I have designed several 3D printed firearms related items.
I designed and printed shims for my Winchester SX4 shotgun, (Winchester claimed they couldn’t design them and make them work), and I uploaded the .stls for the set so other shooters could make their guns fit better so they could hit targets better.
I also designed a 3D printed EZLoader for a SIG P365 pistol. Those 12 round double stack single feed magazines are nearly impossible to load without one. And I felt the commercial ones that cost $40 or more were too expensive. So I designed something simpler and cheaper you can make at home for yourself.
These designs came about because I discussed problems with other shooters on several different shooting forums. Does that make me a criminal? While neither of my designs are anything like a Glock switch, no one knows just how far the law could be stretched if wanted. And one thing everyone knows is just how ignorant police are about laws. Not to mention just how impossible it would be for the state of New York to police the entire internet in search of such files and discussions. They can’t even stop you from downloading a pirated copy of your favorite video game. This proposed law is more feel good theater than anything that can be considered effective.
And if what I could do with my 3D printer scares people, just imagine what I can do with my metal lathe, mill, and welders…
squaresinger@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Let me be clear: I wasn’t arguing for the law, only explaining how it will be likely used.
Depending on the exact content of the law and the first few precedences in court, what you are doing might or might not qualify.
Since you seem to only make attachments/utilities for commercial guns, it would be likely that that kind of activity is not covered by the law. Your guns are no “ghost guns”, they are commercial guns, legally purchased from a seller, with a registration number and everything. (I guess you purchased them legally.)
The gun is specifically targeting “ghost guns” that are created “at home” without registration numbers and stuff, so I don’t think that applies to you.
But who knows how exactly this is going to be applied.
Banning 3D printers for the purposes of stopping ghost guns is stupid, for the exact reason you named (lathe, mill, welders, …), especially because all of these tools are used for all sorts of stuff and creating guns isn’t their main purpose. The same cannot be said for the design files, no matter whether they are for a 3D printer, CNC machines or just a manual on how to build a gun the conventional way. The purpose of such design files is to create a gun, and that can be made illegal.
Whether it should or whether it would even help to stop ghost guns is another story.