A new front is emerging in the debate over gun control in the US, as some members of Congress seek to ban firearms that can be made through the technology of 3D printing.The technology opens the door for people to create guns, using plans downloaded from the Internet, that could elude detection in security screenings at places such as airports.3D printers are becoming increasingly common as tools for making three-dimensional objects out of plastic or similar materials, much the way a traditional printer applies ink to paper based on instructions from a computer.
Controversy about the technology’s use in making guns revved up in recent days, with a private group that dubs itself the “wiki weapon project” preparing to release plans for constructing a handgun that could be made almost entirely with a pieces from a 3D printer.The gun can operate with 16 printed parts and one nonprinted component, an ordinary nail used as a firing pin. According to news reports, the gun also has a compartment to insert a six-ounce piece of steel - to make it visible in a metal detector, as required by the Undetectable Firearms Act.“Security checkpoints, background checks, and gun regulations will do little good if criminals can print plastic firearms at home and bring those firearms through metal detectors with no one the wiser,” Rep. Steve Israel (D) of New York said in a statement released Friday. “When I started talking about the issue of plastic firearms months ago, I was told the idea of a plastic gun is science-fiction. Now that this technology appears to be upon us, we need to act now to extend the ban on plastic firearms.”
Where have I heard that before, "a plastic gun is science fiction?"
I suppose, like Congressman Israel, I must admit at this point that there's something to this 3-D printing of guns. Further, considering the way computer technology advances so rapidly, I suppose the costs involved will soon make the fancy printers available to the general public.
But, I'm still missing the point? Why is this so important to the gun nuts? Is it the solution to that bizarre fantasy of total government tyranny? Short of that, given the availability of guns today, what's the point?
This article seems to imply that it's criminals who will benefit most, being able to beat metal detectors? Why are lawful gun owners so interested?
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
This was science fiction, but not any more. Why are we so interested? Could it be exactly what we've told you all along, that our rights shouldn't be subject to your snooping and control?
ReplyDeleteLet me see if I'm understanding Rep Israel's logic here. He's concerned that criminals wont follow the regulation requiring the gun to be dectectable to a metal detector. So his solution is to pass another law making it illegal to produce a plastic gun. So one law wont be adequate, but two laws will make him stop?
ReplyDelete3D printers are available for one to five grand, easily affordable for a dedicated hobbyist.
What is the point? Its political speech. The names bear this out. One being the Cuomo Mag, and the pistol being named the Liberator. A similar pistol was distributed to Nazi occupied countries in WWII. A cheap single shot pistol with instructions on how to shoot a Nazi and take his weapon.
Why is it so important to gun nuts? That's hard to say since at times you cast a pretty wide net with who you define as a gun nut. For example, you might at times consider me to be a gun nut, though beyond a casual interest in where the technology is sitting I dont pay it much attention. And at times you seem to suggest that the only difference between lawful gun owners and criminals is timing.
What's your opinion?
ReplyDeleteBeing as serious as I can my opinion would be to leave this country and move to someplace like Austraila where sanity is the rule concerning personal weapons. My opinion on gun control has changed greatly since New Town.
One of the problem I have is that this 3D printing is set to expand like computers in the 80's and the internet in the 90's.
Of course, the second problem is that America is suffering from a huge delusional psychosis about federal boogeymen, zombies, and whatever enemy the media says we should be worrying about.
The final problem is that it ain't easy to immigrate to places like Austraila or New Zealand. Why? Because in my opinion the United States is headed for a collective nervous breakdown and its going to be bloody. Case in point is the guy my sister is scheduled to marry in September, he owns two assault weapons already and wants more to protect himself from the coming Apocalypse. And no, I'm not going to the wedding.
In the Vietnam era they had an expression, America, love it or leave it. I eventually left.
DeleteFeel free to leave, Beach Bum. Win Win--you get to experience a place with the laws you want, and we get to keep the laws we want. Of course, if you're going to leave because you have a problem with the government here, best to sever ties--get citizenship in your new home and don't try to affect the laws in the horrible, backward place you left.
DeleteIt's fun to watch you two advocating for more control. I mean, what kind of a beach bum wants the government to tell him what to do?
DeleteI'd say that Greg and Sarge have summed things up nicely, so I won't go over ground they've already covered. Instead, I just want to point out that even without metal in this gun, the ammo it shoots is still metal, and still shows up nicely for a metal detector or on an x-ray.
ReplyDeleteThe plastic gun is now here, but the truly undetectable gun is still science fiction until they come up with a polymer dense enough to serve as a bullet and yet not radio-opaque.
I can speak only for myself. It is important to me because advances in technology, like this one, offer the choice between advancing freedom or restricting it. I prefer the former. As for the technology itself, it's not essential to producing firearms. A modern semi-automatic rifle, pistol or shotgun, excluding the barrel, can be produced in a home garage using off the shelf metal working and machining tools. A slightly better equipped one allows the manufacture of barrels as well. CNC machines and 3D printers continue to go down in price if a person wants to do less manual labor. If you build your own the cost goes down even more.
ReplyDeleteHmm--I have no idea what was in my previous comment that you found objectionable, but as you wish.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I've found yet another reason that this development represents a dramatically improved universe: it has despicable racist scum NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly whining like the cowardly little punk he is.
You gotta dig that!
They can't stop the signal!
DeleteNow 3D Printed Plastic guns can be tracked ... a Tech firm unveiled detector for 3d printed guns.... so we don’t have to worry about these plastic guns ...
ReplyDeleteThe supposed "undetectability" of printed guns is a mostly fake issue, anyway (does anyone know of "undetectable" ammunition?). The real issue here is that home fabrication of firearms will eventually make "gun control" irrelevant. This new tech, even if it works as advertised, does nothing to change that.
DeleteGood thing, too.