The news notified me about ghost guns. What are they?

[TheUncommon]

Are they reliable for any type of CTB?

 

[Someone123]

Ghost guns are assembled from untraceable parts- they are intended to be untraceable in case they are used in a crime, so their purpose doesn't apply to suicide, since the gun will be right there. If you try to order them online you will ikely go to prison for a long time, so I really wouldn't recommend this- there are better methods.

 

[TheUncommon]

Ghost guns are assembled from untraceable parts- they are intended to be untraceable in case they are used in a crime, so their purpose doesn't apply to suicide, since the gun will be right there. If you try to order them online you will ikely go to prison for a long time, so I really wouldn't recommend this- there are better methods.

What do you mean their purpose doesn't apply? Most guns are intended to inflict potentially lethal harm to a victim. This does that, without the roadblock that is obtaining said gun (age / mental and criminal background check / needing to actually talk to another human), so I don't particularly see how this doesn't apply. You can't just pick up a gun from your local gas station. And even if it were that simple, I'd rather have as few people know in real life about that type of purchase if I can just buy some tools online. At least, if I'm going by how the news made it out to be.
I'm not sold on SN, as I have heart conditions and don't want to experience a heart attack or anything similar even for a split second.
I'm not sold on partial given how many times it has failed for me.
If there is a better method, do tell.

 

[Apricity]

You can 3d print guns now. They call them ghost guns because they're all plastic and don't set off a metal detector

 

[ChobaniFlipSmores]

You can 3d print guns now. They call them ghost guns because they're all plastic and don't set off a metal detector

This is correct. Biden recently (I think) had a press conference in which he addressed 3D printed Ghost guns.

 

[Suicide_Snail]

Ohhh, I know about this! Ghost guns are homemade guns that don't have serial numbers. The most common way to get them in the US is called an 80% kit. Basically the part of the gun called the receiver or frame is the only part of the gun legally considered a "gun". So you could order all the parts to make a glock brand handgun online (slide, barrel, lower parts, upper parts), and order an 80% receiver and that's not legally considered a gun because it's only 80% complete. You drill out some holes and mill out some places with a router or cut and sand it out with tin snips and a file or something, basically cutting out the remaining 20% of the plastic on the frame, and when you're done drilling, you legally have a gun. Now you put all the parts in it and it should work. It's not terribly difficult but you do need the tools, and it costs about the same as a regular pistol.

Alternatively, you can buy the parts and just 3D print the frame. If you have a printer this is easier, but printers are finnickey. This is functionally the same as an 80% frame.

Some ghost guns are all plastic and don't set off metal detectors, but these are usually small calibers, like .22, and they only work for one shot because they are destroyed on firing. Plus since they don't have a metal barrel, the bullets don't come out as fast as a real gun. The difference between the all plastic and an 80% gun is the 80% gun still has a metal slide, barrel and springs and is basically the same as a glock and can be fired as much as a normal gun. Basically there are two different types of ghost guns, one based on existing gun designs that uses existing gun parts, and one that's all plastic and undetectable. Fun fact: there's a law in the US that any gun, ghost gun or not, must have enough metal in it to set off a metal detector. Also in some states 80% frames are illegal.

 

[justsayin]

Are they reliable for any type of CTB?

The news notified you about ghost guns because it's the buzzword that journalists and politicians love to use.

Reliability of home made guns for any type of CTB is comparable to reliabilty of home made guillotines.

 

[Someone123]

What do you mean their purpose doesn't apply? Most guns are intended to inflict potentially lethal harm to a victim. This does that, without the roadblock that is obtaining said gun (age / mental and criminal background check / needing to actually talk to another human), so I don't particularly see how this doesn't apply. You can't just pick up a gun from your local gas station. And even if it were that simple, I'd rather have as few people know in real life about that type of purchase if I can just buy some tools online. At least, if I'm going by how the news made it out to be.
I'm not sold on SN, as I have heart conditions and don't want to experience a heart attack or anything similar even for a split second.
I'm not sold on partial given how many times it has failed for me.
If there is a better method, do tell.

When I meant their purpose doesn't apply, I meant the main purpose of ghost guns is to get away with murder essentially. Acquiring/possessing a ghost gun is illegal and you can go to prison for this, so it is much better to acquire a gun through legal means if at all possible- avoiding talking to anonther human being isn't worth this risk. If there is a background check issue that complicates things. For me the methods I am considering which I hope will be pretty reliable are either SN or full suspension- I am still learning more about both and haven't decided which to try first.