How the US Plans to Stop 3D Printed Gun Switches
- 列印專門店 瑞思3D
- Sep 18, 2024
- 2 min read
by Carolyn Schwaar
Published Sep 10, 2024
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
The additive manufacturing industry secures a seat at the table regarding federal initiatives to halt 3D printing of gun parts.
Among the solutions local, state, and federal authorities in the US have proposed to curb the use of 3D printers for fabricating small parts known as “switches” that are used to convert legal guns into machine guns, is banning 3D printer sales to consumers without a background check.
That proposal by New York State Assemblyperson Jenifer Rajkumar in 2023 is still pending, but it was a wake-up call for 3D printer manufacturers to get involved in the discussion.
Last week, US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and representatives of the ATF (the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) held a meeting and press conference with “representatives of the additive manufacturing” industry, according to statements, to announce new measures to combat 3D printed switches, also called machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) or auto sears.
About an inch long, switches are made of metal or plastic and can be slotted into the butt of a handgun to enable the shooter to fire dozens of rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Once modified, these types of guns are illegal.
While most legislative efforts focus on banning switches, New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie recently introduced legislation that would outlaw the sale of guns that could be easily modified by switches.
In her remarks, Monaco thanked representatives from the 3D printing industry for coming together to address the abuse and misuse of technology to accelerate violence. “Thank you for your engagement over the last year as we work together to identify ways to get these deadly devices off our streets.”
The Assistant Attorney General’s first step in a plan to curb switch production is to establish a committee, the Justice Department’s Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machinegun Conversion Devices (ANTI-MCD), to study strategies to address the MCD threat.
Although the committee will not include representatives of the additive manufacturing industry, their invitation to the launch announcement may be taken as a sign that 3D printer manufacturers have secured an avenue for input on future legislation.
“We need to engage software developers, technology experts, and leaders in the 3D printing industry to identify solutions in this fight,” Monaco said in her remarks at the meeting. “Combating this threat will take all of us — industry, academia, and government — working together. Because, you know your industries and this technology better than anyone.”
Monaco urged the additive manufacturing industry to keep MCD non-proliferation at the forefront of R&D effortsto ensure that 3D printing technology “isn’t being used to harm communities.”
Source: all3dp
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