Summary
Americans are posting videos about 3D-printed guns on the Chinese video app RedNote, despite the content being illegal in China.
While some users are uncomfortable with the topic, others see it as an opportunity for cultural exchange.
The future of TikTok remains uncertain as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the ban.
are 3D printed guns legal in the US?
Home made guns are legal (for the most part) as long as you are making them for yourself.
Until very recently, making a decent gun took a lot of skill, and was pretty dangerous if something wasn’t done correctly.
Part of the issue with gun laws is that gun parts, by themselves, are fairly unregulated. You can buy a gun barrel off the Internet with zero paperwork. You can buy optics, grips, springs, pins, etc without any regulations.
So you can print a gun frame, then buy everything else online, and it’s all perfectly legal… In most states… If you don’t resell, or do anything illegal with it.
The main catch is, if you can legally buy a gun, you can legally make that same gun.
If that gun would be illegal to buy, it’s also illegal to make (full auto, suppressed, high capacity, etc.) but the biggest problem is, with the rise of CNC machines, and high quality 3d printing, how would anyone know?
I used to lurk in s homemade gun forum back in the 00’s. My favorite was the yooper assault rifle made out of 2x4’s and hydraulic tubing with a grease nipple primer holder.
Yes, that’s my concern too. I’m in the UK and I have friends with 3D printers. Of course I know they wouldn’t 3D print a gun, but I’d also never know if they did and it’s a much bigger issue here
3d printing guns is a gimmick. You have been able to buy 80% lowers for years and years, it requires as much effort as setting up and dialing in a 3d printer, and the end result is a real gun made of real steel that will last forever.
It’s also more expensive. The use-case for 3d printed guns isn’t as an heirloom that you’re passing down. It’s either a niche hobby, a way of doing something illegal, or you’re running an insurgency(which I guess falls into the illegal territory lol) in which case, you don’t need something that’ll last forever, you need a tool for a job.
For personal use, if you sell one you need to serialize and register it.
Pretty much yes they are
Some places yes, some no. Mostly yes however.