Is It Legal To 3d Print A Firearm? 3D Printing Gun Files/Gun 3D Printer Model

Is It Legal To 3d Print A Firearm? In the wake of a tragic shooting in Texas, there has been an increasing focus on the legality of 3d printing firearms.

While it is legal to make your own firearm at home, you can’t sell or distribute that design without going through the proper channels.

In this post, we’ll explore what’s allowed and not allowed when 3d printing guns in America.

If you’re looking for more information about gun control in general, please see our blog post “What does gun control mean?” which covers all types of firearms regulations.

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Is it legal to 3d print a firearm? (printing information)

According to federal law, people who make their own guns can use 3D printing. They need something in it like metal so that it is detectable by a metal detector. The person who builds the gun also needs a federal firearm license. It’s not just government officials seeing 3D-printed firearms, but others too.

The people who print guns need something in it like metal so that it is detectable by a metal detector. The person who builds the gun also needs a federal firearm license.

It’s not just government officials seeing 3D-printed firearms, but others too.

A person can make their own gun and they don’t need to go through the legal process of buying one. A person can print their own firearm but it has to be detectable with a metal detector like the law states.

Is It Legal To 3d Print A Firearm?

3D printed gun STL files

3D printed gun STL file downloads have been banned by the provider of Thingiverse, “The World’s First 3D Printing Community”, apparently in response to lobbying from anti-gun groups.

Defense Distributed announced the move via their Twitter account earlier today. The file-sharing website had long been a popular resource for users to share firearms-related 3D printable files.

According to their Twitter feed, Thingiverse informed DD of the decision to ban gun-related files in an email earlier this afternoon.

Preliminary reports on the internet appear to be indicating that anti-gun groups such as The Brady Campaign played a large role in influencing the decision. As of press time, Defense Distributed has not yet publicly stated what files specifically are banned under the change.

The move comes as a surprise to many who previously considered 3D printing and firearms-related file-sharing to fall well within the community guidelines of Thingiverse, with only adult-oriented material being prohibited.

I’ve reached out to Thingiverse for clarification on what specifically caused their decision and will report back when I know more.

Is It Legal To 3d Print A Firearm? (cre: thetrace)

3D printed gun accessories and 3D printed gun parts (newsprinters)

Does this disturb you?

Most people find the idea of a working, lethal firearm manufactured without human intervention disturbing and dangerous. Many people also find any kind of printing or manufacturing with digital files to be disturbing.

However, as we have seen from Defense Distributed’s success in printing a fully functional, lethal firearm, 3D printing is showing no signs of stopping.

What are these new 3D-printed gun accessories?

Many companies have announced plans to sell parts, mostly for AR-15s or 1911 handguns. Two of the most notable are Polymer80 and Solid Concepts. Solid Concept, whose work you might remember from their working metal gun, has released parts for AR-15s, one of which can be seen below.

Polymer80 has released the largest variety of parts but they have been criticized as being difficult to use and requiring some time and effort before they are ready to print. Solid Concepts ‘ products have been more favorably received with their 1911 grip, slide, and mag release seen below.

What are the laws surrounding 3D printed gun parts?

The manufacture of firearms using traditional methods is heavily regulated in every country except for the United States. While it’s possible to own most of these gun parts, they cannot be made or sold without being marked as a firearm which requires additional fees and registration.

This isn’t an issue with 3D printing because you can download or upload any file you wish so long as it does not come from a restricted source. There are always risks when dealing with files off the internet but this makes enforcement extremely difficult, especially if the potential penalties are low.

Is there anything stopping criminals from making their own guns?

Yes! Similar to building your own gun, all of these products require assembly to function properly. 3D printed gun parts are even less durable than traditional firearms so they will need to be taken to a licensed gunsmith who can drill holes for pins, polish feed ramps, etc.

The owner must also attach all of the metal components which requires either extensive knowledge or machinery that most people do not have access to. These steps make it nearly impossible for criminals to manufacture their own guns without being detected.

What should I know about these laws?

The United States has the highest rate of private firearm ownership in the world with 88.8 guns per 100 citizens. Very few other countries come close and Japan’s gun control laws are considered by many to be the strictest in the developed world (0.6 guns per 100 citizens ). Oddly enough, Japan also has the lowest gun crime rate in the world.

The United States’ main rival for firearm ownership is Switzerland at 45.7 guns per 100 citizens and a gun crime rate less than half that of the U.S . These statistics suggest that more guns do not lead to increased violence and that stricter regulation of firearms may actually reduce crimes involving firearms which we have seen with Australia’s strict laws on private ownership of weapons.

What else should you be aware of?

The legal battles over Defense Distributed’s 3D-printed gun were only the beginning. In fact, it is likely that any company or individual who releases files for printing or manufacturing will be subject to similar scrutiny from governments who fear the possibility of criminals bypassing traditional laws to print or manufacture their own guns.

3D printing itself is currently seen as the next threat to intellectual property. As technology continues to advance, it’s likely that gun control laws will become more complex and restrictive in an attempt to address new threats like 3D-printed firearms.

Is It Legal To 3d Print A Firearm? (cre: criminaldefenselawyer)

3D printed gun Liberator in a metal 3D printer

It is always the same story in the world of 3D printing. “You can finally print a gun,” proclaims an article in some media, and I have to say: That’s … not exactly right. What you do get when you use a 3D printer to make a gun is only part of a gun, which themselves are mechanical devices that consist of several interlocking parts.

Because people confuse these with each other from time to time, it tends to be pretty annoying after I’ve gone on at length about what you can’t do with a 3D printer – which isn’t much more than print small plastic trinkets – and what people actually propose doing instead of owning guns but wanting something they can print at home, like owning guns that work better than all the others.

I’m not going to do this again today, but I will touch on the topic of DIY gunsmithing in general.

The reason is simple: There’s a new wave of 3D-printed gun hype out there these days about the “Liberator” pistol by Defense Distributed (DD), which was designed by law student and radical anarchist Cody Wilson. It’s an interesting design for sure, but it also has some serious flaws – just like any other firearm ever made.

What actually happens when you put something into your shopping cart? You still don’t get what you think you bought!

For instance, the claim that Defense Distributed’s 3D-printed gun is “undetectable” is false. Fact is, all guns are detectable with suitable equipment.

Their Liberator isn’t any more “undetectable” than the many plastic guns already in commercial circulation, which have been produced using conventional injection molding techniques for decades.

That’s not really surprising – you can’t print something out of thin air. All 3D printers do is create an object by laying down successive layers of material until it’s finished.

Is It Legal To 3d Print A Firearm? (cre: Wikipedia)

Liberator owner created illegally in Germany – the law changed fast! (3d printed guns legal)

That obviously works only if there’s some starting material available – in this case, ABS plastic wire used by common FDM 3D printers (and also why this technology was chosen). This material is detectable. Mind you, so are the other gun components that go into making a firearm functional. It’s just that somebody has to invest money and effort into developing suitable equipment for this – something that people responsible for public security don’t want to do.

Defense Distributed claims to have done some testing with their 3D printed weapon, but testing small plastic guns isn’t exactly easy even if you do have proper equipment available (plastic weapons act differently than metal ones, after all). And they can only afford what might be called “semi-pro” gear (and usually not even that), like the cheapest possible portable mass spectrometer costing $15k. You’d also need at least two different models of that device to detect various forms of plastic (e.g., see the TSA’s screening procedures for air travel).

Then there’s also the issue that people can usually legally open-carry their weapons in most places, which pretty much eliminates any chance to use the “safety catches” on electronically monitored equipment to prevent anyone unauthorized from using it. You’d need expensive security cages covered with protective screens and other stuff like that – not exactly what you’d expect at your average pawn shop, nor something they could put up without investing a lot of money into a dedicated facility. Which would make the price of such a device prohibitively high … or would it? Not sure about that, but I’m getting off-topic here!

Let’s get back to the issue of whether or not Defense Distributed’s Liberator is undetectable as claimed.

Not only are there are still detectable with suitable equipment, but they also aren’t actually very good firearms. The proof of this fact is relatively easy to establish – just watch Cody Wilson shooting one on video!

Wow, that looked precisely like every other cheap semi-automatic handgun I’ve ever shot. Doesn’t say much about how well you could control it though … then again, what do I know about the recoil forces involved? Still, if you want a more scientific test of how controllable the Liberator really is (or rather isn’t), try shooting it at some fast-moving targets without ear protection and see if anybody complains afterward about the noise.

Conclusion

At the moment, 3D-printed firearms are not illegal.

However, it is important to remember that without federal approval for a firearm’s design and manufacture, they may be considered “undetectable weapons” by law enforcement.

This means that while you can legally own such a weapon in your home or business if you take it into an airport or other federally regulated area where metal detectors might be present (or even out of state), there could be consequences.

If you plan on purchasing one of these guns from abroad and want to make sure it won’t cause problems at the border when returning home after traveling internationally, consult with legal counsel before taking possession of this item.”

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