New Bill Prohibiting 3D Printed Firearms Introduced to Congress
Following the debate and legal actions surrounding 3D Firearms printing this summer a new bill has been introduced to Congress attempting to ban the sale, purchase and distribution of 3D printed firearms parts and to require homemade firearms to have serial numbers.
Back in August a ruling from the Justice Department clarified and essential ‘legalised 3D gun printing following a campaign against censorship of information led by Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation. This ruling quickly led to backlash and state and federal moves by representatives and federal judges to block the proliferation of 3D printed gun plans. Since then Cody Wilson, Defense Distributed’s founder, has been arrested and charged for having sex with an underage girl in Texas.
New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone, has now introduced fresh legislation to the House of Representatives. H.R. 7115, known as the ‘3D Firearms Prohibition Act’ was introduced in early November and is waiting to move to the committee stage with the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressman Pallone’s bill, the ‘3D Firearms Prohibition Act’, seeks to:
prohibit the sale, acquisition, distribution in commerce, or import into the United States of certain firearm receiver castings or blanks, assault weapon parts kits, and machinegun parts kits and the marketing or advertising of such castings or blanks and kits on any medium of electronic communications, to require homemade firearms to have serial numbers, and for other purposes.
The bill also seeks to make changes in the language of current federal firearms regulations to ensure that even non-3D printed homemade firearms “have a permanent unique serial number from a licensed dealer” and are reported to the ATF. The bill would also introduce the requirement of a background check for those looking to make firearms at home.
In a press release announcing the launch of the Bill back in November, Pallone said:
Given the gun violence epidemic plaguing our communities, the last thing our country needs is an unregulated and untraceable source of lethal firearms. We need sensible solutions to reduce gun violence, not AR-15s available at the stroke of a fingertip.
The ‘3D Firearms Prohibition Act’ has not yet been co-sponsored by other representatives.
Managing Editor: TheFirearmBlog.com & Overt Defense.com. Matt is a British historian specialising in small arms development and military history. He has written several books and for a variety of publications in both the US and UK. Matt is also runs The Armourer's Bench, a video series on historically significant small arms. Here on TFB he covers product and current military small arms news. Reach Matt at: matt@thefirearmblog.com
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When the fear broke out about 3D guns years ago, you know, it showed how many people had no idea what can be done with pretty basic or even primitive traditional mfg. I was like “LOL, n00bs.” It was funny but scary, showed how much disagreement there is over the RKBA that we haven’t even realized and had a national hysterical shouting match about yet. Same with ghost guns basically. Despite the 30-clip-magazine guy’s best efforts, it showed more about what’s legal and possible that hasn’t been freaked-out about than what has.
Long story short *sigh* so it begins. I wish the pro-gun side had our soul in better shape, so we could enjoy this, but we’ve got problems. We’ve got frauds who think they’re wrangling us for a political party and we’ve got sincere mediocrities who conflate the cause with other random baggage.
When I was 14yo, I made a "gun" out of a 6" piece of Galvanized pipe, a "T" fitting and two male plugs. The plug in line with the pipe was my breech block and the other just closed off that hole. I drilled a small hole at the joint between the two plugged holes for the Cherry Bomb fuse. That little gun (cannon?) held in a vice would drive a marble out of sight when elevated at about 45 degrees. There's no doubt in my mind I could have fabricated some sort of holding apparatus to make it portable. I discontinued development when my mom asked if I had any idea why there was so many Pecan leaf pieces under a certain tree right outside the door of my dad's shop. Who needs a plastic printed gun?