New York State takes steps to ban 3D-printed guns — proposal requires 3D printer manufacturers to prevent weapon printing

a 3D printed gun
(Image credit: Getty Images)

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has introduced new legislation that will force 3D printer manufacturers to stop their machines from printing guns and gun parts. According to 3D Printing Industry, the bill will help reduce the spread of ghost guns — unserialized firearms produced in home shops or unregistered factories — that are difficult to trace. The proliferation of 3D printers and readily available 3D files can allow even someone without experience to print their own gun for less than $200.

“From the iron pipeline to the plastic pipeline, these proposals will keep illegal ghost guns off of New York streets and enhance measures to track and block the production of dangerous and illegal firearms in our state,” the governor said. Aside from mandating 3D printer safeguards, the proposed law will also make sharing and possession of 3D files containing guns or gun components, unless the person handling them is authorized to do so. It also included a provision that requires gun manufacturers to make it difficult to give semi-automatic pistols automatic-fire capabilities using 3D printed parts.

Nevertheless, he said that these measures would make them more difficult to acquire. “These illegal firearms are being manufactured in homes and used in crimes right now, which is why I have been working with my colleagues in Albany and the private sector over the past several years to stop their proliferation,” Bragg said. “Passing these measures will reduce crime and strengthen public safety for all New Yorkers.”

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Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer
  • Crazyy8
    Thank God I don't live in New York.
    Reply
  • bill001g
    They have massive amounts of laws related to real guns that have made no difference. I wonder how many of these 3d printed guns used in crime they have. You have to be very careful about stats from new york. They call lots of things ghost guns not just things that come from 3d printers. They forget criminals are criminals because they don't follow laws.
    Reply
  • GenericUser2001
    Seems like it would be incredibly difficult to enforce (tons of websites outside of NY will have no interest in following NY's laws, same with a lot of 3d printer makers), and trying to ban design files is going to run into 1st Amendment issues on top of 2nd Amendment ones. I mean can someone point out to these guys that any design file specifications could simply be printed in a book if you really wanted. Do they want to try to ban books?
    Reply
  • Eximo
    I think they also forget that 3D printers can be built, from parts, and run on open source software. Besides, there are already way too many 3D printers out there that this would not effect.
    Reply
  • Findecanor
    I have built a few sci-fi replica guns in my day, both because I'm a sci-fi fan, for the joy of building and for use in cosplay. And I've then cosplayed for charity, to collect money for e.g. The benefit of children with cancer, because as a cancer-survivor myself, this is something close to my heart.

    My building has included 3D-printed parts, and parts cast from real guns, as well as replica gun parts made from metal.
    As much as I dislike real guns, and am very happy that handguns are very restricted where I live, every time I hear about arbitrary restrictions that won't do any real difference, it just makes me sad about the state of humanity.
    I have sometimes envied my friends in the US for what they could legally build over there.
    Reply
  • DougMcC
    This would be like asking printer makers not to allow their printers to make counterfeit money. Impossible!
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    DougMcC said:
    This would be like asking printer makers not to allow their printers to make counterfeit money. Impossible!
    Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_tracking_dots
    Reply
  • namesJef
    Imo the implication that NY will maintain a public database for 3D models of gun parts so that slicers can do such an analysis is hilarious
    Reply
  • bdeimen
    This is stupid and pointless. People can design guns of all sorts of shapes and new 3D models will constantly be created. Even with AI stopping all of them will be impossible as new guns can be designed to be unrecognizable and as others have said, many 3d printers are open source. Ghost guns are not the problem. 3d printers are not the problem. The fact that our society makes people feel like violence is the only way to get justice is the problem.
    Reply
  • DougMcC
    USAFRet said:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_tracking_dots
    I was thinking of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation but yes, that was the joke.
    :)
    Reply