Brady Responds to Supreme Court Decision to Hear Ghost Guns Case

The Biden-Initiated ATF Rule at Issue in the Case Stems the Flow of Unserialized Firearms That are Rapidly Spreading Across the Nation.

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2024 – Today, the Supreme Court announced that ghost guns will be on the docket next term. The case comes from the Fifth Circuit, where the court struck down a rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulating the sale of weapons kits that allow consumers to build unserialized firearms, thus avoiding a life-saving Brady Background Check. Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, was instrumental in securing support for the ATF rule and has filed amicus briefs in the lower courts defending the rule.

Kris Brown, President of Brady, said:

“Ghost guns circumvent one of the most powerful defenses we have against gun violence: Brady Background Checks. These weapons are unserialized – and therefore untraceable – which essentially allows anyone to become an at-home gun manufacturer. Ghost gun kits and parts have long been intentionally marketed as unregulated and untraceable to appeal to those who want to avoid background checks and/or cannot legally possess firearms, including minors, domestic abusers, and gun traffickers.

“Brady is grateful that the ATF’s rule regulating ghost guns will remain in effect while the Supreme Court hears the case, and we plan to file an amicus brief supporting this rule for its role in saving lives and bringing America closer to a future free from gun violence.”