Source: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand/ Source: Facebook
After Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey presented the 3D Printed Gun Safety Act in July 2021, it was formally introduced by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The major purpose of the measure is to prevent the internet circulation of designs for 3D printed firearms, hence reducing the rising anxiety over untraceable, handmade weaponry (ghost guns). Several other state officials, advocates for gun control, and members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) labour union, the Detectives’ Endowment Association, were present at the press conference where Gillibrand announced last week.
The 3D Printed Gun Safety Act was presented to the Senate in 2021 and read twice. After the measure has been read in the House and Senate, it is sent to the appropriate committee, in this case the Committee on the Judiciary. The committee can do more analysis of the bill, including holding hearings, collecting testimony from experts, and debating potential amendments. The committee’s findings and recommendations will determine whether the measure is sent to the Senate floor for a full vote or remains in the committee without further action, effectively stopping its development.
Traditional methods of gun control have failed to stop the spread of ghost firearms. Their parts may be purchased as “ghost gun kits” or 3D printed with the help of freely accessible CAD files. The increasing danger is underscored by the fact that these models can be obtained without background checks and may be able to evade detection by metal detectors due to their plastic construction.
Source: 3D Printed Guns with New Legislation/ Source: amNewYork
Twenty weapons were seized from crimes in Manhattan in 2022, an increase of 75% over the previous year’s total of seizures, according to data compiled by the NYPD. Since Mayor Eric Adams took office in January 2022, the NYPD has seized 8,500 illegal firearms, including 540 “ghost guns,” an increase of 76% from 2021. New York State Intelligence Centre statistics show that the number of recovered “ghost guns” increased by 135% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
This isn’t just a New York City phenomenon. Findings are consistent in major cities across the United States. The number of arrests related to 3D printed guns rose in 2021 and tripled in 2022, according to statistics collected by 3DPrint.com. In May of 2023, the NYPD made a record number of gun-related arrests, with 349 people being taken into custody and 284 guns confiscated.
In light of the “urgency,” Senator Gillibrand emphasised, “We need to do more at the federal level to stop 3D printed guns from ever being created in the first place.” The 3D Printed Gun Safety Act proposes a federal prohibition on selling and disseminating 3D printable gun plans. It’s not right for those who shouldn’t have guns to be able to print one with the click of a button. We can reduce the number of ghost weapons and the ease with which dangerous people may obtain them if we tighten down on the distribution of both the blueprints and the actual firearms.
Also read: Shapeway, a 3D printing platform, moves its listing from the NYSE to the Nasdaq
There is widespread approval for the bill. Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal of California stated how this federal move meshed well with a state law he co-drafted to make it illegal to make 3D printed and ghost firearms.
Bragg lauded Gillibrand’s work in pressuring the New York Assembly to pass a bill making providing files for 3D-printed firearms illegal. A similar bill, which would make it unlawful to exchange such digital models in New York, was announced by Bragg earlier this year.
Are the 3D Printed Gun a Possible new danger?
Concerns about the proliferation of new 3D printed gun-making technologies must be handled in a way that does not violate the rights guaranteed by the First and Second Amendments. The capacity to manufacture weapons without serial numbers poses a serious danger to public safety because it undermines the traditional processes law enforcement employs to trace and control firearms. When criminals or children are able to acquire firearms without undergoing background checks, this issue escalates.
To combat phantom weapons, Manhattan lawmakers joined the NYPD only days before Senator Gillibrand launched the 3D Printed Gun Safety Act. On June 2nd, new legislation was presented under Bragg’s leadership that would make it illegal to 3D printed Gun or weapons or firearm components. This measure, introduced during Gun Violence Awareness Month, would make it illegal to provide digital designs for weapon parts and would close loopholes in the manufacturing process.
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