Homemade firearms are spreading faster than governments can keep up. For many gun designers, that’s the idea.
Homemade weapons have been around for centuries, but the appearance of 3D-printed firearms a decade ago revolutionized how guns are acquired and distributed on a global scale.
My colleague and I investigated the growth of one gun in particular, the FGC-9, which law enforcement officials say is by far the most popular around the world.
But this gun is only one iteration of the 3D-printed firearm phenomenon.
How Hard Is It To Make a Gun?
It’s getting easier, but it still requires a lot of technical know-how.
Those unfamiliar with guns and 3D printing might imagine some futuristic printer that produces a fully made firearm with the click of a button. The reality is a little different.
Three-dimensional printing makes it much easier for the average person to quickly, and relatively cheaply, build a gun’s receiver or some of its components. The receiver is akin to the frame of the gun.
Other parts, including the bolt, recoil spring and barrel are usually metal and so are far harder to build with a 3D printer. Some websites sell barrels and bolts, so a person can buy these items and print the rest — almost like a lethal Lego set.
Share
Print
