gizmodo.com: The New York legislature is in the early stages of considering a bill that would require people buying certain kinds of 3D printers to pass a background check.
State Assembly Bill A2228 says that “any retailer of a three-dimensional printer sold in this state which is capable of printing a firearm, or any components of a firearm, is required and authorized to request and receive criminal history information.”
7 comments:
This was an interesting article to read and I'm sure the topic has sparked a lot of debate. There were a lot of people in the comments with strong opinions opposing this ban, and I definitely see where they're coming from. now that we are facing the reality that just about anyone can buy a 3D printer and make their own firearms at home, it seems logical to put some restrictions on that. But at the same time, if someone is going to be making firearms at home, putting a little roadblock is not going to do much to deter them. It will just send people to the black market to find these devices and deter innocent people with good intentions from having access to technology they could use. Sure you can print a gun, but you can also make really dangerous weapons from wood or other materials at home. The real issue is the criminals who want to hurt people, they will find the tool wherever they can.
I think this article was definitely really interesting to read and definitely sparked a lot of controversy. I understand what the state is trying to do and I guess it makes sense. I think this shows how scary and accessible weapons can be and how dangerous guns are when they fall into the wrong hands. to be honest when I first saw this article title I didn't think of 3D printing weapons with a 3D printer but I could see how that's possible. I think 3D printers can be super exciting and really a great creative Outlet and a great tool to make products but I never really thought of the more dangerous aspect of them. I guess you really can make a weapon out of anything which is really scary and it's scary how guns have become such a big problem in this country. I'm hoping that no one will ever have to use a 3D printer in this way and that it continues to be used more positively and innovatively.
I own a small cheap 3D printer and the truth is, the stuff I’ve made on it, is not nearly as detailed or even sturdy enough to be an actual functioning object. How would they even define which 3D printers can and cannot print a firearm? Realistically, you can make anything out of anything with enough willpower. But it would be impossible to regulate people buying cardboard or plastic. I think 3D printers are not where our biggest concern with gun control is, and it should not be a focus until we've sorted out the numerous other problems. I don’t think that many people are printing firearms. The numbers they provided seem large, and are definitely significant, but how much is that compared to the total? What is the proportion compared to illegal firearms they’ve confiscated total? (I looked it up and it said in 2025, 20,000 were confiscated since 2022. 20,000/3 = 667 a year. Meaning the 3D printed firearms account for .095% of the total).
3D printers are used for so many good and creative things, there will be too much backlash and consequences to this law. Our energy is better spent elsewhere.
My bad... typo. 20,000/3 = 6667 a year. 9.5%. Still a lot, but not nearly close
Technology will continue to grow and for one reason or another we continue to make weapons. I don't think any of these pieces of legislation come from a place of hatred but when it comes to guns it seems like we try to regulate everything but the original source. It's terrifying to think that someone could manufacture a massive amount of weaponry all from their living room couch but if we do as the legislature suggests and treat the 3D printed weapons as if they were the same as their original counterpart we would still have a problem. When it comes to regulating anything people will always complain because previous rights are being taken away. Personally I think before attempting to regulate a way to create weaponry we should regulate some of the actual weaponry. Especially when things such as 3D printers are used for such creative and innovative outlets in many people's everyday lives.
It’s been a long time conversation about 3D printed weapons and I think the threat is real and there are many different interesting takes on the bills attempting to be passed to regulate these threats. On one hand people think it is a good idea because it could prevent people with malicious intent from purchasing a machine that could make an unrecorded firearm. The flip side is people argue that 1) people who really want a 3D printer for the intent of making firearms will find one on the black market or already own one knowing people would eventually catch on 2) if you’re smart enough to work a 3D printer you probably could make a weapon out of all sorts of machinery that wouldn’t have that level of security to access like a mill. I find it interesting a lot of time has gone into this flavor of bill when there are only a few instances of homemade firearms causing mass or high profile shootings whereas there are a lot of other problems happening left and right that the government is ignoring.
Guns and America. Sometimes I feel that we are going to just go around and around in circles on this issue. Allowing everyone to have access to firearms has proven to be a detriment to society. Yet the perspective on the issue is “oh that's miss use of a firearm. I will never do that.” Yet having these items exist in our day to day life increases the chances of accidents by 100%. But by regulating access we are introduced to the new issue of guns being made outside the regulations established. So is regulating really working? What is the first rule when working with a hazard, “do you need to be exposed to this hazard, is there a way to complete this task without exposure to the hazard?” If the answer is yes, remove it. I think the best example is how the US government responded to Asbestos once it was discovered as to how hazardous it was, we removed it. Laws were passed, people were fined and now the chances of being exposed to it is significantly lower. Unfortunately with firearms people will always look for cracks in the laws and ways to still have access. The issue is we as an American society need to reevaluate what place guns have in our society. Then work collectively to build the safer world we dream about. Is the solution for 3D printed guns to regulate who can have a 3D printer? I wonder what this will do in terms of industry and the possible limitations that could be put on certain groups.
Post a Comment