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Issues

Downloadable Guns

    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.

      Why is it an issue?

      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

      What are the solutions?

      Featured Resources

      Did you know?

      Besides a 3-D printer, the only other material needed to print a gun is one spool of ABS filament, which generally costs $20.

      Everytown for Gun Safety. “The Danger of Downloadable Guns”. Everytown for Gun Safety. (2020). https://bit.ly/2Xac2ey