SCOTUS to Hear 'Ghost Guns' Case Next Term

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The Facts

  • The US Supreme Court agreed on Monday to take up the issue of whether the Biden administration can lawfully impose regulations on so-called ghost guns.

  • The case will be argued in the Supreme Court's next term, which begins in October, as both the Biden administration and challengers to its rule have asked for a definitive decision on the issue.


The Spin

Narrative A

Courts across the US have found that the White House and regulators have made up illegal rules against privately made guns to tighten gun control — and hopefully, the Supreme Court will decide the same way. Congress was fully aware of and expressly protected the long-established tradition of at-home gun-making in the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Narrative B

Whether you like it or not, the ATF does have the statutory grounds to enforce the Gun Control Act of 1968, which defines a firearm as any destructive device — including a combination of parts that can be readily converted to expel a projectile. Motivations for the rule and effectiveness may be questioned, but not its legality.


Metaculus Prediction