Being able to print a gun at home sounds like a ridiculous thing. However, as the tech era is taking over the world, printing a gun at home is possible for any gun enthusiast.
With the advancement in 3D-printing technology, the manufacturing process of guns has been quite accessible outside of the arms industry domain. So now, anyone anywhere can build a dreadful weapon. Keep reading to find out more about what they are and the controversy around them.
What Is a 3D Printed Gun?
A 3D printed gun is any firearm whose parts are manufactured in a 3D printer. All 3D guns don’t have the same structure, though. Some are made entirely with 3D printed parts, while others may require help from store-bought metal parts.
There are two ways to go about building a printed gun: Using a plastic 3D printing method or a metal 3D printing method. 3D Plastic guns are often sought out because they carry the reputation of improvised firearms that bypass gun control laws. However, 3D metal guns garner more attention since they have more space for innovation and design.
It is entirely possible to print a plastic gun with no metal parts, but the lives of these plastic 3D prints are short. Most people prefer to print a plastic frame of the gun and use metal parts and barrels.
Is It Legal to Make a 3D Gun At Home?
Are 3D guns legal to manufacture at home? The short answer is yes! The longer answer is complex and varies depending on your location.
The federal law in many states does not technically forbid the unlicensed manufacturing of firearms. Since 3D printers are still relatively new, laws surrounding printed firearms are yet to be properly shaped and implemented.
States are beginning to revisit the federal law and make amendments to it. For example, some states now require anyone manufacturing their guns to get a serial number from the state. In some states, you are also required to obtain a federal manufacturing license before proceeding to make your gun. Some states do not prohibit the manufacturing of 3D-printed guns but also do not permit their possession, purchase, or sale.
Are 3D Guns Dangerous?
As the world has progressed further into a technological revolution over the years, 3D printers are becoming cheaper than what they initially cost. That has led to more and more people having access to manufacturing their have firearms with little regulation. This is dangerous, and the threat posed by these firearms is also getting more and more real.
Another issue is that printing a gun requires extensive knowledge of how they work along with a proper design. Since not everyone is educated on guns, printing a gun can cause harm. There is a high potential for a 3D gun to explode, which can be pretty destructive and cause injuries. A minor mistake with the design may have dire consequences.
As more people have become gun owners, the risk of gun violence that society faces has risen. The more common 3D guns become, the more dangerous this concept will become. It will be much harder to implement gun regulation and implementation laws.
But all of this misses the point. Currently, 3D guns pose a threat to the people who make and use them. For instance, many firearms experts have noted that even the best of these guns might only fire a few shots before blowing up. It’s a hazard by design.
How Are 3D Guns Regulated?
Since 3D guns are not a very conventional invention, the laws needed to regulate them still don’t exist. Making new regulations definitely won’t be an easy task for various reasons. For example, there is no single way to manufacture these guns, which means it will be difficult to set a standard of manufacturing by law.
It is possible to make 3D guns entirely from plastic. That means they won’t be detectable by a metal detector, and preventing gun violence will get a lot harder.
In addition to all this, most states don’t require you to obtain a serial number from the government for your home-printed 3D gun, making it increasingly harder to track these guns. Legionary explains the importance of these serial numbers.
So, while laws are swiftly needed to regulate the use and distribution of 3D guns, the procedure to make these laws are tricky!
Final Thoughts
The world is advancing quicker than we can keep up with it. The creation of technology that allows you to print your gun at home is a new challenge. It requires quick action and regulations to ensure they won’t end up causing a catastrophe. But, until then, we can marvel at the magic of technological innovation that makes unimaginable things come to life!
