Society
Is it legal to 3D print a gun? Here's what the law says about the weapon found on Luigi Mangione
While there is no federal law prohibiting the fabrication or possession of 3D printed guns, states have implemented their own controls on “ghost guns.”
Authorities apprehended Luigi Mangione as a person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week. He was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, some 300 miles from the scene of the crime, on Monday.
When he was taken into custody, Mangione reportedly had several false IDs, a written manifesto criticizing healthcare companies and a “ghost gun” along with a silencer. The firearm may have been homemade, fabricated using a 3D printer according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Is it legal to 3D print a gun? Here’s what the law says about the weapon found on Luigi Mangione
Federal rules on 3D printed guns are somewhat vague but there is currently no federal law against the fabrication or possession of what the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) calls ‘privately made firearms’ (PMFs). However, some states have enacted legislation to regulate 3D printing of guns and sixteen states have a ban on “ghost guns,” including New York.
It is a criminal offense to produce, sell, transport or possess 3D printed firearms in New York. Legislation was introduced in the State Assembly last year that would require criminal background checks for anyone who wanted to purchase a 3D printer capable of making firearms or their components.
At the federal level, the ATF says that “individuals who make their own firearms may use a 3D printing process or any other process, as long as the firearm is “detectable” as defined in the Gun Control Act.” While federal firearm licensees are required to mark PMFs with a unique serial number, those who make their own that “are not engaged in the business of making firearms for livelihood or profit,” do not have to add one.
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