As a longtime member of the 3D-printing community, I'm alarmed by new legislation targeting the digital files, platforms, and machines that create weapons. It raises a powerful question: Who decides what can be made?
I remember when the news talked about ghost guns that they’d always bring up this CNC machine that would build AR lowers, the part that is legally “the gun”. I’m pretty sure it was the ghost gunner.
I read into it and got on forums. There was a poster who bought the machine and, because of legal reasons, had to get his friends to come push the start button so that they were making their own guns and not the poster making guns for others. Apparently, he got visited by the ATF, but basically got told he’s walking a fine line.
I can make my own ghost gun with a hand drill and a template you can buy online. a motivated person will always be able to find a way to do things, but its actually easier to just find someone to sell you a cheap illegal gun if you’re gonna commit a crime than to go through the whole trouble of building one yourself.
Seems that way. Next up is licensing fees for printing certain models. Basically they’d like to get as far as when Picard says “Tea, Earl Grey, hot” the replicator says “Brought to you by Lipton. Taste good, feel good. You have 49 remaining replicator credits.”
The dumbest part is: it is perfectly legal to make a gun for 99% of Americans. The entire ‘ghost gun’ attack angle is doomed to failure.
And it isn’t just 3D printing; the New York bill includes all computerized manufacturing; it very explicitly includes CNC machines, for example. They are taking down entire manufacturing sectors to go after an unwinnable goal.
I remember when the news talked about ghost guns that they’d always bring up this CNC machine that would build AR lowers, the part that is legally “the gun”. I’m pretty sure it was the ghost gunner.
I read into it and got on forums. There was a poster who bought the machine and, because of legal reasons, had to get his friends to come push the start button so that they were making their own guns and not the poster making guns for others. Apparently, he got visited by the ATF, but basically got told he’s walking a fine line.
I can make my own ghost gun with a hand drill and a template you can buy online. a motivated person will always be able to find a way to do things, but its actually easier to just find someone to sell you a cheap illegal gun if you’re gonna commit a crime than to go through the whole trouble of building one yourself.
Its not like I can’t buy a mill press and caliper and make a lower. I already have the jig that makes it even simpler.
With the gig all I need is a hobby drill press.
I dunno why they don’t just outlaw manufacturing your own firearms without a license…
The don’t want to send a case to the Supreme Court that would rule on the side of homemade firearms.
They would prefer to outlaw manufacturing anything without paying rent seekers.
Seems that way. Next up is licensing fees for printing certain models. Basically they’d like to get as far as when Picard says “Tea, Earl Grey, hot” the replicator says “Brought to you by Lipton. Taste good, feel good. You have 49 remaining replicator credits.”