SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Ghost guns, or privately made firearms (PMFs), are guns that have no serial number or modifications that make them illegal to sell, or in some cases, own.

According to the Savannah Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), they’re being made and used more frequently in the Savannah area.

In February, a Savannah man was arrested for manufacturing and trading illegal guns, and a Richmond Hill man was indicted for manufacturing a firearm without a license.

According to the ATF, between 2017-2021 in Georgia, there were 250 traces of recovered ghost guns or PMFs.

Between 2022-2023, that number more than doubled.

Chris Mickle, owner of C&B Quality Coatings and a licensed gunsmith, told what some of those illegal modifications look like.

“It’s legal for me to own but it’s not legal for regular people to own because they didn’t manufacture it properly,” he said, explaining an add-on component that can switch a firearm between semi-automatic and fully automatic.

The magazine of a fully automatic weapon can be emptied within seconds according to ATF.

In fact, the Resident Agent in charge of ATF Savannah Group 1, said that even possessing the conversion device itself without attaching it to a gun can be illegal. Mickle echoed that sentiment.

“In reality, it’s very uncontrollable. So, when you do shoot it, it’s everywhere,” Mickle said.

Any modification to create a fully automatic weapon is illegal, but regulations become more complicated when it comes to guns that are custom built from kits, often called 80 percents.

“It’s plenty legal to make if you want to keep it and you want to own it. It is not legal if you want to sell it,” Mickle said.

Guns made from kits often don’t have serial numbers, which is why you can’t sell them.

However, any gun that’s sold without a serial number is illegal because it can’t be traced back to the person who purchased it.

If you’ve purchased a weapon that doesn’t have a serial number, ATF asked that you to go through a federal firearms licensee to register the weapon.