from Hacker News

California school shooting shines light on murky 'ghost gun' world

by motiw on 11/27/19, 5:45 AM with 55 comments

  • by Rebelgecko on 11/28/19, 4:29 AM

    Why are journalists writing about guns so bad? I don't want to totally derail the thread by going down the "fake news" rabbit hole, but when an article about something I'm marginally knowledgeable about has huge inaccuracies, it makes me wonder: is it just difficult to fact-check this particular topic? Or are all news articles equally untrustworthy and I'm just not informed enough to realize it?

    Anyways, literally the first sentence of the article is false[1]. Self-made firearms in California are required to have a serial number, must be put into the state registry (a somewhat byzantine process), and are illegal to resell[2]. In other words, the gun is either legal OR untraceable. It can't be both at the same time.

    [1]: https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/consu...

    [2]: For ones manufactured after 2018, your family can't even inherit them when you die— they have to be surrendered to the police for destruction. If you have a relative you really don't like, you should definitely bequeath them your homemade guns— there's a non-zero chance they'll end up in prison for possession.

  • by pmoriarty on 11/28/19, 4:24 AM

    As technology advances and information gets more and more effectively disseminated, not just guns but weapons of all types (including chemical and biological weapons, drone-mounted and robot-mounted weapons, poisons, explosives, etc) will become easier and easier for DIY enthusiasts to manufacture at home or from kits.

    I'm not sure what can be done about this, ultimately, short of turning society in to a completely totalitarian surveillance state where everyone's actions are fully monitored and controlled by the state and there is effectively no privacy.

    Those who are trying to control technology are fighting a losing battle.

  • by ndesaulniers on 11/28/19, 4:09 AM

    Typically a gun assembled from parts would still have the lower receiver stamped with an ID.

  • by gddvhy on 11/28/19, 4:27 AM

    1. Why did he do that? 2. Wait. What registrations? The Constitution clearly forbids any kind of gun registries.