Michael Kaelin

Ms. Hull
English 2010
February 12th 2015
How Do We Regulate 3D Printed Guns

From the first 3D printer, made in 1884, the technology, and potential in the field
of 3D printing has come a long ways. With such a powerful invention--to be able to
make anything you want just by designing a proper blueprint--comes debate at the
dinner table and beyond. The biggest debate arose in May of 2013, when the first 3D
printed gun was tested successfully. Although this gun was only a one-shot plastic
pistol, it was created with no serial numbers, making it virtually impossible to trace.
This is the idea and controversy I
will be exploring through my research. There
are many who believe there should be a ban on
these weapons because they are easy to
conceal, able to bypass security devices, and
can be accessed by a large number of people,
including those who have intentions to use them to cause harm. Others see it as a
positive development, part of the second amendment right to bear arms, and a way

around new stricter gun control laws. There is also another debate developing because
of recent uploads of blueprints to the internet that can be used to print firearms. This
argument is that controlling which blueprints can be shared online will limit open source
design. Currently blueprints for the parts of these weapons can be accessed free of
charge, although it has become illegal to print firearms in some cities, states, and
countries around the world.

Regulation on Printed Guns, and Open Source Design

Trying to regulate and slow the the production of 3D printed firearms is not an
easy task. Soon after the first gun was created, the U.S. Government acted quickly with
ideas and plans to bring the innovation to a halt. Chuck Schumer, a US congressman,
has proposed that the government renew a law that is soon to expire, which bans the
use and possession of lethal firearms that are undetectable through metal detectors and
x-rays (Schumer takes aim). In an interview with Schumer, produced by CNN, he states,
A felon, a terrorist can make a gun in the comfort of their home, not
even leaving their home, and do terrible damage with it. And so the
question is what do we do about it? First thing we should do is certainly
extend the law, the law that prohibits these types of guns that cant be
detected (Schumer takes aim).

Schumer also points out later in the interview that he thinks the majority of
Americans will approve of this law extension. Although this cannot stop people from
making 3D guns, it makes having one In your possession illegal. Would this be enough
to stop the up and rising production of 3D printed guns?
Schumer is not the only one to trying to regulate 3D printed guns. Many other law
makers are making an attack on 3D printed guns. In 2013, Philadelphia became the first
city in the United States to have a full ban on 3D printed guns. This law makes it illegal
to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer or receive any firearm thats
undetectable by scanners (Miller, par. 8). Violators of this law could face fines up to
$2000 (Miller, Par. 2). Agreeing with Schumer, a Philadelphia council member, Kenyatta
Johnson, stated We want to be proactive. We dont want to be in a situation where
people are using these 3D printers to create handguns in our city in the near future
(Miller, Par. 3). These law makers, like Johnson and Schumer, are mainly concerned
about these guns being able to make it into public events, airports, government
buildings, and schools.
The biggest obstacle for anti 3D-printed guns activists is the fact that the
blueprints to make firearms have been downloaded over 100,000 times (Miller, Par. 6).
The U.S State Department officials ordered the blueprints of the gun to be taken down
immediately after they found it had been released, but the damage had already been
done. 3D printing technology is expected to grow in future years. There are possibilities

of larger and more reliable guns to come in the future. These activists have a long way
to go to fully have control over and regulation of 3D printed weapons.

We Dont Regulate Printed Gun

Because of recent public shootings and violence (for example the shooting at
Sandy Hook Elementary School) gun control laws have grown in the last few years.
Some individuals and organizations are not happy with these laws. One of these is a
nonprofit organization called DD, Defense Distributed. DD is the organization
responsible for releasing the blue prints of the Liberator, the worlds first successful 3D
printed firearm, online for anyone to download free of charge. DD is a strongly
advocates that 3D printed guns are a way to overcome gun control. On DDs website,
they state their main goal to be:
To defend the human and civil right to keep and bear arms as
guaranteed by the United States Constitution and affirmed by the United
States Supreme Court; to collaboratively, produce, publish, and distribute
to the public without charge information and knowledge related to the
digital manufacture of arms (About Defense Distributed, Par. 2).
The recent gun control laws that are fueling this controversy are the limit of 10
round ammunition magazines, and the ban on assault weapons. After these bans were
established, DD produced a 3D-printed plastic lower receiver (See Figure 2) and high

capacity magazine (3D Printed Guns documentary). The lower receiver is the part which
holds the serial information. With a 3D printed version, the gun cannot be traced to an
owner. Cody Wilson, head of DD, justifies their
actions by asking, Why does anyone need an
ammunition clip for more than 30 rounds? Why
does anyone need two houses? Why does any

one

need to make more than $400,000 a year? (3D

Printed Guns Documentary).

Regulation on Open Source Design

Open source design, is a way of making a design or blueprint open to the public
online, so that people can universally have access to improve or modify the specific.
Although they were put up again by 3rd party hosts, having the online blueprints for 3D
printed guns taken down, raises a debate about who decides what information can be
posted online, and what information should be available to the public. In an article
posted by DV, Design and Violence, the author Paola Antonelli points out that limiting
open source information like gun blueprints is violating the first amendment.

Antonelli is a very well respected man in the design industry. He is currently the
senior curator of the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA, Museum of
Modern Art. In another article Antonelli stated, We cannot limit open source design
even when we do not support the consequences (Qtd. in Steele). Many, like Antonelli,
argue that open source design invites others to improve on a digital design you have
made, greatly increasing rates of technological progress. Another individual who does
not think open source design should or can be regulated by the government is Cody
Wilson, quoted earlier. Wilson brings up the point that even the FBI has used open
source databases to improve wiretapping software (Steele, par. 7). Many more
controversies are sure to arise on the subject of gun blueprints being on open source
websites. The government will have to decide if it is constitutional to regulate open
source.

Conclusion
As 3D printing becomes more common and more sophisticated, we will see this
debate intensify. At the heart of the controversy are U.S. constitutional rights: the right
to bear arms vs. the public's safety, and the rights of free speech and expression on the
internet vs. the need to halt production of a product that many see as irresponsible and
dangerous. Regulation on 3D printed firearms already exists. Will it increase or be
turned back? Only one thing is certain: the controversy will continue.

Figure 1: The Legatum Prosperity Index,

used to form a ranking of most safe to
least

Works Cited:
"DEFENSE DISTRIBUTED." DD. Defense Distributed, 6 May 2013. Web.
10 Feb. 2015.

Antonelli, Paola. "Design and Violence Debate I: Open Source." Design and Violence.
DV, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
Miller, Joshua. "Philadelphia Poised to Become First City to Ban 3D-printed Guns." Fox
News. FOX News Network, 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
Sen. Schumer Takes Aim at 3D-Printed Guns. Perf. Charles Schumer. CNN, 2013.
Video.
Steele, Chandra. "Do 3D-Printed Guns Warrant a Limit on Open-Source Design?"
PCMAG. PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
3D Printed Guns (Documentary). Vice News, 2013. Video. Director, Erin Carr.

Images:
Figure 2: Covertress. (2013, August 13). Retrieved February 17, 2015.
Figure 1: Krassenstein, Brian. "Australian Politician Introduces Bill to Make The
Distribution of 3D Printable Gun Models Illegal." 3DPrintcom. 22 May 2014. Web.
17 Feb. 201