Bans on Sale of Ghost Guns…

New York Attorney General Letitia James took a significant step in the fight against the circulation of ghost guns on Wednesday, June 1st. Her office ordered 28 gun dealers to stop selling and advertising the parts and kits that assemble a ghost gun.

These gun dealers are mostly located in Western New York and Long Island. The ghost gun parts or kits are mostly advertised online or at gun shows. The gun dealers made it possible for prospective customers to call in and make inquiries or buy the kits on the dealer’s website. 

Ghost guns are firearms that are assembled from certain parts and kits into a single weapon. The issue with ghost guns is that they are sold in several different parts, that are easy to purchase separately and can be sold without conducting background checks. The guns are typically difficult to trace because they do not have serial numbers. 

“Ghost guns are fueling the flames of the gun violence epidemic, and we will not sit idly as they proliferate in our streets and devastate communities,” said Attorney General James. “Across the nation, too many lives are being lost because of these untraceable and unregistered weapons that anyone can get their hands on without a background check.

We are not going to wait for another tragedy, my office is taking action to crack down on gun sellers that are illegally advertising ghost guns. If gun sellers do not comply with the law, they will face the full force of my office.” 

More Insights on Laws passed against ghost guns…

Two laws were passed last year in New York to prevent the sale of ghost guns. The Jose Webster Untraceable Firearms Act does not allow anyone besides a gunsmith to be in possession of a ghost gun.

The act also requires gunmakers to place serial numbers on gun parts and register them with the government. It does not allow the sale of ghost guns. The Scott J Beigel Unfinished Receiver Act is another law that acts against ghost guns.

This law makes it illegal for anyone other than a licensed gunsmith or dealer to possess or sell an unfinished gun frame or receiver. New Yorkers who sell or are found in possession of a ghost gun may be charged with a felony. Gun dealers who break the law will be punished with financial penalties or jail sentences.  

“For too long, ghost guns have been haunting our streets and taking lives. I have been warning about these dangerous gun kits for years, and we must take more aggressive action now to stop them from further proliferating,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.

“The new federal rule issued by the Department of Justice earlier this spring will help keep ghost guns off our streets, but there is still more to be done. That’s why I’m proud to support Attorney General James in cracking down on New York gun dealers who are illegally selling and advertising ghost gun parts. The time is right now to take action on these ghost guns because they are too easy to build, too hard to trace, and too dangerous to ignore.” 

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said that ghost gun seizures were sitting at 153 in the first four months of the year. This is an increase of 300% compared to the same period in 2021.