Facing mounting legal troubles, Polymer80 — once the largest U.S. manufacturer of kits for making homemade, untraceable “ghost guns” — has ceased operations, the Trace reports. “P80 was getting sued left and right. Probably twice a month,” said CEO, Loran Kelley Jr. “In order to be able to stop hemorrhaging we had to shut down and get some things in order.” The closure caps a stunning fall for a company that spurred the market for homemade firearms by selling kits with the parts, tools, and instructions for people to build handguns and AR-15-style rifles in their living rooms. Because buyers could purchase the kits without undergoing a background check, ghost guns quickly became a weapon of choice for criminals — putting Polymer80 in the crosshairs of law enforcement and policymakers. The increased scrutiny resulted in a barrage of lawsuits and restrictions that hurt the company’s bottom line.
Kelley indicated that the closure may only be temporary, saying he would be back “in some way shape or form.” As of last week, Polymer80’s website was down, and its phone appeared to be disconnected. Over the past two years, Polymer80 and its founders have reached legal settlements with Los Angeles, Baltimore and Philadelphia, agreeing to pay a combined $7.5 million and to stop selling ghost gun kits in California, Maryland, and parts of Pennsylvania. A court in Washington, D.C., ordered Polymer80 to halt sales in the capital and imposed more than $4 million in penalties, saying the company had made false and misleading claims about the legality of its products. Families who lost loved ones and officers shot on duty with a Polymer80 ghost gun have also sued. Kenyatta Johnson, president of the Philadelphia City Council, called Polymer80’s closure “a victory in our efforts to combat illegal gun use here.” In 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives imposed a rule requiring sellers of ghost gun kits to add serial numbers to some parts and conduct background checks on prospective buyers. At least 14 states and Washington, D.C., have also restricted ghost guns.
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