WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Friday released a proposed rule that would broaden the definition of a firearm, requiring some gun-making kits to include a serial number. The notice of proposed rulemaking, made public Friday, comes several weeks after President Joe Biden promised a crackdown on “ghost guns.” Those are homemade firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them and are often purchased without a background check. For years, federal and local law enforcement officials have been sounding the alarm about what they say is a loophole in federal firearms law, allowing people who are generally prohibited from owning guns to obtain them by making the weapons themselves.
