" Ghost " Guns !

  It usually doesn't  take long for any new idea to spread around the world and it seems that commercial interests have devised a way to circumvent gun laws that prevent unsuitable people buying guns.  It started in America, where soft gun laws have made urban massacres a common  crime and it seems inevitable that we will see it here in Australia.

Criminal elements are manufacturing guns which are broken down into component parts which are individually mailed to their customer.  When all the parts have arrived, the customer simply fits it all together and has a weapon that lacks a serial number or any other form of identity.

They are called " Ghost guns " because of that characteristic.  Usually, the selling price relates to the quality of the weapon. This is a fast expanding trade which quickly moved from basic hand guns to more sophisticated automatic weapons.  The growing demand has resulted in backyard manufacturers investing in machinery to produce an extensive range of weapons.

This trade is helped by the popularity of inline sales which are usually delivered through the mail system. It is impossible for mail inspectors to check all individual parcels and gun parts can not be easily identified. Those parts individually arrive scattered over multiple deliveries to reduce the chance of interception.

These ghost guns are of high value to criminal elements.  Any gun from a legitimate manufacturer has a serial number and that can be traced by law enforcement. A criminal planning a murder would welcome a ghost gun that could be thrown away afterwards, leaving no trace for the police to follow.

This illegal source of weapons is a new threat in Australia.  The clamp down  on gun ownership after the Port Arthur massacre took many guns out of circulation and obtaining a gun license is now subjected to an intense security check.  Despite this, there are illegal weapons finding their way into the hands of criminals and often feature in domestic murder/suicides.  

The availability of ghost guns would be welcomed by the malajusted threatening violence after relationship breakups and would cause many families to live in fear.  It would set gun control back many decades in this country.

There is the inevitability that the law of " supply and demand " will apply.   As we see with the drug trade, when demand is strong the profit motive will always have suppliers risking the penalties that apply.  Our borders are porous if enough money is forthcoming to speed illegal cargo to its destination.

The threat not only applies to overseas interests importing  gun components to Australia.  It is likely that we will see this type of merchandise manufactured here by criminal elements.  It seems that clever ideas find a home on both sides of the law !