ATLANTA — Federal agents say they are seeing an increase in so-called ghost guns in metro Atlanta and across the country after a Decatur man was sentenced to life in prison for committing murder with one of the homemade firearms.

Brian Graves, assistant special agent in charge of ATF Atlanta, says privately made firearms are not illegal on their face and are sometimes made by hobbyists and enthusiasts.

Graves says the weapons have become more common in recent years as do-it-yourself kits have become more available and the use of 3D printing has expanded.

“In the last seven years they have become a little bit more common. They’re being used by sometimes enthusiasts, hobbyists; they want to make their own and in some instances there are some of those guns that are being obtained because some criminals do not want that firearm linked back to them,” Graves said.

ATF received reports of about 45,000 ghost guns between 2016 and 2021, followed by more than 25,000 reported in 2022 alone. Graves says that availability could contribute to the numbers continuing to increase.

“You can only imagine from that time period those numbers are going to increase, just because of the availability of those kits and the explosion of the usage of 3D printing,” Graves said.

Graves says some 3D printers can produce the frame of a firearm in as little as 30 minutes.

“We would bring in a 3D printer and just show like in 30 minutes I can make you frame, it’s kind of that easy,” Graves said.

Federal agents say some privately made firearms can also be printed in multiple colors, causing them to resemble toys.

“Some probably made firearms don’t look like firearms, they look like toys,” Graves said.

Graves says about 700 ghost guns reported during one seven-year period were connected to attempted or actual homicides.

ATF is training law enforcement agencies about the weapons and how easily they can be made. Graves says the agency is particularly concerned about criminals and people prohibited from having firearms obtaining them illegally.

Graves says some criminals seek out the weapons specifically because they do not want a firearm connected to them.

“The main purpose of one of these folks trying to obtain one of these firearms is so that the firearm will not be linked to them, and it won’t be linked to anybody else,” Graves said.

WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Veronica Waters contributed to this story.