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I'm a very staunch gun rights supporter. I've owned about a dozen weapons over the years, fired many more since I was a child, and hold a Tennessee carry permi

by gsibble 14y ago

I'm a very staunch gun rights supporter. I've owned about a dozen weapons over the years, fired many more since I was a child, and hold a Tennessee carry permit (good in 38 states). I've taken numerous handgun and rifle classes and donate to the NRA. With that said, I'm still very frightened by the potential of weapon manufacturing through 3D printing. If and when it becomes effective and economic at producing firearms, nefarious institutions will not hesitate to produce them in mass quantities, no matter what the law says. And I don't like it. I support gun rights for law abiding citizens, not criminals. Obviously some no-brainer laws such as restrictions due to prior felony convictions would become impossible to enforce. I have spent some time considering how to prevent this eventual situation and am at a real loss. File sharing's history has made it very clear that laws and technology cannot stop economically interested parties from finding and exploiting loopholes and weaknesses. Does anyone have any ideas how we could prevent this technology from being used to arm would be felons or dangerous individuals?

deleted 14y ago
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daeken 14y ago
I think you overstate the potential for this to erode regulations. If a felon wants a weapon, how is buying it from a guy printing guns any different from buying it from a guy who imports weapons? There are plenty of those guys already around. If this was simple to do in your own home, I'd say this might be a real issue, but it's ridiculously easy to get a black market weapon right now already; 3d printing isn't going to have a marked effect on that for a long time.
- bunderbunder 14y ago
  If a felon wants a weapon, how is buying it from a guy printing guns any different from buying it from a guy who imports weapons? Why go through the trouble of finding an illegal weapons importer when you can just get a friend without a felony on their record to buy one for you? I think the bigger issue would be importing large volumes of weapons which are banned for civilian use, a la drug cartels. An argument could be made that it would be a lot easier for them to switch to 3D printing the guns. Although I doubt that is really the case. Any criminal organization with any power is going to be a big player in the black market, which means they are already going to be attached to an extensive and proven-successful smuggling network. I think it would be a much bigger deal for groups like the Michigan Militia. Whether that's a good thing or not is probably good fodder for an acrimonious debate, so I'll stay away.
waterlesscloud 14y ago
It will always be cheaper and easier to mass-produce firearms through traditional means than through 3D printing. 3D printing may be better for one-off specialty firearms, but mass quantities are going easier with simpler processes.

by gsibble 14y ago

deleted 14y ago

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daeken 14y ago

I think you overstate the potential for this to erode regulations. If a felon wants a weapon, how is buying it from a guy printing guns any different from buying it from a guy who imports weapons? There are plenty of those guys already around. If this was simple to do in your own home, I'd say this might be a real issue, but it's ridiculously easy to get a black market weapon right now already; 3d printing isn't going to have a marked effect on that for a long time.

bunderbunder 14y ago
If a felon wants a weapon, how is buying it from a guy printing guns any different from buying it from a guy who imports weapons? Why go through the trouble of finding an illegal weapons importer when you can just get a friend without a felony on their record to buy one for you? I think the bigger issue would be importing large volumes of weapons which are banned for civilian use, a la drug cartels. An argument could be made that it would be a lot easier for them to switch to 3D printing the guns. Although I doubt that is really the case. Any criminal organization with any power is going to be a big player in the black market, which means they are already going to be attached to an extensive and proven-successful smuggling network. I think it would be a much bigger deal for groups like the Michigan Militia. Whether that's a good thing or not is probably good fodder for an acrimonious debate, so I'll stay away.

waterlesscloud 14y ago

It will always be cheaper and easier to mass-produce firearms through traditional means than through 3D printing. 3D printing may be better for one-off specialty firearms, but mass quantities are going easier with simpler processes.