Hawaii Attorney General Holly Shikada joined a group of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting a new federal rule that regulates so-called “ghost guns.”

What You Need To Know

  • Ghost guns are unserialized weapons that are often made at home from weapon parts kits or partially complete frames and received that can be purchased without background checks

  • The new federal rule would require that buyers pass background checks before purchasing such kits and enable law enforcement officers to trace self-made guns that are later used in a crime
  • In 2020, Hawaii enacted a law restricting the sale of ghost gun kits and parts

  • The AG’s office noted the increase in ghost guns recovered by law enforcement, including a ghost gun used brandished by a Hawaii teenager during a traffic altercation earlier this month

 

Ghost guns are unserialized weapons that are often made at home from weapon parts kits or partially complete frames and received that can be purchased without background checks.

The new federal rule would require that buyers pass background checks before purchasing such kits. It would also provide for law enforcement officers being able to trace self-made guns that are later used in a crime.

As the AG’s office noted, the rule would limit the ability of gun traffickers to distribute ghost guns in Hawaii.

In 2020, Hawaii enacted a law restricting the sale of ghost gun kits and parts.

“By passing our own ‘ghost gun’ laws, Hawaii has done its part to keep communities safe from these untraceable and easily built firearms,” Shikada said. “We now look to the federal government to adopt this new rule to assist in preventing these guns from entering our state without having the necessary safeguards to keep Hawaii safe.” 

The AG’s office noted the increase in ghost guns recovered by law enforcement, including a ghost gun used brandished by a Hawaii teenager during a traffic altercation earlier this month. In April, Maui police officers recovered a 3D printer and parts used to assemble host guns during the execution of a search warrant.

The ATF’s Final Rule regulates ghost guns by clarifying definitions in the Gun Control Act. Specifically, the Final Rule makes it clear that weapon parts kits and partially complete frames or receivers are “firearms” under the Act if they can be readily converted to function as such. The Final Rule thereby ensures that kits and partially complete frames or receivers are subject to the same serialization and background check requirements as conventionally manufactured guns.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.