Ghost guns: What are they and what is Biden doing about them?

US President Joe Biden has announced new restrictions to regulate "ghost guns", in an attempt to ban these privately assembled firearms as their use in violent crimes increases. 

"These guns are the weapons of choice for many criminals," Mr Biden said during an event at the White House Rose Garden. 

"We are going to do everything we can to deprive them of that choice."

Here's everything you need to know about "ghost guns" and what the Biden administration has planned to do about them.

What are ghost guns?

"Ghost guns" are untraceable, privately self-assembled firearms.

They can be assembled at home with DIY kits purchased online or with a 3D printer.

Ghost guns can be inexpensive and easy to acquire as they don't need background checks, making it easier for younger people and those with a criminal history to buy and make one without supervision. 

As ghost guns are sold and made in private, the guns themselves don't have manufacturing serial numbers.

This makes it difficult for law enforcement to trace, track, and regulate the weapons. 

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How many ghost guns are out there?

As they're untraceable, there is no official number or knowledge of how many ghost guns exist in the US.

In 2021, however, there were about 20,000 ghost guns reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as having been recovered by law enforcement during criminal investigations. 

The appearances of ghost guns at crime scenes in the country have been increasing overtime, with more undercover federal agents encountering and purchasing un-serialised guns from gang members and criminals in their operations.

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What is the Biden administration doing about them?

The new regulation demands for all ghost gun kits to include serial numbers and mandatory background checks before all kit purchases in order to make each firearm easy to track and trace to their crime. 

"It's no longer a ghost," Mr Biden said. 

"It has a return address.

"And it's going to help save lives, reduce crime and get more criminals off the streets."

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Ghost guns will be treated the same as commercial firearms as the legal definition of firearms expands to include unfinished components of the gun, such as its frame and receiver.

The rule also demands individually sold parts of a firearm to be licensed and include serial numbers.

Sellers will have to abide by the same laws as commercial firearm dealers. 

All these requirements apply regardless of how the ghost gun was made; whether they be bought and assembled with individual parts or by 3D printers in a person's home.

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Additionally, the new regulations mandate all firearm dealers to add serial numbers to already assembled ghost guns they come across. 

Mr Biden has nominated former US attorney Steve Dettelbach from Ohio to run the ATF and oversee these regulations which have already been met with fierce opposition from gun groups.