Ghost Guns

Dealers Are Already Skirting Biden’s Ghost Gun Rule

Ghost Guns

Dealers Are Already Skirting Biden’s Ghost Gun Rule

Less than a month after the ATF required serial numbers and background checks for "buy-build-shoot" kits, sellers have found a workaround.

Alain Stephens
Ghost Gun Dealers Race to Offload Inventory Ahead of New Federal Rules

Ghost Guns

Ghost Gun Dealers Race to Offload Inventory Ahead of New Federal Rules

On August 24, the Biden administration’s requirement to serialize ghost guns and require background checks on their sale goes into effect. But the regulation won’t apply to the estimated millions of weapons already in circulation.

Alain Stephens
Illinois Governor Signs Law to Ban Ghost Guns

Ghost Guns

Illinois Governor Signs Law to Ban Ghost Guns

Under the new policy all firearms, including 3D-printed guns, must have serial numbers.

Tina Sfondeles
The Feds Are Increasingly Worried About Extremists Acquiring Ghost Guns, Leaked Report Shows

Ghost Guns

The Feds Are Increasingly Worried About Extremists Acquiring Ghost Guns, Leaked Report Shows

A June memo by the Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team warns that firearms made from DIY kits and 3D printers are growing in popularity among white supremacist groups.

Alain Stephens
What Are 3D-Printed Guns, and Why Are They Controversial?

The Industry

What Are 3D-Printed Guns, and Why Are They Controversial?

Breaking down the technology, the legality, and the ideology of a growing movement.

Champe Barton and Chip Brownlee
Keybase, a Platform Owned by Zoom, Will Ban Groups Sharing Blueprints for 3D-Printed Guns

Ghost Guns

Keybase, a Platform Owned by Zoom, Will Ban Groups Sharing Blueprints for 3D-Printed Guns

After major social media platforms cracked down, makers of largely unregulated firearms flocked to Keybase. Now they must find a new home.

Chip Brownlee and Champe Barton
They Planned to Start a Race War. DIY Gun Kits Allowed Them to Build an Arsenal.

Extremism

They Planned to Start a Race War. DIY Gun Kits Allowed Them to Build an Arsenal.

The arrest of a white supremacist cell before the Richmond gun rally shows how extremist motives are colliding with easy access to ghost guns, homemade silencers, and unregulated tactical accessories.

Alain Stephens
What Makes a Gun a Ghost Gun?

Ghost Guns

What Makes a Gun a Ghost Gun?

Everything you need to know about the homemade, untraceable firearms that are increasingly turning up at crime scenes.

Alain Stephens
Officials Confirm Santa Clarita Shooter Used a Ghost Gun

Ghost Guns

Officials Confirm Santa Clarita Shooter Used a Ghost Gun

The perpetrator’s handgun was assembled from parts available for purchase without a background check.

Alain Stephens
Despite His Criminal Record, Cody Wilson Is Back in the 3D-Printed Gun Business

Ghost Guns

Despite His Criminal Record, Cody Wilson Is Back in the 3D-Printed Gun Business

After an international manhunt, Wilson pleaded guilty to a felony in Texas court. But the particulars of his deal left him in a legal gray area that allows him to own and work with firearms.

Alain Stephens and Andrew Weber
As Social Networks Crack Down, 3D-Printed Gun Community Moves to New Platforms

Ghost Guns

As Social Networks Crack Down, 3D-Printed Gun Community Moves to New Platforms

Bans on sharing 3D gun blueprints have proven porous, but the community that makes them is migrating to platforms more amenable to the cause.

Champe Barton
Ghost Guns

Twitter Announces New Policy Banning 3D-Printed Gun Files

Three weeks after The Trace reported that Twitter users were freely distributing design files for 3D-printed guns, the social media platform rolled out a new policy prohibiting the practice. The rule change is part of a wide-ranging update…

Sean Campbell
Plans for 3D-Printed Guns Are Still Accessible on Twitter and YouTube

Ghost Guns

Plans for 3D-Printed Guns Are Still Accessible on Twitter and YouTube

The platforms say they don’t allow users to post blueprints or how-tos for building ghost guns. But the files continue to circulate.

Sean Campbell
Ghost Guns Are Everywhere in California

Community Violence

Ghost Guns Are Everywhere in California

Feds say nearly a third of firearms recovered in the state are homemade, unserialized, and untraceable.

Alain Stephens
‘Ghost Gun’ Murders and Trafficking Cases Are a Law Enforcement Nightmare Come True

Ghost Guns

‘Ghost Gun’ Murders and Trafficking Cases Are a Law Enforcement Nightmare Come True

A string of high-profile crimes involving untraceable firearms has authorities on edge. Says one federal agent: “We have no way of knowing what’s out there."

Elizabeth Van Brocklin

Ghost Guns

Dealers Are Already Skirting Biden’s Ghost Gun Rule

Ghost Gun Dealers Race to Offload Inventory Ahead of New Federal Rules

Illinois Governor Signs Law to Ban Ghost Guns

The Feds Are Increasingly Worried About Extremists Acquiring Ghost Guns, Leaked Report Shows

What Are 3D-Printed Guns, and Why Are They Controversial?

Keybase, a Platform Owned by Zoom, Will Ban Groups Sharing Blueprints for 3D-Printed Guns

They Planned to Start a Race War. DIY Gun Kits Allowed Them to Build an Arsenal.

What Makes a Gun a Ghost Gun?

Officials Confirm Santa Clarita Shooter Used a Ghost Gun

Despite His Criminal Record, Cody Wilson Is Back in the 3D-Printed Gun Business

As Social Networks Crack Down, 3D-Printed Gun Community Moves to New Platforms

Twitter Announces New Policy Banning 3D-Printed Gun Files

Plans for 3D-Printed Guns Are Still Accessible on Twitter and YouTube

Ghost Guns Are Everywhere in California

‘Ghost Gun’ Murders and Trafficking Cases Are a Law Enforcement Nightmare Come True