Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez holds a 3D-printed ghost gun during a statewide gun buyback event held by the office of the New York State Attorney General, in the Brooklyn borough of New York on April 29, 2023. (YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
The law defines a "firearm" to include "any weapon… which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive," as well as "the frame or receiver of any such weapon."
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"Congress could have authorized ATF to regulate any part of a firearm or any object readily convertible into one," Thomas wrote in his dissent. "But, it did not. I would adhere to the words Congress enacted. Employing its novel ‘artifact noun’ methodology, the majority charts a different course that invites unforeseeable consequences and offers no limiting principle."
The administration said it was not seeking to ban the sale or use of these kits, merely requiring them to comply with the same requirements of other commercial firearms dealers. That includes serial numbers on the parts and background checks on the purchasers.
Ghost guns are seen on display at the New York Attorney General Letitia James' offices in downtown Manhattan. (Luiz C. Ribeiro Archive/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
In June, a federal ban on bump stocks, devices that can convert semi-automatic rifles into weapons that can fire hundreds of rounds a minute, was struck down by the high court.
However, that same month, the justices upheld a federal ban on firearm possession for people subject to certain domestic violence restraining orders.
The case is Garland v. VanDerStok (23-852).
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-upholds-biden-admin-ghost-gun-regulation