It's always been legal to manufacture a firearm for personal use in the US, as long as you comply with the NFA 1934, GCA 1968 - meaning no restricted classes of firearms (automatic, suppressed, short barreled rifles/shotguns. Restrictions only come into play when you wish to sell them. Fear of home built weaponry used for evil looks to be a result of going out of your way to find something to be afraid of or the search for sensational storylines for ratings ("Tonight!!, 10 things in your home that may kill you....Details at 10" ). After all, you can go to the hardware store, buy some gas pipe, a spring and some fittings and build a zip gun in your garage in an afternoon – it won't be as effective as a pump shotgun but to paraphrase your own words: it only takes one round to kill. How about the fact that you can buy a black powder revolver without all the paperwork of a cartridge firearm? I guess the public is not as likely to be riled up over the availability of metal working tools that is being stirred up in the area of 3d printing.
The Undetectable Firearms law is perhaps the finest example of this level of silliness. This law was written after it was revealed that Libya had purchased an order of Glock pistols in the 1980's. This resulted in ignorant press featuring hysterical stories of "plastic guns that were invisible to airport xrays". Of course, the Glock showed up just fine on xrays since they contain a considerable amount of steel but still, Congress leapt into action to pass a law against something that does not exist. I'm still waiting for them to pass laws banning concealable rail guns or pocket plasma weapons.
The future tech of printing out useable objects is fascinating. However, by the time someone figures out how to 3d print a barrel capable of holding realistic pressures involved in pushing out a projectile at lethal velocities, the public will quite probably be more worried about the availability of Han Solo's blaster than antiquated firearms technology.
Thanks for covering this. The danger is more evident than some may realize, since 3D printing of metals has been around for a long time. Even if it can't yet be done in the strength required for guns, that's probably not so far away, since NASA is developing 3D printing technologies for making rocket engine parts http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1392&doc_id=254513
It's not as though criminals have any difficulty obtaining firearms in the U.S., even in jurisdictions that have very tough gun laws. I strongly doubt that many criminals will go to the trouble of using 3D printers to make guns, when they can get guns so easily already.
Growing up in Chicago, I used to sweep bullet casings off the sidewalk in front of a community center where I was a volunteer. I lost two friends to gun violence before I graduated from high school. This was in a city that had a total ban on handguns.
When my dad was growing up in rural Michigan, there was a gun in every home, yet shootings were unheard of.
We would be wiser to focus on the causes of violence, rather than on access to firearms. I don't think 3D printing hobbyists are our biggest problem.
I couldn't agree more with popuptarget. I know several people who have fully automatic weapons they made illegally... without a 3D Printer. Let's face it, it is far easier and less expensive to get the parts you need for your automatic weapon from other sources, 3D printing them is done strickly for fun. Let's not get too carried away with this story, after all, no matter what you invent, some idiot will find some illegal, immoral, or dangerous way to use it.
It is always the object that kills and never the responsibility of the user? So politicians consume political clout to villify the object and the person that pulled the trigger is a victum of the 'gun' culture.
The printing of any object should be interesting and worthwhile. However, trying to repeel open and honest research of legal persons and the subjugation of such will lead to hidden and subversive research from persons of questionable goals. I would rather see this in the open.
Yes, anyone with a machine shop can make gun parts. But that requires a lot of investment in time, money, and learning. With 3D printers, they are very inexpensive and require very little skill to operate. Load the optimized file and hit "GO." I think the main issue is accessibility.
I am also from Chicago, and (illegal) guns are very easy to come across. But with printed parts, no one ever has to know what you are up to. Sometimes... the law enforcement can stop illegal street sales of firearms. But, will they bust someone for having a 3D printer? Doubtful.
@Cabe: Organized crime has no problem operating chop shops for stolen cars, so I don't think they'd have any problem making receivers for firearms, if they were so inclined. They probably already have the equipment. An AK-47 receiver is a relatively simple stamping. If there were money in making them, they'd be doing it already.
Right now, it's so easy for organized criminals to get illegal weapons that they have no motivation to make them themselves. I don't see this situation changing in the near future.
I could be wrong, but I don't think gangs are going to be buying up 3D printers anytime soon.
Ho flippin' Hum. Can we get back to covering ENGINEERING and DESIGN issues and quit playing with milky-toast lamby-pie leftist political worries?? I am not joking. Every engineer & designer I know [roughly 250] really find this kind of article/commentary a complete waste of 1's and 0's. B O R I N G and Irrelevant. Grow up already.
The 3D printing revolution seems to have a knack for quickly moving technology ahead by way of collaborative effort and even a little friendly competition -- all of course in the name of scientific advancement.
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