What are "ghost weapons" and why is Biden calling for their regulation?

US firearm sales hit record in 2020 3:10

(CNN) -- 

President Joe Biden announced new rules Monday aimed at regulating so-called "ghost guns" as the use of these untraceable homemade weapons in violent crimes increases.

"Ghost guns" are one of many issues facing regulators and lawmakers trying to address a spike in gun violence that began in early summer 2020. Gun homicides fueled the uptick .

Here's what you should know about ghost weapons:

What are they?

"Ghost guns" are untraceable firearms assembled by an individual, often from parts sold online, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes.

These weapons, sometimes referred to by authorities as "privately made firearms," ​​do not have a serial number, making them more difficult to track and regulate.

Purchasing "ghost gun" kits online does not require a background check, so buyers can avoid the typical requirements that apply to buying a firearm.

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This means that anyone, regardless of their age or criminal record, can purchase the kits and make a weapon.

• Biden announces new regulations on "ghost weapons" in the United States

Its prevalence

Calls to address the issue of "ghost guns" have grown as their use in US shootings increases, and guns recovered from crime scenes in some big cities are more prevalent.

Although "ghost weapons" represent a relatively small percentage of the total number of weapons recovered by law enforcement, authorities in several cities have reported a sharp increase in those numbers, according to a CNN analysis of 2021 data.

In San Francisco, for example, about 20% of the nearly 1,100 guns seized in 2021 were "ghost guns," local police told CNN.

Of the 12,088 guns recovered in Chicago last year, 455, or 3.76%, were "ghost guns," according to city data, up from 130 such guns recovered in 2020, when "ghost guns ghost" accounted for 1.15% of the 11,343 weapons recovered.

Between 2016 and 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received 45,000 reports of privately made firearms recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations, including 20,000 reported as recently as just last year.

The agency was only able to trace 1% of the 45,000, officials said, because these types of weapons do not have serial numbers.

The number of weapons tracked by the ATF rose from about 217,000 in 2015 to more than 393,000 in 2020.

Just this past week, a "ghost gun" was recovered outside the home of a suspect arrested in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old girl in the South Bronx, a law enforcement source told CNN.

What is expected after Biden's announcement?

The regulation Biden is expected to announce would address a gap in the government's ability to track "ghost weapons," requiring background checks before kit purchases and the inclusion of serial numbers on some parts used to assemble weapons.

"The Biden administration is making sure these kits are treated like the deadly firearms they are," a senior administration official said before the announcement.

The new rules will require anyone who buys a kit to undergo a background check, something that is required for other types of firearms purchases.

Kit sellers will also be required to include a serial number on the weapon's components so that the final weapon can be traced.

The rule would also require firearms dealers to add a serial number to pre-assembled "ghost guns" they find.

Measures taken by states

At least 10 states and the city of Washington have already put in place measures to restrict or ban the purchase or use of "ghost guns," according to the Giffords Law Center for Gun Violence Prevention.

Maryland was the latest to join in last week, when the governor allowed a law to be passed amending the definition of "firearm" to include an unfinished frame or receiver and banning the sale of those components, among other measures.

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan thanked the legislature in a letter for addressing the issue of untraceable firearms.

But he said the legislation did not go far enough to hold accountable those who actually commit the shootings.

Last October, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation aimed at tackling the epidemic of gun violence, including banning "the sale of 'ghost guns' and requiring gunsmiths and firearms dealers to register firearms in their possession," according to the governor's office.

• Gun Deaths Outnumber Car Crashes in US, Study Says

Federal cases have focused on alleged traffickers

Meanwhile, federal authorities have cracked down on those who possess "ghost weapons" or seek to traffic in them.

Last month, four men were charged in Baltimore with conspiracy and trafficking in firearms without a license, including "ghost weapons," according to the Maryland District Attorney's Office.

In January, a Rhode Island man was charged by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York with selling or attempting to sell more than 100 guns that he had made in his home.

According to the Justice Department, the 34-year-old man would have purchased the parts, made them at his home in Providence, Rhode Island, and then sold the finished weapons.

He was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic in firearms and one count of making false statements, the Justice Department said in a news release.

-- CNN's Kevin Liptak, Mark Morales and Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.

Firearms Regulation