The Dangers of 3-D Printable Guns

You may have heard about a new phenomenon called “3-D Printing”.  New printing technologies have basically allowed 3-D images to be printed in real life using plastic-polymer type liquids that solidify into workable 3-dimensional items.  3-D printing has already been used to print literally all kinds of things, from workable wrenches to complex mechanical models and even bio-mechanical devices.

3-D printing, combined with rapid prototyping methods, allows virtually any physical object to be “printed” in real space.  But what happens when this technology is used to print, let’s say, fully functioning dangerous weapons such as guns?  And not just any type of gun, but a full-on semi-automatic rifle?

That’s what this guy claims to have done.  He built the receiver of his gun, which is the working portion of the gun that qualifies it as a firearm, entirely from 3-D printed materials.  Sound scary?  It does to me.  Plastic guns might not appear at first that menacing, but I believe that this type of technology may be enough to trigger major changes in the area of gun control and firearms law.  Most of these changes will likely require a shift from mere possession of guns to the focus more on the production, manufacturing, and design of homemade guns.

Here are some loaded topics to think about along with 3-D printable guns:

• Possession of Firearms:  Gun possession is highly regulated by state and federal laws.  A license is usually needed to own and wield a gun, and the procedure for properly selling a gun is also regulated.  3-D printable guns and gun parts may make it easier for people to skirt the law when it comes to possession.  It may also make it easier for people who aren’t supposed to be owning guns to purchase them such as convicted felons and underage minors.
• Illegal Manufacture of Guns:  At the heart of 3-D printed guns is the software that allows the design to be captured and printed.  These can easily be obtained online and downloaded like any other program.  Something needs to be done to muzzle the dispensing of such programs; I suspect that illegally possessing such software or programming may become the equivalent of possessing an illegal firearm.
• Disposability:  Printable plastic materials may make it easier to dispose of guns that are used in the commission of a crime.  They are likely to be easier to destroy than traditional guns and gun parts, making them less traceable.  Also, homemade guns won’t have any serial numbers or tracing numbers, which basically makes them non-existent in terms of gun registration.
• Monster Custom Guns:  As gun-producing technology reaches the public, we should expect to see all sorts of amateur Tony Starks types trying their hand at making the most outrageous firearm prototypes.  While this may become a gun collector’s dream, complicated gun designs will reach a whole new caliber, very quickly.

One thing about 3-D printed guns- at the moment there are still a few kinks to be worked out in terms of the actual practicability of the working pieces.  For example, there are still some durability issues regarding factors like heat, friction in the chambers, etc.  However, I think that these kinks will be worked out in no time at all, since, after all, human technology is at the point where we’re printing all kinds of different gadgets.

But this leads us to my own greatest concern with this technology, legally speaking.  Regardless of whether the gun works or not, certain crimes actual don’t require a real, working gun for a person to be convicted of a serious crime.  For example, assault with a deadly weapon sometimes doesn’t actually require that the deadly weapon be functioning.  In most cases, it’s enough if the victim simply believes that they’re being confronted with a deadly weapon.

In other words, printed guns will make it more difficult to distinguish what’s a real gun and what’s not.  That means we’ll probably be seeing more dangerous holdups and crimes with real or realistic-looking guns, and less stick-wielding robbery fails a la World’s Dumbest Criminal.  All in all, this will probably translate into more victims, and also more criminals, and I think our society needs less of both right about now.