3D printed weapons are increasingly sophisticated, cheap and dangerous

3D printed weapons are becoming increasingly sophisticated, cheap, efficient and, above all, dangerous. Today, it is already possible to print most of the components of a 9mm semiautomatic rifle without leaving home, for a cost of US $ 350 (about R $ 1.9 thousand), which even includes the printer in the United States.

The printing of weapons in 3D is not exactly new, with the first records dating back to 2013, however, it was low-quality artifacts, made in plastic and that had the characteristic of exploding after firing just one shot. However, the projects evolved quickly, making it possible to print assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols.

However, until recently, some essential parts for the operation of a weapon, such as a trigger and magazine, needed to be purchased separately, which is relatively easy in countries with permissive arms laws, such as the United States, however, weapons printing in countries with stricter laws, such as Germany and Brazil.

But that has changed and today even these parts can be made at home, requiring only the purchase of a metal pipe, which is easily found in hardware stores, which also helped to reduce production costs, which in the United States are around US $ 100.

3D printed weapons are outside any regulatory system. Credit: Patricio Cárpena on Pixabay

Ghost weapons

One of the greatest fears of scholars at Arizona State University in the United States is the lack of “fingerprints” of 3D printed weapons. This is because mass-produced weapons are subject to regulation and given a serial number, which makes it possible for them to be traced.

When a gun is printed in 3D, it is out of any regulatory system, and it can fall into the hands of anyone, even someone who is prohibited from legally purchasing a gun because of a criminal record, for example.

Because of the ease and increasingly low production costs, weapon designs for 3D printing are becoming increasingly popular in online forums, one of the most popular already having more than 27,000 members.

In addition, tutorial videos have been posted on social networks, such as TikTok, and even on adult entertainment sites, such as Pornhub.

Source: Futurism and Slate