3D printers turn regular guns into machine guns. Feds are cracking down. – In 39 minutes, for 40 cents in materials, they had printed a piece of plastic that could sell on the street for hundreds of dollars. It could also land you in prison for 10 years.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/09/06/feds-launch-machine-gun-crackdown/75055540007/
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From the article
>On Friday, ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced new initiatives to crack down on the proliferation of 3D-printed “machinegun conversion devices,” MCDs, that may resemble a bottle opener or Lego, but convert semi-automatic rifles and handguns into guns capable of illegal automatic fire.
>At ATF’s research facility, firearms enforcement officers are just as fluent in calibers and rates of fire as “slicing” or the process of converting a digital model into printing instructions for a 3D printer.
>In 39 minutes, for 40 cents in materials**,** they had printed a piece of plastic that could sell on the street for hundreds of dollars. It could also land you in prison for 10 years.
>”MCDs can transform a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities,” Monaco said. “The proliferation of these MCD devices requires our immediate and sustained attention.”
>Monaco announced [a new Department of Justice committee](https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/deputy-attorney-general-lisa-monaco-delivers-remarks-combating-production-unlawful) to develop strategies on the devices; a training protocol for law enforcement to spot and seize the devices; and a U.S. attorney-led effort to prioritize cases involving the devices.
Just a friendly reminder the gun debate is for boomers we print guns not buy them anymore….
The headline just reads as fear mongering. A chisel also turns a stick into a spear
Glock switches. That’s what we’re talking about here.
for all of the outlandish headline and description, we’re talking about Glock switches. which are one of the easiest ways to get yourself a felony in this country. and everybody knows it.
additionally, a 3D printed Glock switch is not going to last anytime at all when installed. The plastic isn’t strong enough to handle that kind of abuse.
real Glock switches require more advanced materials and tools.
nobody with a 3D printer is out there creating street sweepers. The hysteria is completely unjustified. for that matter, the whole concept of ghost guns is just a political talking point designed to scare people.
saved you a click.
You can make an AR full auto with a wire hanger and people have known about that for decades. I don’t think it’s going to be a wide spread issue.
Brought to you by the same geniuses that claimed you could convert an airsoft gun into an assault rifle.
You could also do this with sheet metal, a printer to print a guide to trace the outline, a hacksaw and various misc. tools. This isn’t really anything new. Glock switches has been a thing since maybe glock 17.
In fact you can also do that with an AK-47 and an AR-15. Anybody willing to 3D print this, already considered trying to make their own gun another way. Remember Shinzo Abe?
As long as hardware stores are available, there’s really no way to stop ghost guns or illegal modifications like pistol braces or bump stock. I’ve even seen home made barrels with Electromechanical Machining (ECM) rifling. Can you really stop unmarked cylindrical metal from being sold?
There’s really no way to stop this and the barrier to do this will just be lower and lower the longer time goes on. Maybe if you can get a CCP style surveillance that can predict people trying to do it, but that’s hard AF.
A point of weakness is making their own ammunition, primers, gunpowder and casing is hard to make. But people will find a way.
You wouldn’t steal a car would you? Illegal downloading is stealing.
American Gun Culture. Guns and $ before country men.