-
Privacy Invasion: New York State Police’s door-to-door checks based on eBay pistol part purchases raise serious privacy concerns.
-
Misguiding Guide: NYPD’s leaked “ghost gun” handbook, riddled with legal inaccuracies, unintentionally becomes a detailed DIY firearm-making manual.
-
Unwitting Advertising: NYPD’s guide inadvertently promotes gun part manufacturers and DIY firearm assembly, including 3D printing and CNC machining details.
New York State declared war on citizens making their own firearms. To crack down on privately manufactured firearms (PMF), the New York State Police (NYSP) are showing up in force at people’s doors. The reason for the informal visit seems to be an inquiry related to purchased pistol parts from the website eBay. Ammoland News has learned from Law Enforcement Sources that the New York Police Department released a “ghost gun” handbook explaining PMFs and how to identify them.
Two weeks ago, NYSP “Ghost Gun” Team members began visiting citizens in the New York City area requesting information about parts purchased from eBay. The parts were purchased from multiple sellers across the auction platform.
Most disturbing, the officers had printouts of everything purchased by the individuals from the website, leading to the question of how the State Police came into possesion the item list.
When the officers show up at New York residents’ doors, they show up in force with between nine and twelve officers. Only two to three officers will speak to the person while the others stand far back in the yard looking bored. The police will ask about the parts and ask to see any firearms that the resident owns. The New York Police are knocking on doors requesting to see the individual’s firearms.
AmmoLand News spoke to several of the residents that the State Police visited. None of the individuals allowed the police to inspect their firearms. The officers would state, “We know what you have.” When the residents still refused to hand over any information, the State Police let them know they could turn in anything violating New York law to the State Police. None of the residents we spoke to were threatened with legal action, and the interactions were between five and fifteen minutes.
Could eBay be handing over private transaction information to the police?
Since the task force had a complete list of the items purchased on eBay, eBay is the most likely source for the information. AmmoLand News reached out to both the New York State Police and eBay, but neither would confirm or deny what information was shared. All interactions AmmoLand News was able to track down are from the greater New York City area. We also have not identified any visits within the city’s five boroughs.
At the same time the New York State Police are going door to door, the New York Police Department (NYPD) released a handbook to identify “ghost guns.”
This guide was leaked to AmmoLand News but is now being widely circulated across the internet.
The guide comes from the NYPD Intelligence Division and aims to help officers identify PMFs. Although the intention is to help police identify PMFs, it reads like a “how-to guide” to firearms building. It lists all the parts needed, where to get them, and examples of homemade guns.
The guide lists a gun’s parts and gives an example of a lower receiver. According to the guide, “all lower receivers need to be serialized” because the federal government considers them firearms. Next to this statement is a picture of an 80% AR-15 receiver. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Final Rule on frame and receiver is very clear on this topic.
The ATF has never and still does not consider 80% AR-15 receivers to be firearms.
The document also incorrectly states that all lower receivers must be serialized under federal law. Once again, the document is incorrect. The ATF says a frame or receiver must only be serialized when transferred. According to federal law, it is legal to have an unserialized firearm unless it previously had a serial number. Many are concerned that these inconsistencies between the law and the guide could lead to false arrests. AmmoLand News contacted the individual contacts listed in the document to see if the misinformation would be corrected, but none responded.
The guidebook calls out several manufacturers, including Polymer80, Glock Store, Strike Industries, 80 Percent Arms, Lone Wolf, Geisler, and JSD Supply. The guide includes a handy list of the companies’ websites and their products.
In addition to those retailers, the guide also covers the Ghost Gunner. The Ghost Gunner is a tabletop CNC machine that allows users to mill a firearm. It also lists the sites that sell the device and shows a picture of the founder of Ghost Gunner and Defense Distributed, Cody Wilson. The document references Defcad, which is another Defense Distributed project.
AmmoLand News spoke to Cody Wilson, who found the New York Police Department handbook to identify “ghost guns” document hilarious. He believes it is an excellent advertisement for his company.
“New York has produced the best getting started guide on the market,” Wilson said. “We will be emailing it to all of our customers.”
The document also explains how to 3D print a gun. It breaks down the printers needed, including the Creality Ender 3, and lists the filament types. It also gives an overview of the most popular slicing software. A current bill in the New York Legislature would require background checks to purchase a 3D printer.
The document also lists the most popular sites for downloading “gun CAD” files. Even if someone were to download the files, they would be unable to turn that 3D-printed model into a working firearm without certain parts. Fortunately for the building community, the NYPD documentation lists the parts and links to sites selling everything a person could use to finish the homemade firearm.
Oh No! Crypto!
The documentation touches on Glock switches purchased off of Chinese sites. These are auto sears and turn a regular Glock into a machine gun. In addition to auto sears, the document also worries about importing solvent traps to make suppressors.
The handbook also states they will attempt to get postal data to track shipments. The NYPD will also try to get Micro Center and Amazon data to track 3D printers and supply purchases. The police attend gun shows in other states to follow the selling of firearms parts.
The document also states that many who print guns are involved in cryptocurrency. The NYPD points to several gun-part retailers that accept BitCoin as a payment option. Many non-gun sites accept cryptocurrency as payment.
It also lists items to look for when executing a search warrant. These include packages, pre-paid credit cards, invoices, gun parts, storage locker keys, 3D printers, flash drives, cell phones, and micro SD cards.
The NYPD will offer a one-hour class to officers to help them identify PMFs. The content of the class has yet to be released, but when made available by the department, AmmoLand News will publish it.
Neither the NYPD, NYSP, nor eBay responded to requests for comment for this story.
LEAKED: Ghost Guns: Past, Present, and Future NYPD Intelligence Division Major Case Field Intelligence
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist; he has written about firearms and interviewed people of all walks of life. Mr. Crump lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
WOW. The Empire State becomes the Police State !!!
Did Ebay volunteer to give seller records to NY State Police now better described as KGB, or was Lawfare used by the KGB to strong arm Ebay, and perhaps Amazon ? Or were Credit Card companies or Pay Pal squeezed for information ?
I hope Ammoland remains focused on this story, because if true, engaging in legal commerce makes one a suspect in crimes they did not commit. Consumers must know which companies are now patsies of the Police State.
Actually, since all of those companies are run by hard lefties, I expect they couldn’t comply fast enough. Be careful where you buy, and the trail you leave.
Cash is king!
It doesn’t matter, once you have your UNIVERSAL Get Out Of Jail For Free Card! If you cannot be guaranteed that you will actually get a fair trial, then why bother with one at all? Look up and read my paper about that magical card, and then tell me where and why I am wrong in any way!
The Empire State has earned its name. Post NYSRPA v. Bruen, the tantrum laws passed under Empress Hochul and the NY legislature are how the “Empire Strikes Back”. 😉
I had the same thought. In fact, Hochul even looks like the Emperor.
Not quite as good looking, though! 🙂
Pogo got it right all those years ago: We have met the enemy, and he is us.
Exactly. Our parents, and their parents, and us… we all let this happen. And now, as a result of all of us looking the other way for decades, we’ll need to fight King George off all over again.
We are our own worst enemies. So far…. but this time we might wise up! So it’s all good. 🙂
Yes, we WILL get it right this time, if enough of us use our UNIVERSAL Get Out Of Jail For Free Card and drive the 100% corrupted legal system out of business!!
well now, first the gestapo(NY police) want to inspect your legal firearms. what will they want to see next or what will they take next. certainly your guns then maybe your food or jewelry. maybe even your life? better stop these illegal actions while you still can. do it now, stop it
When they seize your memory sticks, don’t be surprised if they “find” kiddie porn on them.
As the war of the NYS politicians and bureaucrats against the citizens continues.
Here’s to hoping they knock on the wrong door.
I think that you mean the right door, there! The one with the Grim Reaper standing behind it!! Come on dowwwnn!!
Typically NYC. Where you can be killed by law enforcement for selling untaxed cigarettes’.
They were taxed, but being sold individually, that was the no-no. A tax was paid upon the package of coffin nails, unless they were stolen before they left the factory.
Shocking! Democrats have the US back involved in wars, in three short years.
1st thing US presidents do is an airstrike on Syria where we are illegally occupying and stealing oil .
Feb 26, 2021 — WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered airstrikes on buildings in Syria that the Pentagon said were used by Iranian-backed
Horse puckey.
The primary reason I volunteered for Iraq in 2004 was the expectation we would keep the Iraqi oil fields, but we did not. Our politicians dont have the stones.
I’m already familiar with most of the information and websites this handy little handbook has in it, but I had never heard of Matrixprecisionparts.com. Upon checking them out I gotta say thank you to the NYPD for providing yet another great resource I can use in the future. Keep up the great work gents!
No sir. I reside closer to the 60th Parallel. To hot for me down there.
Oldvet…Thank you for your service and sacrifice. I too found myself enduring a summer at Lackland followed by a year at Sheppard. Best time of my life!
96
Holy crap, I missed that one, thanks! Never heard of that company. Great, now I have to swing a kit!
Meanshile,as these dirty coppers are busking diir to door in large groups, violent crime, arson, murder, carjackings, continu to increase almost monthly. And they wan MORE taxpyer sacrifices to “expand their force” in nubers? This whole charade is prof they need no more money from their subjects.
Typical powermongering and sandbagging on the public dollar. T’row da bums OUTT
And the best way to throw them out of power, is to just expose the crimes they commit!! And I mean ALL of their crimes, not just the obvious drug and alcohol related ones, or the spousal and child abuses, or thefts of private property, EVERYTHING that they do while on the clock is a crime of some kind or other!! Expose EVERY crime that they commit and then they lose their pretense of power and authority, unless they’re given a free pass to commit crimes upon society!!
My spidey sense tells me all this is doing is creating or making stronger the black market for guns, parts, and ammo. People that want guns will have them.
I applaud the people that refused to give the Nazi’s at their door what they wanted.
Oregoneistan
The Wright Flyer was not a very good airplane. But it did demonstrate what was possible and allowed both of the Wright Brothers to become competent pilots. Within a few short years, following the path started at Kitty Hawk, NC, Fokker Eindekers were patrolling the skies over the trenches of WWI. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_E.I Similarly, the Creality Ender 3, mentioned in NY’s beginner’s handbook, right out of the box, is not the best printer for printing firearms. It’s “hot end” and printing bed can handle temperatures required for printing in PLA or ABS plastics, but not the higher temperatures needed to work… Read more »
The progression of aviation technology has always fascinated me. The idea that a young man born the year Billy the Kid (allegedly) died later observed the Wight brothers, followed a decade later by biplanes, a decade after that, light alloy skinned monoplanes; followed by the high performance piston driven fighters of WWII, jet fighters in production by 1945-1947, even the SR-71 by the late 1950’s. An unbelievable pace of technology.
This is a fantastic article!! The irony is rich. I don’t need ghost guns because I bought everything legal and don’t need any more guns. But if I needed another gun and the budget required that I get one on the cheap I would likely try something listed in the instruction booklet the NYPD was kind enough to provide for us all. California residents should consider that their state tyrants in Sacramento have drawn up and passed as law unique restrictions, limitations and requirements on this topic that depart from some of the things described in the article. It gets… Read more »
PMFs are not inexpensive. By the time you purchase the materials and tools for the privately made portion plus all the parts that you can’t easily make, the cost will exceed a store bought firearm. But that’s not the reason for PMFs.
There is this concept called amortization that you need to become familiar with. No one is going to go through all of that trouble to make just one gun, and then set the machine in some dark corner of the basement and forget about it.
@Logician, Amortization really only applies to business or if you are concerned with overhead cost per unit. With (now/temporarily banned) kits, the overall cost per glocksimile is higher than buying one OTC. The few simple tools required, your overhead, are not worth amortization. If you are finishing the simple milling on an aluminum 80% AR lower, the cost of the jig and uncommon tools are maybe a couple hundred dollars that one would likely ‘amortize’ over a handful of units but overall cost will usually still be greater than any lower cost item from an FFL. Now if you invest… Read more »
You are wrong about it applying only to businesses. To wit, I bought a saw chain sharpener for just a bit over $40.00 one day. I took it home, set it up, and sharpened 5 saw chains with it. When I worked in a lawn care and saw shop, we charged $8-$12 per chain, depending upon it’s size, so with those 5 chains, the sharpener paid for itself the very first day! Since then, we have used it a lot, and the cost savings are several times over what I paid for the tool about 20 years ago now. We… Read more »
As I said, ” @Logician, Amortization really only applies to business or if you are concerned with overhead cost per unit.” If your time is free, your chainsaw sharpening is a bargain. If you enjoy doing it, the value of your time or the money saved is inconsequential. And if you just enjoy saving money then it’s worth the time and you are concerned with cost per unit. With an unserialized firearm, the ‘authorities’ can’t knock on your door asking for it. Every time an FFL closes shop their bound books get turned in. The ATF is running them through… Read more »
So to counter their illegal efforts, is to just take away the cudgel that they use to beat us about the head and shoulders! And THAT is the legal system! The laws that are passed are no good at all to anyone, just words on some paper or in a computer, if there’s no means to enforce those laws! As I have stated here many times now, when we expose the crimes of the legal system, it loses ALL of its pretended power and authority! Please point out to me my obligation to be made a victim of someone’s crimes!… Read more »
The officers would state, “We know what you have.”
THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE? Get off my property unless you have a warrant.
I don’t use ebay or PayPal anymore. I had money stolen from PayPal and stopped using them on the advice of my attorney
Why would anyone use microcenter or spamazon? Plenty of other places to buy supplies.
4O acres and two dozen hogs takes care of that.
So it appears that the underlying issue is that the strictures put in place to license FFLs selling manufactured items no longer apply in a world where anyone can build a gun and illicitly sell it. That means that traditional restrictions on sales of weapons to criminals, such as the sales channel being licensed FFLs, and the NICS check/4473 process, are utterly neutered as a means to prevent firearms falling into the hands of criminals. Of course, these processes are already neutered, in that the majority of guns used in crime are stolen or – for drug gangs – smuggled… Read more »
But the bottom line in all of this here, is that the totally criminal and corrupted legal system is the glue that holds it all together!! Get rid of that glue, and it all falls apart right in front of you! Just demand to see your written guarantee of actually getting a fair trial in a thoroughly corrupted legal system, and also a written guarantee that no mistakes will be made in the fake trial! How can those things be provided to us? If they are not, then that means every “trial” is either a gamble or a scam of… Read more »
Thanks NYPD a great resource, some companies I hadnt heard of too!
I’m sorry, but the doc you linked specifically says that unfinished receivers do not need a serial number on page 3.
https://www.ammoland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/NYPD-Ghostguns.pdf