US supreme court blocks ‘ghost gun’ makers again from selling at-home kits – By Reuters (The Guardian) / Oct 16, 2023
Justices reverse federal judge’s order that allowed manufacturers to sell unregulated kits that convert into firearms
The US supreme court on Monday barred two Texas-based manufacturers from selling products that can be quickly converted at home into firearms called “ghost guns”, granting a request by Joe Biden’s administration to once again block a federal judge’s order that had sided with companies.
The justices lifted Fort Worth-based judge Reed O’Connor’s 14 September injunction barring enforcement of a 2022 federal regulation – a rule aimed at reining in the privately made firearms – against the two manufacturers, Blackhawk Manufacturing and Defense Distributed.
The rule was issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to target the rapid proliferation of these homemade weapons. It bans “buy build shoot” kits that individuals can get online or at a store without a background check or the usual serial numbers required by the federal government. The kits can be quickly assembled into a working firearm.
The decision marked the second time that the justices acted against an order by O’Connor in the case. In August, they halted the judge’s previous decision blocking the regulation, reinstating the rule while an appeal proceeds.
