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Self-made rapid-fire rifle at a presentation in California (archive image)
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / AP / dpa
With a new regulation, the US government wants to take action against the spread and illegal use of so-called ghost guns.
The unregistered weapons are assembled from kits, are barely covered by existing rules and can easily be ordered on the Internet.
"The proposed arrangement would help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make it easier for security forces to track weapons used in violent crimes," Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
The right of law-abiding Americans to own a weapon is not affected.
From 2016 to 2020, according to Garland, investigators seized more than 23,000 such weapons without serial numbers at possible crime scenes.
During the period in question, there were at least 325 cases of murder or attempted murder with such "ghost weapons".
The new regulation would, among other things, oblige sellers to conduct a security check before a sale in order to weed out convicted criminals and other banned customers.
In addition, manufacturers of the kits should be obliged to provide the weapons with a serial number.
Dealers are also to be forced to use 3D printers or otherwise manufactured unregistered weapons to provide a serial number upon acceptance.
Uncertain majority in Congress
President Joe Biden had already announced the crackdown on “ghost weapons” at the beginning of April - immediately after several high-profile firearm violence cases in the United States.
The Democrat would like to tighten gun laws, which are lax by international standards.
For major changes, however, he is dependent on Congress - proposals for stricter gun laws are likely to fail in the Senate at the latest due to the blockade of the Republicans.
Fatal firearms incidents occur regularly in the United States.
The CDC health authority recorded a total of 39,707 gun deaths in around 2019 - almost 110 deaths per day.
Around 60 percent of the cases were suicides.
Interest groups can now comment on the proposed new regulation for three months.
Then it can be finalized.
dab / dpa
