123: the Haunting Problem of Ghost Guns

When is a gun not a gun?

Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home. They are often sold through "ghost gun kits," which include all of the parts and often the equipment necessary to build these weapons at home. These kits are widely available and can be purchased by anyone, including prohibited purchasers, domestic abusers, and gun traffickers — without a background check. As these kits and guns are sold at gun shows and online every day throughout the country, they undermine all of the life-saving policies that state legislatures have fought so hard to put in place. Yet getting legislation passed to prevent the spread of these ghost guns has been incredibly difficult. To discuss why, hosts Kelly and JJ are joined by three amazing Brady and Team Enough ghost gun experts--Stephan Abrams, Steve Lindley, and Tanya Schardt.

Mentioned in this podcast:
What are ghost guns? (Brady)
Executive actions to prevent gun violence (Brady)
Loophole lets criminals buy untraceable 'ghost guns' online (NBC)
Do-It-Yourself 'ghost guns' bypass background checks and firearm registration (NPR)
What makes a gun a ghost gun? (the Trace)