The reproduction of 3D-printed guns is compelling law enforcers and legislators to grapple with the shadowy face of available digital production.
What was initially a revolution in technology has turned into an area of concern, as firearm designs are shared openly on the internet. This allowed nearly anyone with a standard 3D printer to manufacture untraceable weapon components, popularly referred to as ghost guns.
Thingiverse Under Fire for Hosting Weapon Files
Thingiverse, the world's largest online platform for 3D printing designs. Tom's Hardware reported that a recent investigation conducted by the New York Police Department revealed that hundreds of gun files were being hosted on the site.
The files can be downloaded and employed to create operational components of firearms, without background checks, serial numbers, or control.
In turn, Thingiverse has introduced automated detection systems meant to prevent the uploading of gun blueprints from becoming public. However, with the size of file-sharing and the open-source ecosystem, experts indicate that these could be inadequate.
Regulators Push for Printer-Level Controls
To make enforcement more effective, government authorities are now putting pressure on 3D printer companies to step in. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has called on firms such as Bambu Lab to create AI-powered detection tools that can scan CAD (computer-aided design) files before a print job.
According to TechRadar, the aim is obvious: prevent illegal weapons at their point of origin by stopping them from being made in the first place. To do this, one would train machine learning algorithms to identify the shape of gun parts and block any effort to print them.
Forensic Experts Study 3D Printer Toolmarks
Police aren't just focusing on prevention. The investigators are also spending money on digital forensics to track 3D-printed firearms back to individual machines.
Researchers are studying toolmarks, including minute patterns created during printing. These involve nozzle paths, layer heights, extrusion parameters, and print velocities.
Though these marks do not identify a specific printer, they can usually reduce a list of suspects or associate a weapon with a particular model printer or proprietor. Characteristics like nozzle geometry, filament, print temperature, and bed adhesion strategies all impart subtle but unique signatures onto printed parts.
Ghost Gun Regulation Enters New Phase
The increasing popularity of ghost gun blueprints on the Internet has brought on a new era in the arms control debate, one in which law enforcement officials, technologists, and lawmakers will need to collaborate.
Even affordable, consumer-level 3D printers are now capable of printing functional firearm components, confusing the distinction between hobbyist technology and illegal gun making.
In 2015, the world's first-ever 3D-printed revolver was created. James Patrick, who was a mechanical engineering student that time, made the PM522 Washbear that can fire eight rounds between reloads.
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