5 Ways Law Is 'Taking Up Arms' Against 3-D Guns
A look at how lawmakers are looking to put a halt to efforts to publish 3-D gun blueprints on the Web.
August 03, 2018 at 08:00 AM
3 minute read
The Liberator gun, designed by Defense Distributed. Photo: Vvzvlad/Wikimedia Commons To say that 3-D guns is a divisive issue is an understatement. Since the State Department's June settlement with Defense Distributed allowing it to publish blueprints for a 3-D gun on a website, the prospect of placing guns just a few clicks away from an individual's hand has come under fire from both courts and legislators. |
1. AGs' Full-Blown (Legal) Assault
Like many contentious battles involving technology, legal challenges are coming from the states. 3-D guns are no exception, and filed a lawsuit to stop a Texas company from publishing instructions for printing a 3-D gun online. In addition to D.C., the plaintiffs are the states of Washington, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. |
2. Congressional Call to Arms
Challenges are arising in other arenas as well. Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts tweeted last week about Co-authored by Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, the bill is intended to modernize the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988. Cicilline noted in a statement that 3-D guns “are virtually undetectable by modern security devices used in airports, schools, and other would-be targets for mass shooters.” |
3. Pennsylvania's Prevention of 3-D Pistols
Some lawmakers and law enforcement are addressing 3-D guns at the state level. when Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Gov. Tom Wolf and the state police department filed a federal lawsuit against Defense Distributed to prevent the release of the gun blueprints. For now, the 3-D weapons aren't available in the state. Defense Distributed agreed to make its website inaccessible to state residents after an emergency federal court hearing in Pennsylvania on Sunday. |
4. New Jersey Says No
Pennsylvania isn't the only state addressing the situation at the state level. In a letter to Defense Distributed , New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said that providing New Jersey residents with 3-D gun blueprints . The company responded by suing Grewal . For now, Grewal seems to be getting his way. On Tuesday, a state judge ordered Defense Distributed to refrain from publishing blueprints for New Jersey residents, and later in the day ordered a halt to the release nationwide. Defense Distributed agreed, at least until a September hearing. |
5. A Loaded Letter From 21 AGs
The State Department may have settled with Defense Distributed, but some think they can do better—21 attorneys general, to be exact, and they're singing their tune to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a letter urging the State Department to withdraw from the settlement. They write that the settlement, as well as rules it proposed for printing, will “facilitate violations of federal and state laws,” such as those that “regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, and export of firearms.”
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