Pa. House advances bill to prohibit ‘ghost gun’ parts, some say it's "not practical"
It's the first time Pennsylvania legislators have ever taken a crack at trying to prevent the sale and use of ghost guns. The Pennsylvania House has passed a bill to prohibit the sale and use of untraceable gun parts, although some gun enthusiasts argue it's not practical. The bill, House Bill 777, would require all parts of the gun to be serialized, allowing it to be treated the same as any other firearm. Currently, only the frame of a gun is required to have a serial number to be traced. However, Rep. Mike Schlossberg supports the bill, citing several DA's across the state as strong supporters. The gun store Relic Hunter Firing Line also disagrees with the bill's logic, arguing that it infringes on a Constitutional right.
Pubblicato : 4 settimane fa di Rob Manch in
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania House just passed a bill some legislators say would close the "ghost gun loophole," but gun enthusiasts say the requirements are not practical.
It's the first time Pennsylvania legislators have ever taken a crack at trying to prevent the sale and use of ghost guns.
"Nothing like this has ever passed the House," said Rep. Mike Schlossberg.
Rep. Schlossberg voted in favor of House Bill 777. It would prohibit quote "the purchase, sale, and production of untraceable gun parts."
"This just says that all parts of the gun has to be serialized. This way it allows ghost guns, or untraceable guns, to be treated the exact same way as any other firearm. It should go through a background check and have a serial number so that, if it's used in a crime, law enforcement can track it down," said Rep. Schlossberg.
Right now, only the frame of the gun is required to have a serial number on it to be traced. Rep. Peter Schweyer told us the bill has the support of several DA's across the state.
"The President of the District Attorney's Association for Montgomery County has come out strongly in favor of this," said Rep. Schweyer.
We stopped by the gun store Relic Hunter Firing Line. The employees there did not want to be shown on camera, but they also didn't agree with the bill's logic.
"It's not a loophole. It's a Constitutional right," said the employee we spoke with.
They took apart an entire Glock pistol for us to look at to show us how difficult getting serial numbers for every piece might be.
"How do I keep track of 27 moving parts in a simple gun versus 67 parts in another moving gun? We have multiple firearms, now I have to do what? Go to whom? And how do I get that done? It's just unrealistic," said the employee. "Where are we going to get that done? Who does the laser work? Where do we send it off to?"
The employees also believe the bill punishes law-abiders instead of criminals.
"If you do this to law-abiding citizens, the citizens themselves, you're preventing them from actually just using their Constitutional right," said the employee.
House Bill 777 will now be sent to the Pennsylvania State Senate.