this post was submitted on 09 Jun 2024
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That seemed random, and it kinda was: uneducated(!) guess on how long it will take the technology to both develop and popularize to the point the average kindergarten massacre* is committed with a 3D printed gun.
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Is 30 years long enough for there to be a decent likelihood we’ll be able to print the switch and firearm from that video? Thanks for your responses, I can tell you know your stuff.
* to be clear, being forever upset about Sandy Hook has no bearing on my respect for responsible gun owners, presumably the vast majority
You can already easily manufacture your own firearm with a combination of 3D printers and some metal working tools. Or just buy the barrel pre made and that's 99% the effort.
You can already print those switches, the stls are already out there.
It's still illegal to do, of course, without the proper licensing.
OK very interesting. So I figure regulation:
Helps the state punish people IF they get caught
More importantly, makes it harder to advertise & discourages printed parts & guns, leading to lower availability. I imagine most guns used in crimes were Initially purchased legally. I also imagine over time this will shift.
Well yes, but that doesn't affect people who plan to murder with them of course, the added time for doing it with a "machine gun" specifically is nothing compared to already getting life, the death penalty, shot by cops, or suicide at the end of their spree killing.
Though no, guns are legal to print, the switch is defined as a machine gun by the ATF and that is illegal without the proper licensure. You can print a glock no problem, but you can't sell it or make it full auto.
Most guns used in crimes were indeed initially purchased legally, but then stolen or sold illegally through a process called "straw purchasing." The ATF reports avg "time to crime" (from buying in-store until found at a crime scene) of guns they find is 11 years and the overwhelming majority were straw purchased. Now, it's important to note that this isn't to say that most guns bought have 11yr before a crime happens, rather that most guns involved in crime (which is a fraction of a percent of all guns sold/owned) took 11yr to get there.