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3D Printed Guns: Game Changer or Fad?

3D Printed Guns

In 2013, a Texas man successfully test fired a gun he built using parts mostly created with a 3D printer. Immediately following his test, he posted the electronic plans for the gun on his website, DEFCAD.com. The federal government quickly stepped in, however, and ordered the site be shutdown citing an obscure international trade law violation. Thus began the battle over the access to 3D printed guns.

A Short History of 3D Printed Guns

The man is Cody Wilson – a self proclaimed libertarian and anarchist who founded the company Defense Distributed in an effort to engage “in the research, design, development, and manufacture of products and services for the benefit of the American rifleman”. In 2012 Wilson began the search for plans for building a 3D printed gun in an effort to “undermine the powers of traditional liberal institutions”.

3D PrinterWhat is a 3D printed gun? To avoid a much too complex and technical answer, here’s the short version: A computer takes a 3D CAD file for some kind of object and then sends that file to a 3D printer. The 3D printer then (typically) melts some type of plastic or polymer and places it on a surface where the plastic is then added in multiple thin layers whereby creating a physical object. 3D printers are commercially available ranging in cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

After the federal government shut Wilson’s website down he did not give up on his effort. In 2015 he filed a lawsuit against the government claiming that they violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and free press. His argument is that while the information he was publishing was in fact plans for building 3D printed guns – it was still just information – and therefore should not be censored. Rather than see the case through to trial, the government settled with Wilson and his website was back online August 1 of this year. Several states have filed injunctions, however, preventing the site from posting its files.

Those who argue that 3D printed guns are a bad idea usually offer the following arguments:

  1. Accountability – A gun made by an individual with a 3D printer is untraceable thereby making it impossible to track or confiscate
  2. Accessibility – Putting the plans for 3D printed guns online makes it too easy for anyone to get a gun
  3. Detection – A gun made of plastic cannot be detected by metal detectors and therefore can allow people with guns into sensitive public areas

Let’s look at these three arguments and see which are grounded in verifiable fact and which are more panic that practical.

Ghost Guns

A gun that cannot be traced or detected does sound scary. Indeed the tales of such firearms have been around since the 1960’s – in comic books, movies and television – not in history or science books.

Porcelain Gun“That punk pulled a Glock 7 on me. You know what that is? It’s a porcelain gun made in Germany. Dosen’t show up on your airport X-ray machines here, and it cost more than you make in a month.”

Those words were uttered by John McClane in Die Hard 2. Of course if it was said it in a movie, than it must be true. Right? Wrong. Very, very wrong. A Glock 7 never existed. It is simply made up for entertainment purposes. Also, Glock is an Austrian gun manufacturer. An all polymer functioning firearm has never been accomplished. Although the Soviets claimed to have created a polymer pistol called the Troika in the 1970s, no evidence has ever been found to suggest this was true. While individuals, companies and even governments have tried to accomplish such a task, it has yet to be accomplished.

That being said, a firearm made by an individual using homemade parts is – for all intents and purposes – untraceable. Consider this, however: a gun manufactured by an individual for that individual’s use is not an illegal gun. So while most people don’t have the materials or skill to build a traditional firearm with metal it is legal to do so. It always has been. Therefore while creating a gun with a 3D printer and plastic is new, it also is not illegal. In that sense, ghost guns do exist. They have for a very long time.

How Easy Is It to Make a 3D Printed Gun?

In essence, all you need to make a 3D printed gun is a 3D printer, a computer and the polymer material used to feed the printer (essentially the printer’s ink). So at a glance, yes, anyone can now print and own 3D printed guns as long as they can afford those items. Let’s look at it in more detail, though. 3D printers are now available for as little as a few hundred dollars. There are more expensive ones that cost a few thousand dollars that print with more precision using more expensive and stronger polymers. Even more precise 3D printers cost tens of thousands of dollars with materials promising to be as strong as steal.

All that being said, let’s look at this practically. Let’s say I’m a bad person who wants to do something bad and I want a gun to do it. Option one: Spend $5000 on a computer and a 3D printer. Watch hours of YouTube videos to figure out how to get the software and the materials I need to print a 3D gun and to put it together. Go out and do my bad thing hoping that I built my gun right so it doesn’t explode in my face. Option two: buy an illegal gun off the street for a couple hundred dollars. Option three: steal a gun. If you were a bad guy which option would you choose?

3D Printed Guns Are NOT All Plastic

BulletsYou read that correctly. A 3D printed gun does not contain only plastic. In order for the gun to function there are two pieces required that are made of metal: the firing pin and the ammunition. There is currently not a polymer available for 3D printers that is strong enough to fire a bullet. Therefore, the firing pin has to be created from some kind of metal. As also mentioned, the ammunition is made of metal – typically 2 or 3 types of metal actually. The casing is most likely brass, the slug is made from lead and if its a jacketed round it is probably covered in copper. All three are detectible by a metal detector.

So, where does that leave us? Well, ghost guns exist and just about anyone can make one. Who will though? The curious? Maybe. People who want to see if something can be done might try it but should we fear them? Probably not. Who does that leave? Criminals? Most likely not. It’s just not practical or cost-effective. Children? Maybe a few. I would venture to say that in those cases I think bad parenting is more a problem than the plastic gun. Even then, the “children” that do make one still have to get ammunition to do anything with it.

At the end of the day 3D printed guns are hardly a “crisis” and they don’t change the first or second amendments. Like 3D TVs plastic guns are at best an oddity and a fad. It is highly doubtful that they will overarchingly change the world as we know it.

 

Images copyright: DEFCAD, Aleph Objects Inc., The Mary Sue

 

Aug 7, 2018G. Miles
The New Gun Control Argument: What Does It Mean to Have More Gun Control?
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  24. Steven DuClercque
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    Gun control is nothing more than a Dictators or totalitarians control shining thru. It is said throughout history that an unarmed public keeps a dictator happy. Because who can stand up to injustice if they are unarmed. Our constitutional rights were created to ensure that our rights wouldn’t be pissed on by our government.(that’s happening right now, stage 1. The removal of firearms from citizen control.) First there’s the propaganda. All the crimes that are committed with the use of firearms. Now I am a victim of a crime committed with the use of a firearm. But it was not the firearms fault that it was used. Now sure if the shooters at Columbine hadn’t had guns how many kids would have died or been hurt? Less, more? Now if those 2 had focused more on explosives, I feel that the toll would have been much higher. I use the school because it’s a very serious incident, and every American knows about it. It is also used as a argument by a totalitarian gov. Trying to get total control. But not only was the rights to bare arms ratified to keep our gov. Honest. It was also written to keep foreign boots off our soil. (TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY FREE, DEMOCRATIC, AND AMERICAN) now we have the right to vote, but does it even count? NO! The president is brought into office by electoral votes. Not your vote. (look up electoral voting process) I could get deeper into what’s wrong with our gov. But just look at who’s playing POTUS…… CHUMP NMP. I am not an activist nor am I a leader of any group that is anti American. I love my country I have had and shed blood for the freedoms of all humans regardless of race or flag. The original rights of all AMERICANS the right to be free, and happy. To make the choices that lead their lives, down the path they so choose. To follow the dreams of their abilitys. And to seek happiness as long as it did not infringe upon others rights nor violated laws of state or gov. What’s going on today in my beloved country I cannot speak of (in open forum)because of an oath I took. So I claim NMP. He may Not be My President as far as I’m concerned. But this is still my country. We still have some rights just not the rights we used to have. Soon we will only have the rights of all sheep. Out of sight out of mind. In this curent police run state. Where marshal law is running the show, the Law can do and say as they so please. No one is watching the watchers. And human rights are being pissed on for the all powerful glory of a bigger bank account. The county I live in the judicial system is based on the $. Judjment is based on howmuch you can pay.not on guilt. Sentance is however they can profit the most from it. Control is law. And the law requires absolute control here. It only takes saying “I know my rights” to be classed as dissident or disruptive influance. I am an airgun enthusiast. I love shooting targets. (Targets dont bleed) and I’ve seen enough red to disrupt my dreams. So airguns was a viable solution since I was born armed and my first kill was 5, hunting was my life. The military guided my skills to a razor’s edge. But after painting my memories in red I choose no more. Even bugs have a right to life that superceded my desire to squash them. But the joy in targeting a perfect shot, just cant be beat with a hook stitch. So airguns. But in today’s police state a gun is a gun is a potential threat to police dominance. I dont like being dominated! Nor do I like being bullied. When they take away your guns they take away your power to be a FREE AMERICAN. FREE OF TOTAL SUBSERVIANCE TO THE ONES WITH THE GUNS!
    My name is Steven Duclercque I have no shame , nothing to hide so I give my name. Till they silence me I hope it gets heard.

    ReplyCancel

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G. Miles
6 years ago 24 Comments Blog, Educational, Guns & Politics, In the NewsDefense Distributed, education, guns, in the news, media, plastic guns, politics680
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