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I understand the intent, but feel that there are so many other loopholes that put much worse weapons on the street than a printer. Besides, my prints can barely sustain normal use, much less a bullet being fired from them. I would think that this is more of a risk to the person holding the gun than who it's pointing at.

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[-] Wogi@lemmy.world 123 points 8 months ago

There's a community that builds 3d printed guns, and those don't last very long either. They're not printing barrels, they're just printing the trigger housing and grip. They go out and buy the dangerous bits.

This is all a bit pointless.

Even more pointless when you consider that once you have a 3d printer, you can make a lot of the components for a second 3d printer, and go out and buy the other parts, without ever buying a 3d printer. Now you have two ghost gun machines!! Oh the horror.

[-] JoShmoe@ani.social 26 points 8 months ago

This is the reason why I need education. CNc machines are the only tools you need. Fast food is probably just CNC assembled.

[-] Wogi@lemmy.world 20 points 8 months ago

It's all CNC. All the way down. Always was.

Seriously, 3d printers are just CNC machines, they use the same code the mill I use that was built in 1989 uses.

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[-] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 15 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Not to mention the ammo. 3d printed guns are useless without real ammo.

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[-] superb@lemmy.blahaj.zone 73 points 8 months ago

Do I need a background check to buy a CNC? Or a lathe?

[-] YourAvgDuckHead@discuss.tchncs.de 15 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I mean, kind of, yes. CNCs have been one of the big items for export controls. Especially if they can be used to build weapons, parts for nuclear subs, etc.

Generally speaking, lathes and milling machines must be licensed for export if their accuracy exceeds six microns. Grinding machines are controlled at four microns. The Wassenaar Arrangement controls all machine tools capable of simultaneous, five-axis motion, regardless of machining accuracy.

Source

[-] FireTower@lemmy.world 27 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

In the US you don't need a license to purchase a CNC. Even items with export restrictions like night vision goggles (Under ITAR) can be bought by anyone and shipped to your door. The export controls would only come into effect upon you exporting them.

[-] Amaltheamannen@lemmy.ml 15 points 8 months ago

Besides not needing a license for export controlled items within the country, you don't need a 6 micron precision lathe

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[-] cryptiod137@lemmy.world 12 points 8 months ago

Just export controls though?

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[-] krolden@lemmy.ml 62 points 8 months ago

Will they require a background check for CNC machines and lathes as well?

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.ml 32 points 8 months ago

They're eventually just going to demand you're under AI monitored video surveillance at all times, even while bathing.

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[-] BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works 20 points 8 months ago

Routers and lathes, both CNC and manual ... and calipers! The name sounds like something to do with bullets and they look like tiny machine guns.

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[-] Gigan@lemmy.world 59 points 8 months ago

Is this a real problem? How many crimes are being committed with 3D printed guns?

[-] SupraMario@lemmy.world 56 points 8 months ago

It's a rounding error... basically just politicians virtue signalling that they're doing something.

[-] MajesticSloth@lemmy.world 15 points 8 months ago

I'm reminded of Leland Yee. California politician who was in favor of gun control all while doing gun running stuff himself. Guess he felt gun control was good for business.

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[-] BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works 54 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

In other news: virtue signaling politicians are considering banning [scary items that their core voters know nothing about] in order to appear tough on crime, while avoiding doing the logical things experts recommend, because that would look bad in the eyes of the voters. Instead the only consequence is extending the stigma related to excons resulting in greater recidivism

Googling 3d printed gun homicide returns a story from Rhode Island in 2020 (where the police can't figure out if the gun was actually printed), an attempted murder in Reykjavík in 2022, and this story from 2022 that claims a total of 44 arrests were made related to 3d printed guns... world wide https://3dprint.com/291684/3d-printed-gun-arrests-tripled-in-less-than-two-years-3dprint-com-investigates/amp/

In contrast there were 48117 firearms related deaths in the US during the same period.

Maybe statistics and proportions should be a core part of math from an early age?

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[-] Oha@lemmy.ohaa.xyz 51 points 8 months ago

What the fuck? You dont even need that for buying a fucking knife

[-] HuddaBudda@kbin.social 30 points 8 months ago

I think some people would say the ability to print a gun is more deadly then a knife.

But I kind of agree with you.

If we start licensing people to own stuff that has the potential to do harm, then eventually you are going to run into a never ending list of household items and laws of natural physics:

  • Bleach
  • Vinegar
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Chlorine
  • Gas
  • Natural gas
  • Methane
  • Fertilizers
  • Electricity
  • Paper
  • Fire
  • Propane
  • Etc.
[-] moody@lemmings.world 48 points 8 months ago

Zip guns have existed for a long, long time, but nobody's going to legislate serious controls for buying building supplies. I could walk into any hardware store and come out with the materials to build a gun that fires real bullets.

[-] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Don’t you just need a pipe of the right size capped at one end, and a nail?

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[-] deania@lemmy.world 39 points 8 months ago

By that logic, they should ban water pipes to stop people from making water pipe shotguns

[-] seathru@lemm.ee 21 points 8 months ago

Must pass a background check before entering Home Depot.

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[-] HurlingDurling@lemm.ee 38 points 8 months ago

Hey congress, so uhhh... you can 3d print a 3d printer

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 46 points 8 months ago

Or just buy parts. What are they gonna do? Regulate stepper motors and heater cartridges, and generic microcontrollers?

The cat is already out the bag.

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[-] buzz86us@lemmy.world 29 points 8 months ago

You wouldn't download a gun

[-] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 8 months ago

I don’t have a use for one. A car though? I’d download the fuck out of a car.

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[-] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 27 points 8 months ago

And if I download a parts list, buy the components, and make the printer myself I guess I can just cruise new york "printing guns" for people without any hassle from the man.

Printing ghost guns, so far, is just a boogyman politicians trot out when one of their corporate sponsors thinks one of their revenue streams might be threatened by DIYers.

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[-] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 25 points 8 months ago

You can make a gun with anything

[-] nyan@lemmy.cafe 18 points 8 months ago

Well, not anything (if you actually think that's possible, then I have a challenge for you: make a functioning gun out of cheese), but an average hardware store should have everything you need to produce something capable of firing a shot.

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[-] hiddengoat@kbin.social 25 points 8 months ago

Performant horseshit that will never pass.

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[-] Flaky_Fish69@kbin.social 23 points 8 months ago

“Three-dimensionally printed firearms, a type of untraceable ghost gun, can be built by anyone using a $150 three-dimensional printer,” Rajkumar wrote in a memorandum explaining the bill. “This bill will require a background check so that three-dimensional printed firearms do not get in the wrong hands.”

.... No way an ender 3 is going to produce something that doesn't blow up in your hand.

so. i suggest people get that 150 dollar lol-printer. Should take care of itself.

[-] AlDente@sh.itjust.works 14 points 8 months ago

If you think people aren't printing firearms with an Ender 3, you are a fool.

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[-] tpihkal@lemmy.world 13 points 8 months ago

You don't print the explody bits; you have to purchase things like the barrel and the trigger assembly.

However, I know an engineer at Sig Sauer who printed his own gun and he's never fired it while holding it...so, still prone to eventual catastrophic failure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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[-] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 21 points 8 months ago

This isn’t even low hanging fruit. This is fruit that’s been on the ground rotting for a few months that no one is going to pick up and eat anyway. Let’s throw ineffective solutions at the problem and when they fail go, “weeeeell, since you can buy a 3d printer and a gun online, let’s just do background checks for internet access”

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[-] TooLameForLemmy@lemmy.world 20 points 8 months ago

Holy shit, it would be so funny if this started an 80% 3D printer market.

[-] massacre@lemmy.world 18 points 8 months ago

No need. You can buy ALL of the parts off the shelf for a 3D printer and assemble it yourself. None are regulated (Aluminum rails, motors, arduino controllers, LCD panels, Power supplies, heating elements, thermistors, wiring). Strictly speaking there's nothing about a non-resin 3d Printer you can't procure and build yourself. And you can even 3d Print the housings to make it look nice once you've assembled it. Oh... and the designs and parts are largely open source.

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[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 19 points 8 months ago

Whats next? Criminal background check to buy cutlery for your kitchen?

[-] Lettuceeatlettuce@lemmy.ml 18 points 8 months ago

Anything to regulate and restrict the people/end users but not address any real problems in society.

Go after the gun companies, gun lobbies, NRA? No, never. Address housing, income, and educational inequality? That sounds complicated, tough, and expensive.

This has similar vibes to shaming/regulating people for using too much water in their showers and for washing their cars, but when a multi-billion dollar oil company spills millions of gallons of crude into the sea causing years of environmental damage due to negligence, fine them a few million dollars and tell them they've been very naughty...

So tired of politicians being in the pocket of Capitalist scumbags.

[-] TWeaK@lemm.ee 17 points 8 months ago

You know what would be even more effective than regulating 3D printers like this? Regulating all guns better.

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[-] histic@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 8 months ago

I personally have a 3d printed gun that I've put a few hundred rounds though and is still holding up just fine 3d printing is plenty strong enough

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this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2023
496 points (96.8% liked)

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