As with so many things in the Anti-Gun world, creativity is very important in reaching the desired level of outrage. This has been true for decades with guns banned for the way they look unrelated to their actual function.
These were called “Evil Features” a list developed if your rifle contained enough of them it was added to the assault weapons ban. Bayonet mounts, Flash suppresors, pistol grips all made it to the list things of options to be banned because “We have to do something!” not matter how ineffective.
Now we have 3D Printed Guns and according to the false outrage of the Anti-gunners, Murderes, Rapist and Terrorists can now manufacture their own means to create mass havoc in society. Despite having politicians and mentally challenged Hollywood “Stars” labeling them “Downloadable Death” the real truth falls far short of hype.
It is currently within the law for an individual to make a firearm for their own use, not to be sold to others. This spawned the industry for 80% lowers for the AR Platform rifles as well as the the frame sections of semi-automatic pistols. A hobbyists can purchase a partially completed casting or a molded polymer frame and complete the machining themselves. They then need to purchase all the other parts: Barrel, springs, magazines, trigger, hammer , screws, pins more springs, bushings, sights, etc… not to mention drill presses, jigs, lathes and other machining equipment to finish the assembly.
This process would be similar to buying your car piece by piece, (tip of the hat to Johnny Cash’s 1976 “One Piece at a time” ). It is very time consuming, more expensive and takes a lot of skill to actually make all those pieces work together correctly.
But wait, now you can just flip on the computer and print a fully functioning gun, anybody can do it! I could fill this column with the list of proper equipment, and skills required. Fortunately there is a great example of the process that was done by a TV station to demonstrate how easy it is.
The station went to a Professional 3D Printing Company with the equipment and skills with the plans and asked them to produce the “Firearm”. After 36 hours of printing, it took considerable hand work to make all the parts fit and work together. Taking the gun to a range they carefully fired the gun from a distance and took slow motion video of the test firing of a .380 acp round.
When fired it blew itself into 100’s of pieces and the video shows the projectile on a downward path towards the floor. If a person would have been holding this gun they would have severely injured their hand and would have been unlikely to hit their intended target.
A person intent on doing harm will find a way, in the absence of a firearm they now use vehicles as the weapon. This is just another manufactured outrage to give politicians face time on camera to show what they are doing to “Protect Us”.