I am an Afghanistan veteran, and I think the fearmongering about them being “too easy to make” is horseshit.

I haven’t seen it quite so bad on this sub as I’ve seen on other social media platforms and in the news, but there is just so much misinformation about them being “too easy” to make. They’re really not. Sure, some people have figured it out and made their own over the last decade and a half, but unless you have a solid understanding of firearms, X-Acto knives, drill presses, and 3-D printers, I would not recommend you try.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>I’m a former mechanic who worked 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week in Afghanistan and Iraq for 4.5 years and I wouldn’t attempt it. Not because I’m afraid of the law, but because I’m not stupid enough to try to make a firearm when I don’t have the first clue of how to do it.<br><br>I am not saying you can’t make one, but they’re just not “that easy” to make. It’s honestly easier to steal a real gun than it is to make a ghost gun, and they know it. The argument that they’re too easy to make and that’s why they’re so popular among criminals is a lie. They say that because they know the average civilian will fall for it.<br><br>The reason they’re popular among criminals is that there is no background check, and no serial number to track. It is as simple as that. They’re popular because they’re untraceable and widely available. They’re not that widely available because they’re easy to make, they’re that widely available because people who know a little know-how and have the tools to make them are already out there supplying them to all these criminals. The cartels especially have found ways to smuggle GHOST GUN BLUEPRINTS over the southern border and GHOST GUNS themselves into the south west, but we already knew they weren’t stupid.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>I’ve seen comments like “but we already have laws against making your own guns”…no we don’t. 80% lowers are completely legal and can be purchased just like any other firearm. You can even purchase a completely built upper receiver and just slap it on. Just please, for the love of God, do not attempt to fire a gun you’ve built yourself unless you’re 100% sure what you’re doing. GHOST GUNS are responsible for a large portion of the “accidental discharge” deaths. That’s what we in the military call it when you shoot yourself or someone else in the foot because you’re too fucking stupid to know how to use a gun.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>I have seen GHOST GUN TRACKING BILLS pass in my state and they did nothing. They didn’t change shit about how they’re made, sold, or purchased. The GHOST GUN TRACKING BILLS that are being proposed now are no different. They’re just empty promises from our elected officials to make it seem like they’re doing something.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>GHOST GUNS are now THEE go-to scapegoat. It’s to blame for every mass shooting, accidental discharge, suicide, or violent crime. Hell, a week ago there was a post in here I believe that even claimed all the mass shooters in the past few years were all using GHOST GUNS. Nope. MLK jr didn’t get capped by a ghost gun buddy. Columbine wasn’t ghost guns. Sandy Hook wasn’t ghost guns. Hell even the Texas shooter found a way to get his hands on a legal AR-15. The Aurora shooter was able to legally purchase 4 guns and over 6,000 rounds of ammunition. The argument GHOST GUNS are illegal anyway is also bullshit. They’re used in less than 1% of crimes, and we already have laws in place to track them.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>For those of you who are convinced we need more gun control, I ask you: how many laws did you break today? I bet most of you didn’t even realize you broke the law today. The argument GHOST GUNS are illegal anyway is the same as thinking because they’re already breaking the law they’ll just keep breaking the law and ignore these new laws we’re proposing. I’m sure all of you would happily turn in your firearms because they just became illegal, right? GHOST GUN TRACKING BILLS will do nothing to prevent mass shootings, they’ll do nothing to prevent violent crime, and they’ll only serve as a stepping stone to more gun control laws. They know it. We know it. They’re just trying to be re-elected.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Edit:<br><br>Some people seems to be confused as to what a ghost gun is. The definition of a ghost gun is any firearm that lacks a commercial serial number. The name “ghost gun” was given to them because GHOST GUN TRACKING BILLS we’re meant to track all guns that don’t have serial numbers and were essentially “ghosted” by law enforcement and the ATF.<br><br>A ghost gun can be a completely legally purchased gun with no modifications, a completely illegally purchased gun, a gun you made yourself, etc. They are completely legal. The argument that a drug addict alcoholic can steal money to feed his addiction and then go buy a ghost gun and smuggle it into a prison is just fucking stupid. I’m a drug addict alcoholic veteran and I know that I can’t do that. I’m not that fucking stupid. Yes, it’s absolutely possible, but that is not the issue here. The issue is that these politicians are trying to blame everything on “easy to make” ghost guns, and that is not the case. Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry can just go make a GHOST GUN. They just don’t want you to know that because they want to control you. They don’t want you to have the ability to defend yourself. They want you to be another statistic, and they want to be able to tell you what to do.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Sorry if that was confusing some people.