Slashdot Mirror

There's currently nothing illegal about making your own guns with other methods, why should we worry about 3D printers making the parts for them?

BATFE is already moving on this front to make it unlawful. They have started by going after the gun build parties which use CNC machines.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunf...

If there's anything that'll push forward legal restrictions on 3D printers/home CNC, it'll be assholes like this making a media push over how easy it is to make weapons and OMG THE CHILDREN.

BATFE has already starting to move forward on making home machining of a firearm unlawful without a federal firearms license. It is a small step from "the ATF now considers providing someone a pre-programmed CNC machine with fixtures in place as "manufacturing"" to 3D printing machines.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunf...

a: An FFL7 (which is what Defense Distributed got), once they complete some additional tax paperwork, allows them to make and sell semiautomatic rifles like any other manufacturer. And there are lots of small manufacturers these days. Heck, there is one in Napa, CA, if you want a fine, vintage 2013 AR-15 with "Made in Napa, CA" printed on the side.

b: Plastic AR lower receivers are old news. There is a lot of panic buying of AR rifle components thanks to Dianne Feinstein's salesmanship, but the plastic lowers are readily available.

You can even get a 5-pack for $400!.

Distributed Defense's sales, if any, are going to be those wanting to support their R&D, as there is no way they can compete with the existing aluminum lowers, let alone existing plastic ones, on price or quality for a given price.

c: There are a lot of businesses which legally help you make your own gun. EG, you buy an 80% lower (a not completed lower receiver) which the ATF does not consider to be a gun and then you finish it yourself by renting some milling machine time and doing it yourself. Until its finished by the purchaser, its a paperweight, not a gun.

d: Some guy has even managed to do a home-made polymer lower using molding techniques.

An excellent organization fighting for freedom, and entertaining forums with information on safety and legal compliance in California: www.calguns.net New shooters are welcomed and generally provided with sound advice, with an emphasis on safety and training. (Though of course this is still the internet, and there are exceptions, in general I find this to be true.)

I got a few of the details mixed up. There's a guy that supposedly repelled four hammer-wielding trannies on a train that were stomping and kicking a guy in a subway car. The story's here.

However, a P90-length-barrel PS90 is a different class of NFA item. It's an SBR (Short Barrelled Rifle), which you can make any time you want, as long as you jump through the appropriate hoops with the ATF first and your state doesn't prohibit it. It's actually pretty easy to get an SBR approved in most places. A rough guide is that it'd cost about $200 in paperwork fees to make a new one, or $5 to transfer one that's already been made.

Suppressors are another class of NFA item which, on a federal level, can still be legally purchased after the requisite paperwork is filled out. Your state's prohibitions may vary.

Here in California, for instance, they really don't want us to have any NFA items, but a select few classes (destructive devices like cannons / tanks, short-barrelled shotguns derived from curio+relic shotguns, etc) can be done in California provided that you're very careful about the laws when doing so. (Californians: hit http://www.calguns.net/ for further details, no need to threadjack further)

Lest the entire San Francisco bashing party begin, let it be known there are a lot of us who live here in the SF Bay Area who are 2nd Amendment supporters and firearms enthusiasts. Come visit us on http://www.calguns.net/ before jumping to any conclusions that we're all gun-hating crazies. :)