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Federal and local lawmakers are scrambling to regulate a weapon that is on the rise in communities across the nation.

Privately-made firearms called 'ghost guns' have gained national attention in recent years as they increasingly show up at crime scenes, school shootings and in the hands of criminals.

The guns look and operate like ones purchased at gun stores, but a few key differences allow felons to own them and make it harder for police to solve crimes involving them.

Nationwide, these guns have nearly tripled the last few years.

As officials scramble to catch up, loopholes in regulation remain; leading to the opportunity for more of these untraceable weapons to make a mark on our streets, undermining efforts across the country to curb gun violence.