2 ms·

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 buyi

by 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.