Sharjah24 – AFP: President Joe Biden on Monday announced new measures cracking down on so-called "ghost guns" with an executive order to increase restrictions on the difficult-to-trace weapons that can be assembled at home.

At a White House gathering that brought together families and loved ones of shooting victims, Biden said the number of "ghost guns" reported by the police had increased tenfold between 2016 and 2021.

While stressing he was not opposed to the right to bear arms as allowed for in the Second Amendment to the constitution, Biden criticized the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby for having described his proposal as "extreme."

"Is it extreme to protect police officers, extreme to protect our children?... It isn't extreme, it's basic, common sense," said the US leader, who handled one of the weapon kits in front of the cameras to demonstrate how the gun could be assembled in minutes.

The new rule demands that weapons part kits that can be assembled into a working firearm will be subject to the same requirements as commercially available, fully assembled guns, administration officials said.

For example, dealers selling "ghost gun" kits will now have to conduct a background check on prospective buyers.