Today, anyone with access to a $200 3D printer can easily manufacture firearm components. These devices, guided by downloadable computer programs, can produce a perfect frame for a semi-automatic pistol. Since polymer-framed guns like Glocks require no traditional machining, they are particularly easy to replicate. The frame of a firearm is the regulated and serialized component under federal law, but a homemade frame bypasses these regulations entirely, allowing individuals to produce guns in secret. Importantly, 3D printers are common among hobbyists and are used to make a wide variety of items, further obscuring their potential use for firearm creation.
In addition to these technological advances, legal developments have further dismantled gun control efforts. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022), redefined the constitutional landscape by striking down laws that impose undue restrictions on the Second Amendment. This ruling has effectively ended requirements for serialization and other gun control measures. Under existing laws, authorities can still confiscate firearms from prohibited individuals—such as violent felons or those deemed mentally ill—but such enforcement happens only after possession is discovered.
This combination of technology and legal precedent creates a new reality where criminals and other bad actors can manufacture untraceable firearms with minimal effort, ensuring an endless supply of weapons. While being caught in possession of such firearms can result in severe penalties, the ease of private manufacturing makes prevention nearly impossible.
The conclusion is stark: the rapid advancement of 3D printing technology, combined with the constitutional protections reinforced by Bruen, has rendered traditional firearms regulations obsolete. Whether for better or worse, meaningful gun control in the United States is a relic of the past. Politicians just don’t get it. Gun laws only impact the law abiding.
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