Has a ‘ghost gun’ ever been used in an actual criminal act...other than being a criminal by legislation...?
I saw one on a TV show so they must be pretty dang good. :-}
Ghost guns? From an article about the hand made firearms in India:
Illegal manufacturing started locally after government’s gun units gradually shut down after India’s independence, leading to several expert gunmakers becoming unemployed. Many of them secretly began manufacturing guns at their homes, teaching the craft to others and leading to the eventual proliferation of Munger’s underground industry. “With no jobs, what would our youth do if not make arms? In many villages, even children are trained in the craft. Pet to paalna hai na sabko (everyone needs to earn),” Shukla says. According to him, entire families and villages are involved, with incomes of upto 10-15 times of what they would otherwise earn. “A katta is sold for around Rs 5,000, a pistol for Rs 35,000 and a Beretta copy for Rs 80,000. I just buy from villagers and sell to big players at a margin.”
The returns are enormous for workers and suppliers alike. “Even if they sell a pistol for Rs 20,000 every week, their monthly income is Rs 70,000-80,000. Instead, if they work as an honest labourer, they’d earn just Rs 250 daily.” He says many young boys are now so skilled that they can make an AK-47 prototype just by looking at the design once, often ending up making guns that even legit Indian gun factories don’t. “You bring any Chinese gun or a even a Kalashnikov to them, and they can replicate it to be one as good as the original. People in Russia make AK-47s from machines. Here, we make it using our hands. Without any education.”