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You Can't Print a Gun If You Have No 3D Printer
FatLittleMonkey writes "You may recall Cody Wilson's project to create a 3D printed gun, mentioned previously on Slashdot. Well, the Defense Distributed project has suffered a decidedly non-technical setback, with printer manufacturer Stratasys revoking the lease and repossessing the printer (presumably prying it from plastic models of Cory's cold dead hands). According to New Scientist, the manufacturer cited his lack of a federal firearms manufacturer's license as their reason for the repossession, adding that it does not knowingly allow its printers to be used for illegal purposes." Homemade firearms are not (in the U.S.) per se illegal on a federal basis, though states have varying degrees of regulation. It would be helpful if anyone more conversant with firearms law than me can point out what law or laws this project might be breaking.
Sure. You SAY it's not illegal. How confident are you in that? Are you willing to go to jail to get the opportunity to prove it?
Gun control law is illogical, inconsistent, and subject to huge penalties and stigmas (do you want 'arrested on weapons charges, 2012' on your resume, even if you are cleared?).
Our favorite chaps at the ATF technology branch, do not argue, do not hold to notions of 'common sense' or 'mens rea' and they have absolutely no sense of humor. They have reversed themselves several times, officially declared things like shoelaces and pot scrubbers to legally be machine guns, and do not shy away whatsoever from upholding the full absurdity of the law as they see it. Even if this makerbot guy claims to be doing something legal, what happens when he accidentally breaks the law? All it takes is a typo, slightly different interpretation, or few milimeters of material in the wrong place to put you in federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison. People have gone to jail because their gun malfunctioned (wiki:David Olofson), had their wives and dogs shot for allegedly cutting slightly too much off of a gun barrel (wiki:Randy Weaver).
There's a reason companys like eBay and craigslist shy away from allowing even very obviously legal items--even gun accesories like holsters--to be traded on their sites--our lords at the ATF have no sense of humor.