Washington, D.C –-(Ammoland.com)-The House Committee on Homeland Security advanced a bill that would order the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare an annual threat assessment on unserialized firearms completed by the end user to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
The bill that was sponsored by Democratic Congressman Max Rose consider these firearms as an emerging threat to public safety. The legislation refers to these firearms as “ghost guns.”
The use of 80% AR-15 lower receiver is at the heart of the bill. Rep Rose considers these receivers as more accessible to acquire than a traditional firearm. He states that the lowers are easy to complete by the average person.
In order to complete an 80% lower receiver, a user must use a drill press or expensive metal working tools. Building unserialized guns are more expensive and less reliable than buying a brand-new rifle, and there are easier ways for criminals to get guns.
The bill also sounds the alarm over 3D printed firearms. The generation of 3D printed guns are not reliable. The scare comes from a demonstration of the Liberator. Defense Distributed designed the Liberator as a .380ACP caliber 3D printed gun.
The Liberator, named after the pistol dropped over France too resistance fighters during World War II, is a single shot pistol. Homebrew 3D printers cannot print a working Liberator because the material cannot withstand the pressure that builds up when a user fires a gun. The cheapest printer a user can buy to make a gun the quality of the Liberator is the Stratasys F120 which runs around $12,000.
Rose is also concerned about these gun’s ability to defeat metal detectors. All DIY guns are detectable by metal detectors. All 80% lower receiver regardless of the material it is made of is detectable because of the metal used in the internal components. Even the Liberator used a metal firing pin. Also, ammunition is detectable by metal detectors.
“The notion of terrorists being able to get weapons that have no serial number, potentially even plastic weapons that they can bring through metal detectors, is incredibly alarming,” Rose told News Week. “We pride ourselves in this country on terrorists not being able to buy weapons. Here it is totally possible for a homegrown terrorist or a foreign terrorist who has infiltrated our country to buy a ghost gun.”
Undetectable firearms have been illegal since 1988 when Congress passed the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988. In that year Democrats used a line from Die Hard 2 to convince the public that Glocks were undetectable by metal detectors. Even though this information was false, the people believed it.
AmmoLand’s research could only turn up four case of criminal using an unserialized firearm in a commission on of a crime. Two of these crimes were in California where the state already bans these guns. Another was in Chicago which has some of the toughest gun laws in the country. There has been a rise in confiscation of these firearms in California in the previous two years.
The next step for the bill will be a full vote by the House of Representatives. It is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled chamber. The law will most likely die in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Congressman Max Rose’s office did not return AmmoLand’s request for comment.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.