Maine gun control proponents are pushing for a ban on so-called “ghost guns,” but a report at WGME News in Portland suggests anti-gunners actually are not certain why they think such firearms—built from parts and kits—are more dangerous than stolen or illicitly-acquired commercially-produced firearms in the hands of criminals.
Indeed, in remarks to How Stuff Works this past March, a spokesman for Everytown for Gun Safety, essentially shattered the argument ghost guns somehow pose more of a danger than other guns used illegally.
Rob Wilcox, Everytown’s director of policy and strategy, stated, “A gun is a gun, whether it’s made from a kit, or purchased fully assembled. It causes the same harm in the wrong hands.”
Still, the WGME report quotes former Maine Gun Safety Coalition Director Geoff Bickford erroneously stating, “They’re made of plastic and they’re not going to get picked up at metal detectors.”
MEDIA HYPES ‘GHOST GUN’ ANGLE IN NY SLAYING INVESTIGATION
True, components of such firearms are made from synthetics, but the barrel, slide, slide rails, springs and other components are made from steel, and they are definitely visible to metal detectors.
A lengthy conversation on social media among gun owners illustrates how some people misunderstand what constitutes a “ghost gun” and how the main complaint—lack of a serial number—is a gun control Trojan horse.
The How Stuff Works report quoted Lindsay Nichols, federal policy director at Giffords, the gun control group named for former Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords, who survived an attempted assassination attempt in Arizona several years ago.
“These untraceable firearms pose a grave threat to our families and communities, which this rule addresses,” Nichols told the publication. “This much-needed regulatory change will also help the ATF combat gun trafficking, through which guns are funneled from the legal to the illegal market.”
But is the concern misdirected? Ultimately, as demonstrated by the slaying of United Heathcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York sidewalk, it is the person wielding the gun—whatever kind of gun it happens to be—who poses the “grave threat.”
In the Facebook conversation, one veteran academic had this to say about the term “ghost gun”: “Unsurprisingly, this label is just BS — scary and meaningless.”
Another participant stated, “They’re not any more dangerous than any other gun. The danger lies only with the one pulling the trigger. But they don’t like them because they can’t track them and they don’t have a record of who owns them. Calling them ‘dangerous’ is just a play on emotions and a way to manipulate the people who don’t think for themselves.”
And one law enforcement professional observed, “It’s not disturbing to all Law Enforcement. The reality is, we’re not here tracing guns anyway. The ATF and some Feds have some ability to do that, but most local law enforcement has none whatsoever. Most sheriffs in the country believe that Americans have the right to keep and bear arms. Not keep and bear traceable arms.”
The Maine push was reportedly ignited by the Thompson murder in Manhattan, for which the suspect is now in custody.
As the controversy over “ghost guns” continues in the aftermath of that slaying, it is becoming increasingly clear that gun ban advocates have little, if any, functional knowledge of firearms. Expect to see this play out in legislatures across the country as they convene for their 2025 sessions.
