(506) 2240-6804
3D printed gun data
3D Printed Gun Arrests Tripled in Less Than Two Years - 3DPrint.com Investigates - 3DPrint.com
Gun violence is on the rise. Recent events, including mass shootings at an elementary school in Texas, a deadly assault at a medical facility in Oklahoma, and last year’s anti-Semitic rampage at a German synagogue, led to serious concerns surrounding ghost guns, particularly 3D printed ones. Taking these events into account, as well as a cascade of 3D printed gun-related arrests worldwide, several governments are taking measures to restrict privately made firearms without serial numbers.
Specifically, Europol organized a 3D printed firearms conference in the Hague last May (the first one in Europe), while the Biden administration called for an assault weapons ban and other measures to curb gun violence. Undoubtedly, 3D printed guns or gun parts that some people choose to create at home with their machines have increased concerns that homemade 3D guns could live up to their prematurely violent reputation.
How Many People Have Been Arrested for 3D Printed Guns?
In light of these events, 3DPrint.com began exploring recent 3D printed gun incidents and confirmed that over 90 people have been arrested in the last three years. The number of arrests is higher in countries like Canada, the U.S., and Australia, representing 18%, 44%, and 17% out of total arrests, respectively. As we dive more deeply into the emerging trends, it is noticeable that North America leads the arrest statistics, followed by Europe, and then Oceania.
However, it’s important to note that not every country reports all of its arrests, so there will be more than we accounted for. For example, in the U.S., arrest records are public, yet each state can determine whether they want them to be readily accessible. Even in states that consider arrest records to be public information, there may be exceptions, and some will not be released publicly. In countries like Australia, if a case attracts media attention, there is little a defendant can do to avoid the information getting published.
Because ghost guns and 3D printed guns in particular are almost impossible to trace, the job of law enforcement agencies to prosecute them is made even tougher. In the last decade, police forces found out several people were making guns at home with 3D printers as part of organized crime raids or investigations into other criminal activities. For instance, in May 2021, two men and one woman were arrested in the town of Keighley in the United Kingdom as part of an investigation into right-wing terrorism. All three were charged with possessing components of 3D printed weapons, and two were members of an online group where terror manuals and weapons guides were shared among neo-Nazis. As a result, they were all found guilty of terror offenses a year later and convicted.
3D printed gun parts. Image courtesy of Saskatoon Police Service.The Era of Homemade Firearms
Ever since 2013, when gun-rights activist Cody Wilson built the Liberator, the world’s first-ever 3D printed gun, he launched what would be known as an era of homemade firearms.
Using a Stratasys Dimension series 3D printer purchased on eBay, the then law student spend very little money to create the gun, using metal only for the firing pin, which strikes the primer of a cartridge to ignite the charge and fire the weapon.
From the public data available, we have noted that the number of arrests has gone up significantly since 2019. Only 15% of the total arrests for 3D printing guns occurred between 2013 and 2019. In October 2013, a man from Manchester, U.K., was arrested after police suspected he was making 3D printed components for what they called at the time “next-generation weapons.” Thought to be the first-ever seizure of 3D printed gun parts in the U.K. (and most likely the world), these, along with a 3D printer, were discovered during a gang raid as part of Challenger, one of the largest multi-agency operations to target organized crime in that city.
Then, in 2014, a man was arrested in Japan for possessing 3D printed handguns, after five devices were found during a police raid on his house.
The 27-year-old college employee from Kawasaki was charged for illegally possessing firearms made with 3D printers, marking the first such case in Japan, a country that takes pride in its low crime rate and has strictly regulated gun ownership.
Several cases followed, including at least five in Australia, eight in the U.S., as well as a few in Europe, including in Sweden and the U.K. But that was before 2020, when the number of arrestees began to increase from just a handful to more than a dozen. The number of arrests then doubled and tripled in 2021 and 2022 respectively, compared to the previous year.
2022: The Year of 3D Printed Gun Arrests
According to the data, 42% of all 3D printed gun-related arrests were in 2022, that’s roughly 44 people arrested. We also estimate that roughly 31% of all arrests occurred in 2021, and 12% in 2020. This jump in the number of 3D printed gun crimes detected through police activity has alerted law enforcement worldwide. During the International Conference on 3D Printed Firearms, organized by Europol and the Dutch National Police in the framework of EMPACT Firearms and hosted at the University of Leiden, some 120 participants from 20 countries addressed the latest challenges that security forces face to counter this threat.
The team leader of Europol’s Analysis Project Weapons and Explosives, Martin van der Meij, said at the conference that there is a growing number of 3D printed weapons being seized in investigations across Europe and that the threat is “very much on Europol’s radar.”
3D printed guns showcased at the International Conference on 3D Printed Firearms. Image courtesy of Europol.Across the Atlantic, President Joe Biden is trying to persuade a reluctant Congress to tighten gun laws in the aftermath of horrific mass shootings in recent weeks in the U.S. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been more than 240 mass shootings this year in the US in which four or more people were shot or killed. That’s not to say that 3D printed guns were involved in all of these events, but they have been found in a few of attackers’ homes in 2022 and earlier.
The U.S. hasn’t passed a major federal gun control measure since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut that left 26 dead.
Finding a middle ground to compromise over gun safety legislation will not be easy. In late May, President Joe Biden talked about banning most handguns. Then, on June 2, the House Judiciary Committee approved a wide-ranging package of gun control legislation called the “Protecting Our Kids Act.” The eight-bill package includes calls to raise the age limits on semi-automatic rifle purchases from 18 to 21 years old; creating a grant program to buy back large-capacity magazines; establishing voluntary, safe practices for firearms storage; and building on executive measures to ban bump stock devices and so-called ghost guns made with 3D printing.
Earlier this year, the Biden Administration said it would introduce ghost gun reforms to the 3D printing industry. Known as “Final Rule 2021R-05F,” this rule redefines firearm parts and bans the business of manufacturing the most accessible ghost guns. In addition, the rule will affect upper receivers, suppressors, and CAD files for 3D printing.
Even simple marketing materials—like instructions for how to assemble an 80 lower jig or how to mill an 80 percent lower receiver—may be rendered illegal at the sole discretion of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) on a case by case basis.
Whether partly or entirely manufactured with a 3D printer, these types of “ghost guns” are becoming a headache for many law enforcement agencies worldwide. Especially since many of the people arrested have been directly related to white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements. However, it will be difficult to curtail 3D printed guns, mainly since any efforts to regulate or even ban 3D guns must satisfy constitutional scrutiny under both the First and Second Amendments. So, even though the debate over 3D printed guns is far from over, the striking number of arrests in recent years is drawing attention from lawmakers and security forces, but where that trail will lead, we still don’t know.
Correction August 11, 2022: A previous version of this article began with the sentence “3D printed gun violence is on the rise.
” The phrase “3D printed” has been removed so as not to conflate the violence committed by some individuals who have owned ghost guns, including 3D printed firearms, with 3D printing itself.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Tagged with: 3d guns • 3D printed firearms • 3d printed gun • 3d printed gun parts • 3d printed guns • arrest • canadian 3d printed gun • danger of 3d printed guns • Europol • law enforcement • Liberator 3d printed firearm • police • President Biden
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
As 3D Printed Guns Evolve, So Does Their Threat
Published on November 11, 2022 by Claire S.
According to a report, 3D printed guns have become a compelling choice for criminals and a definite threat to security. In the UK, police made one of the largest seizures of 3D printed weapon components last month and warned of the discovery of a home factory in London where these were stored.
Weapons made using additive manufacturing generally have certain small components which can be printed at home using an ordinary desktop printer: this accessibility is a double-edged sword. Where it is a benefit of 3D printing as it allows people creative freedom to produce what they wish, in this case it is a cause for concern as it is by nature difficult to regulate.
As the technology improves, 3D printed guns have developed from being unreliable weapons to a ‘credible’ choice for criminals, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Matthew Perfect, head of the National Firearms Targeting Centre, says the latest weapons would pose a definite threat on the street. He suggests that the Covid-19 pandemic could have increased their appeal as international trade and transport was decreased and so people sought to purchase or produce domestically as an alternative method to border smuggling.
A box of 3D printed weapon components found by the Met Police during the raid. (Photo credit: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire/BBC News).
Currently only 80-90% of 3D printed guns are made using the technology. This is because the metal barrel, among other components, is usually made using traditional methods. However, it is possible that in the future as metal 3D printing improves, more of the gun could be made using this technology. Dr Rajan Basra, senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King’s College London, warns that these weapons are ‘moving into the mainstream’ and one model in particular comes with a 100-page manual and specific instructions for the user. In general, if you look on any website hosting open-source CAD files, users give extensive information to others about how precisely to make the product. This normally innocuous custom has therefore become a source of judicial concern.
3D printed weapons are not a new problem; they were invented back in 2012 in America, were legalized in the US a year later and have been involved in several crimes since, in the UK, Europe and the US among others.
Last year in the US, the Department of Justice proposed a motion to close a legal loophole related to 3D printed weaponry, to ensure they meet the regulatory standards and background checks necessary for traditional weapons. While illegal in the UK (as weapon production is illegal regardless of method), they are nevertheless popular for those who cannot obtain illicit firearms. However, it is the reported reliability of these new guns, as well as their status as automatic weapons which can shoot multiple bullets, which renders them a greater threat. Forces such as Europol are working to combat this threat.
In Australia this year, police found a fully functional 3D printed gun. (Photo credit: WA Police).
What do you think of this story? What do you think is the best way to deal with 3D printed weaponry? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
*Cover photo credit: Europol
3D printed weapons: myth or reality?
Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images
Is it possible to create a pistol, submarine or grenade launcher using 3D printing and without legal consequences? logos on a 3D printer is gradually entering the industrial circulation. Many are wondering what the potential of this technology is. In September 2020, an underground workshop was found in Spain with two 3D printers, an exact copy of an assault rifle, and parts of other weapons. The trial in this case was classified as “secret” for several months, and the incident became known in early April 2021. Do 3D printers really allow you to create weapons that can be used in practice, or are they just plastic models? nine0003
A real weapon or a plastic toy
Alexander Golovin, a 3D printing engineer, said that the materials used in printers are not engineering materials. They are unlikely to hold the structure in the case of the production of weapons or other heavy items.
The maximum that 3D printers are capable of so far is printing key rings, gifts and logos. Of course, you can also print a gun, but functionally it will not differ in any way from a children's plastic toy and it will not work to shoot from it. nine0003
The thing is that the material for a 3D printer is fragile and brittle. To create weapons, you need metal parts that could support the main warhead: the receiver, the barrel itself and the bolt. But you should not do this: for a fake design, you can get a real term.
Is it profitable to print weapons
Printed weapons are unlikely to pay off, and their production will take a long time. 3D printing of weapons on a metal printer will cost about ₽100 thousand. Meanwhile, a rifle in a store can be bought for ₽15 thousand. Of course, you will need to spend money on training and a safe, but it will still come out cheaper. nine0003
Even on the black market, the cost of such weapons is much less than the cost of entering the metal printing industry.
What's more, it's illegal, so the chance of a 3D weapon maker getting caught increases exponentially.
News about the successful 3D printing of weapons: fact and fiction?
Back in 2013, Solid Concepts printed the Colt 1911 metal pistol. However, this news raises many questions. The classic "colt" has a rifled barrel - it is impossible to print one. Plus, the model requires grinding and processing. nine0003
The news that the US Army has built a 3D grenade launcher is a little embellished. It is quite possible to print a model of a grenade launcher, because this weapon is a pipe - it does not matter what it is made of. But it is unlikely that a 3D printer will be able to print explosives or projectiles. Even if this succeeds, when used, the plastic case will scatter in different directions.
Another 3D printing experiment belongs to the US Navy. They printed a submarine. Alexander explained that, most likely, only some part of the submarine was created - it is impossible to restore it completely without aluminum.
The printed boat has a number of limitations related to the strength of the material and the loads it can take. Moreover, it is not known how well such a submarine will be able to dive into the water. nine0003
The editors of RBC Trends reminds that the development, production and storage of weapons and their main parts are subject to licensing in accordance with the Russian legislation on licensing certain types of activities. Illegal manufacture, alteration or repair of firearms and illegal manufacture of ammunition are criminal acts .
3D printed gun | Weapons printed on a 3D printer
With the help of 3D printing, you can make not only harmless souvenirs and trinkets. People did not limit themselves to the necessary mechanisms and things. Legislators were seriously worried, because enterprising designers and inquisitive minds tried to print weapons. And not just a model for cosplay, but a real one, capable of firing live ammunition. But most importantly, they succeeded! Therefore, it was necessary to introduce restrictions at the legislative level for the safety of people.
nine0003
Weapons were printed not only by professional devices capable of metal printing. And quite ordinary ones, printing using FDM technology. At the same time, it was possible to print not only prototypes of existing weapon models, but also to develop completely unique models.
3D printed weapons - analogues
The most famous printed versions of weapon analogues, wholly or partly, are:0046
Solid Concepts printed Solt M1911 printer. For this, an alloy of chromium, nickel and molybdenum called Inconel 625 was used. 2000 shots can be fired from this weapon. In this case, the number of misfires will be minimal.
A grizzly .22 plastic hunting rifle capable of firing 14 rounds, after which its barrel becomes unusable.
The weapon was built through trial and error on a Stratasys Dimension 1200e. nine0003
Other legally restricted options are hybrid systems of existing firearms.
New Designs
Many have gone further and have not tried to print existing models of weapons, but have tried to create new unique models. The most famous among them are:
- Liberator and Lulz Liberator
- Shutu-MP1
- Reprringer Pepperbox
The very first additive pistol was the Liberator. This iconic weapon appeared in 2013. It is completely printed on a Stratasys Dimension SST 3D printer, and its cost is about $10. The drawings of this device were freely available. The disadvantages of this weapon were that it gave a lot of misfires, and was only capable of one shot. The shortcomings have been eliminated in the improved Lulz Liberator model.
This plastic pistol is capable of firing up to 8 shots. Now the drawings are removed from the public domain. And the distribution and printing of Liberator is prohibited by law, although you can find a photo of it without problems. nine0003
There is a video on the Internet that shows the tests and characteristics of the combat Shut-MP1. This is a half-printed firearm, meaning it consists of an AR15 receiver and a printed plastic module.
Non combat printed weapons
This is not about cosplay, but about other options, such as, for example, airsoft guns and air pistols. The printing of such weapons can be carried out on conventional FDM printers. At the same time, there are samples of air rifles printed on 3D printers. This weapon may well be used even in competitions, and it is even capable of outperforming many analogues produced using classical technologies. This rifle has a light weight, a rate of fire comparable to market weapons and is equipped with a comfortable handle and stand.
