Downloadable Guns

What is the problem?

Downloadable guns, or 3-D printed guns, are serious threats to our communities. With a 3-D printer and access to the computer schematics, anyone can build an untraceable firearm without a background check.

Anyone can print their own firearm or the parts for the firearm with a commercially available 3-D printer. All they need is the computer code, a printer, and the plastic printing materials—no background check required. These plastic guns evade metal detectors and exist completely outside the federal firearms licensee system. This makes it easy for individuals to carry these firearms with them anywhere, any time.

Do-it-yourself, downloadable guns are incredibly dangerous.

Not only do plastic firearms easily pass through metal detectors, but these downloadable guns undermine laws that block gun access to domestic abusers and violent extremists. Downloadable guns allow people to own guns without undergoing a background check. This puts communities in danger. 3D-printed guns are “ghost guns.” They have no serial number. This makes it impossible for law enforcement to trace 3D-printed guns if they’re used in crimes. In other words, they’re a gun trafficker’s dream. While we don’t know how many 3-D guns are in circulation, we do know ghost guns as a whole comprise a significant proportion of the crime guns recovered by law enforcement. Without the right protections in place, downloadable guns will become an insidious source of violence in this nation.

By the numbers

$150

A basic 3-D printer that can be used to print guns can cost as little as $150.

stat

600k

Nearly 600k consumer 3-D printers were sold in 2018.

stat

Ghost Guns Regulated

13 states have adopted this policy

Stop Downloadable Guns

Downloadable guns, or 3-D printed guns, are serious threats to our communities. The key to stopping the spread of downloadable guns is to stop the spread of the computer code that is used to 3-D print the firearm or its parts.

Featured Resources

Ghost Guns Recoveries and Shootings

Everytown Research & Policy has collected examples of reported murders and shootings using ghost guns since 2013.

Data Tracker

ATF & the Rising Threat of Ghost Guns

Ghost guns are emerging as a weapon of choice for criminals, gun traffickers, extremists, and others banned from legally buying firearms.

Fact Sheet

Untraceable: The Rising Specter of Ghost Guns

Ghost guns are do-it-yourself, homemade guns made from easy-to-get, unregulated building blocks.

Report