Exorcising the Specter of Ghost Guns

“Exorcising the Specter of Ghost Guns,” featuring Thomas L. Chittum, III. In the seminar, Tom will examine the legal and historical landscape surrounding “ghost guns” and privately made firearms, tracing federal regulation from the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act through modern serial-number requirements and the firearms tracing process. Tom will explore unfinished frames and receivers, build kits, and 3D-printed firearms while clarifying common misconceptions, including when an unserialized firearm is unlawful, when a collection of parts becomes a “firearm,” and the distinction between a firearm that was never serialized and one with an obliterated serial number. The program will also examine the Supreme Court’s decision in Bondi v. Vanderstok and place today’s debate within the long American tradition of private firearm making.