Submitted 2 hours ago by Beep@lemmus.org to technology@lemmy.world
If they were smarter, which they are not, they would look to place restrictions on the slicer software. I doubt the printers even have the capability to recognize what is being printed. Most of them are like move left 3 steps, extrude .1mm of filament, move right 1 step…. yada yada yada.
This is just insanely dumb. They are essentially trying to regulate technology they know very little about.
This is why politicians should be automatically retired at 65. We shouldn’t be allowing people who grew up without seatbelts to make any decisions involving technology.
They are essentially trying to regulate technology they know very little about.
That’s not surprising, that’s just what politicians do. Especially politicians who are 65+ years old who are completely out of touch with technology.
I am reminded of a senator from Alaska trying to describe the internet as a series of tubes.
So in other words, what else is new?
The danger if this passes isn’t that someone will be able to successfully implement some manner of system for identifying gun parts which will, apparently, rely on pixie dust and magic. In reality this will effectively prohibit 3D printer sales in California entirely because compliance is literally impossible. And it’ll and give overreaching cops and prosecutors yet another nonsense charge they can arbitrarily slap people with over “circumventing” this mystical technology which does not in fact exist if they, ye gods forbid, build their own printer.
It’s the same horseshit rationale as the spent casing “microstamping” fantasy that legislators have been salivating about for decades. It doesn’t work, it’ll never work, but that’s not going to stop them from wishing it does and therefore turning it into a defacto ban.
Keep in mind, California also has the precedent of their infamous approved handguns list, which notoriously does things like arbitrarily declaring that the black version of some model of gun is legal, but possession of the stainless version of the exact same gun is a felony. We’re not dealing with people in possession of any type of rationality, here.
I was just talking with a friend about the microstamping idea. I’d never heard of it before.
They are essentially trying to regulate technology they know very little about.
You’re surprised that law makers are trying to regulate things they know nothing about? Oh…oh I have like 2000 years worth of news for you…
But….if someone sold a manually operated plastic extruder, that’s fine?
And if someone separately sold CAM software that’s fine too?
Just sayin’
This is stupid.
You easily tell who is 3D printing guns because they have one hand and bits of plastic barrel stuck in their faces.
“3d printing guns” isn’t about the pressure holding parts, it’s about the traceable serial number holding parts. On most firearms the “lower assembly” or “receiver” (frame, trigger group, feeding assy) is legally considered the firearm and is what bears the serial. Most of those can be printed and use off the shelf hardware to work, albeit with a much lower lifespan.
Pressure containing wear parts that are meant to be exchanged (barrel and breech bolt) typically do not carry serials and are thus not normally traceable. If you eliminate the serialized, traceable part of the firearm, then any collection of parts could be used.
That said, eliminating an entire hobby and industry because gun serialization laws haven’t been updated in a hundred years is probably not the right way to do it.
Is printing a lower less illegal than removing the serial number? Must be, otherwise what’s the point other than cost?
That doesn’t make much sense as a law against printers, since it’s far easier and just as illegal to grind off the serial numbers on a gun.
This is coordinated. Multiple states at the same time.
I don’t think it has anything to do with guns. Middle of the bell curve, most people aren’t using these for guns. They’re using these for right to repair. They’re using these for garage businesses. Shop businesses. Small businesses. (See: not corporate USA). Or for making/creatimg.
I’ve no doubt there are people sitting on some small slice of a tail on the bell curve who do print gun parts, but this is about corporate America.
It’s also a foot in the door dig on free and open source software.
It’s a way to block individual and small business from horning in on corporate America’s profit for a comparably tiny slice of their own.
Printing a knob to replace a broken on/off switch instead of buying a whole new item? Worse, selling that item or even just posting the pattern for free? We can’t have that.
Now, you’re bypassing my item’s proprietary system by printing…
Wait. I was able to sell threaded hand screw knobs for $5 each. Now you’re all just printing them? And the pattern is up there for free?
We need a law.
Great points, I think you’re on to something.
I think the old saying “Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity” doesn’t apply when malice and corporate interests are in alignment.
Now I’m curious to dig into who actually wrote the bill, and who are they financially supported by…
What are they going to do? Put IoT DRM in every stepper motor?
'Kay. They do know these things are barely capable of being networked, right?
I could make a working metal gun in a day with hand tools and a trip to home depot. Guns aren’t magical complicated devices. It’s a handle and a tube and a pin that smacks a bullet.
This bill is the epitome of stupid and one of the reasons the left has had so many issues becoming the party leaders. Stop trying to play “big brother” and stop trying to fuck with the 2nd amendment.
Wait so far these things are relatively trivial pieces of equipment in terms of software, no? Read instructions, move stepper motors/control heating elements.
So realistically what we’re looking at is hash based block lists for known firearm and parts designs, which would be trivial to circumvent by adding the equivalent of noop instructions to the .gcode files 🤷♂️
They’ll do anything but adopt firearm laws that are relevant and sensible.
Some poor government employee is going to see loooots of dildos
HEY CALIFORNIA DO YOU KNOW WHO IS LEADING THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RIGHT NOW????? WHY ARE YOU COMING UP WITH THIS AT ALL, LET ALONE WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION IN POWER??
Already contacted my assembly person to oppose it. I get the intent behind it, but theres no way im going to ask the government for permission to use my own hardware.
I dont even own a 3D printer yet, but I wouldn’t want to be subject to such a bad and dumb law if and when that changes.
Oh boy, what’s a good not too expensive 3d printer to buy right now, preferably all FOSS? It hasn’t been on my short term shopping list but I figure if I’m ever likely to want one, better get it now. I remember the original RepRap. I think modern stuff is a lot better, but might have more closed source software.
Prusa or Qidi. Avoid Bambu.
You can still get an Ender 3 (essentially the end result of RepRap). Every vendor has their own.
That said? If you buy a printer in 2025 (let alone 2026) and it does not have an integrated enclosure, you are opening yourself up to a world of hurt. The price difference isn’t that much anymore and even just having a box to hold the waste heat in solves like 90% of print problems.
Bambu are, above and beyond, the best bang for your buck. They ALSO are ahead of the curve on locking things down to support only their networked slicers. Which… is a huge concern with stuff like this.
Personally? I love the Qidi printers. I have a Q1 something or another and convinced a friend to get a different model. They use a semi-open fork of Klipper so you can theoretically make something work when it is abandoned. Which is good because the various CoreXY printers are no longer all based on the same standard so part kits aren’t (easily) interchangeable. And, of course, you can use Orcaslicer or whatever else you want.
Keep in mind that is all FDM. For Resin (SLA?), the ship has already sailed and people are genuinely happy to run slicers with literal fucking ads in them. Assuming the vendor doesn’t lock them out of even that garbage.
eli@lemmy.world 14 minutes ago