Ghost Gun
Definition
A variably used label commonly associated with privately made or unserialised firearms. It is not a universal technical or legal category. Missing serial information can impede record tracing without eliminating suitable ballistic marks or proving who made, possessed or fired the firearm.
Related terms
- Frame-or-Receiver Rule
- A reference to a jurisdiction-specific regulatory definition and associated requirements; in this context, ATF Final Rule 2021R-05F published in 2022. Item facts...
- Katta
- A regional term encountered in Indian descriptions of country-made firearms. Usage does not uniquely specify action, cartridge, barrel construction or place of...
- Paltik
- A Philippine-context term encountered for locally or illicitly made firearms, with usage requiring context. It does not establish one manufacturing method, universal...
- Privately Made Firearm (PMF)
- A firearm described under a jurisdiction’s specific private-production definition; ATF defines the term in a US regulatory context. It does not automatically...
- Unserialised Firearm
- A firearm on which the relevant serial information is absent or not observed. Reasons and legal implications vary with production period, jurisdiction...