US Supreme Court issues ruling to tighten regulations on “ghost guns”

On October 16, the US Supreme Court decided to suspend the enforcement of a court ruling in the state of Texas allowing two manufacturers in this state to sell parts and tools that can be used to self-assemble into firearms, also known as "ghost guns" - guns that are difficult to trace.

With this decision, the US Supreme Court once again supports President Joe Biden's policy on managing this type of gun.

The US Supreme Court justices refused to enforce the ruling issued by Judge Reed O'Connor of the Federal District Court in Texas on September 14.

O'Connor's ruling blocks the application of a federal rule on homemade guns to sales by two Texas manufacturers, Blackhawk Manufacturing and Defense Distributed.

Blackhawk Manufacturing is a manufacturer of consumer goods, sporting goods, gunsmithing tools, and other equipment. Defense Distributed is a company that specializes in designing firearms.

The federal regulation was introduced by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in 2022 to prevent homemade firearms.

This regulation prohibits the sale of equipment, parts and tools for self-assembly into firearms.

Such purchases can take place in-store or online without the seller conducting a background check on the buyer or providing a government-issued serial number to trace the device’s origin. The regulation therefore tightens these loopholes.

This is the second time a US Supreme Court justice has reversed Justice O'Connor's ruling in the same case.

In August, Judge O'Connor issued a ruling blocking enforcement of the federal rule.

Mr. O'Connor argued that the above federal regulation exceeded the authority of US gun control laws and therefore did not apply nationwide.

However, a Supreme Court judge temporarily suspended the ruling and restored the regulation.

According to White House figures, the number of “ghost guns” that law enforcement agencies turned over to the ATF for tracing has increased to about 20,000, a 10-fold increase from 2016.

US President Joe Biden issued an executive order to strengthen the prevention of the use of "ghost guns," self-assembled, unregistered guns that are impossible for authorities to control.

However, advocacy organizations and many gun manufacturers or distributors in the US are seeking to sue to block the above regulation.