Lawmakers and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg are proposing a change to state law they said would close a loophole to make it easier to prosecute people who manufacture homemade, untraceable firearms, also known as ghost guns.
Under current law, it’s technically legal to make a so-called ghost gun, just not to possess or sell one. The new measure would also prohibit people from creating ghost guns with a 3D printer or sharing instructions to help others do so.
“We’ve done many search warrants where we’ve entered the location and the printers were running, printing lower receivers or printing magazines,” said NYPD Inspector Courtney Nilan.
Sen. Brad Holyman-Sigal and Rep. Linda Rosenthal, who both represent parts of Manhattan, said they brought the legislation in response to challenges Bragg’s office has faced when trying to prosecute cases that involve ghost guns. If prosecutors find someone with a stockpile of ghost guns, for instance, they can bring charges for illegal possession but not for the manufacturing of those guns — even if they know that the person made them.
Unlike firearms produced by licensed dealers, ghost guns have no serial number, making it more difficult for law enforcement to track them or connect them to crimes. The push for tighter regulations also follows a recent increase in the prevalence and effectiveness of do-it-yourself firearms, according to prosecutors and police.
Bragg said prosecutors have long focused on the trafficking of guns into New York City from states with looser gun laws, a phenomenon referred to as the “iron pipeline.”
“Right now, you don’t need a pipeline,” Bragg said. “You can sit at your kitchen table and print out guns and weapons of destruction.”
Would-be ghost gun makers can buy the 3D printer they need to do it for as little as $200 on Amazon. NYPD Inspector Courtney Nilan said basic 3D printers can create the parts in six to eight hours, while more advanced models can print firearm…
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