3D-printed firearm
3D-printed parts complicate the debates regarding high-capacity magazine and assault weapon bans, as well as federal regulations like the ATF's pistol brace rule.
In May 2013, the American company Defense Distributed published plans for the first complete firearm that could be downloaded and reproduced by anyone with a desktop 3D printer.
[9][10] Legal action against Defense Distributed inspired the creation of additional decentralized 3D-printed firearm communities, including FOSSCAD and Deterrence Dispensed, in 2019.
[15] The gun appears to be a "Chairmanwon V1", a minor tweak of the 2021 Glock design "FMDA 19.2" published by Deterrence Dispensed and The Gatalog.
[16][17] After Defense Distributed released its first generation of files, world media questioned the effects that 3D printing and widespread, consumer-level CNC machining[18][19] would have on international gun control laws.
[20][21][22][23] The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Joint Regional Intelligence Center released a memo stating "Significant advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing capabilities, availability of free digital 3D printer files for firearms components, and difficulty regulating file sharing may present public safety risks from unqualified gun seekers who obtain or manufacture 3D-printed guns," and that "proposed legislation to ban 3D printing of weapons may deter, but cannot completely prevent their production.
"[24] Internationally, where gun controls are generally tighter than in the United States, some commentators have said the impact may be more strongly felt, as alternative firearms are not as easily obtainable.
[42] Chelsea Parsons at the Center for American Progress advocated technical countermeasures designed to prevent owners from printing guns.
In November 2021, it was reported that in Naples and other areas of Campania, the local Camorra has begun using 3D-printed firearms and ammunition due to ease of access and for selling on to other gangs.
[59] Imura had previously posted blueprints and video of his Zig Zag revolvers to the Internet, which set off the investigation.
However, the Home Office updated its Guide on Firearms Licensing Law to specifically mention the ban on 3D printed weapons.
[64] In June 2019, Tendai Muswere, aged 26, became the first person in the United Kingdom charged with making a gun with a 3D printer.
On August 1, 2018, the US District Court blocked the re-publication of the 3D design of firearms online due to the potential risk to the public.
[73] As a result, online posting of plans for 3D-printed firearms now requires a license under the Export Administration Regulations issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security.
The law prohibits a person from assembling a non-sporting semiautomatic rifle or shotgun from 10 or more imported parts, as well as firearms that cannot be detected by metal detectors or X-ray machines.
