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onehandle

(51,122 posts) Mon Dec 9, 2013, 08:50 PM Dec 2013

Senate extends gun ban; rejects bid to address 3-D plastic firearms

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - The U.S. Senate gave final approval on Monday to a bill to renew a ban against firearms that can pass undetected through metal detectors, but rejected calls to update the law in response to the advent of plastic guns made with 3-D printers.

On a voice vote, the Democratic-led Senate passed the bill, which would extend for 10 years the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988.

The Republican-led House of Representatives approved the bill last week and, like the Senate, refused to pass tougher provisions opposed by the powerful gun industry.

President Barack Obama is expected to quickly sign the legislation into law before the current ban expires at midnight.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/10/us-usa-congress-guns-idUSBRE9B900Q20131210?p=BRE9B900R

4 replies

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Senate extends gun ban; rejects bid to address 3-D plastic firearms (Original Post) onehandle Dec 2013 OP

I wonder how many undetectable firearms pipoman Dec 2013 #1

Funny. Hopefully there isn't yet a proliferation of undetectable firearms not being detected. truthisfreedom Dec 2013 #2

Where there is a will, there's a way. CFLDem Dec 2013 #3

We're still in the "386" era of personal 3D printers Xithras Dec 2013 #4

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

1. I wonder how many undetectable firearms

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2013, 08:57 PM

Dec 2013

have been found under this law?

truthisfreedom

(23,157 posts)

2. Funny. Hopefully there isn't yet a proliferation of undetectable firearms not being detected.

Reply to pipoman (Reply #1)

Mon Dec 9, 2013, 09:07 PM

Dec 2013

Hopefully the plastics used in 3D printers will remain weak enough to be a hindrance to a successful design. Right now, the plastic firearms built with 3D printers are dangerous enough to the user to deter screwing around with them, outside of the 'jackass' types, who I don't see as serious criminals.

CFLDem

(2,083 posts)

3. Where there is a will, there's a way.

Reply to truthisfreedom (Reply #2)

Mon Dec 9, 2013, 09:25 PM

Dec 2013

Printed guns is the dark side we pay for the miracle technology that is 3D printing.

We can try to ban it but this is one genie that isn't, and shouldn't, be put back into its bottle.

Expect a proliferation of X-ray type machines in public spaces to detect these new guns and whatever else can be printed.

Then again the user could just print a gun that looks nothing like the sort.

Xithras

(16,191 posts)

4. We're still in the "386" era of personal 3D printers

Reply to truthisfreedom (Reply #2)

Tue Dec 10, 2013, 01:14 PM

Dec 2013

They are expensive, slow, and the resolution is terrible. In another decade or so, these things will be half their current price, and will spit out "copies" that are almost identical to the originals.

But your point about high quality plastics may be moot soon anyway, as this technology is about to make guns freely available to anyone with a computer. In case you missed it, a university in Michigan announced yesterday that they had managed to build 3D printer that can create objects out of steel. The printer costs less than $1500 to build, and they put the full plans for the device online.

In other words, anyone with a little bit of technical skill can now print parts for any gun they want. Regulating guns is about to get a LOT more challenging.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10507574/US-researchers-develop-low-cost-metal-3D-printer.html

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