perform background checks on those buying the parts.

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