Democrats won’t officially take control of the House until next month, but that doesn’t mean anti-gun zealots won’t start their battle space prep and lay the seeds for their anti-gun work in the next few weeks. That way, the Democrats can hit the ground running in their valiant attempt to accomplish nothing.

A prime example is a bill Democrats just introduced. It seeks to ban 3D printed firearms.

Following the debate and legal actions surrounding 3D Firearms printing this summer a new bill has been introduced to Congress attempting to ban the sale, purchase and distribution of 3D printed firearms parts and to require homemade firearms to have serial numbers.

Back in August a ruling from the Justice Department clarified and essential ‘legalised 3D gun printing following a campaign against censorship of information led by Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation. This ruling quickly led to backlash and state and federal moves by representatives and federal judges to block the proliferation of 3D printed gun plans. Since then Cody Wilson, Defense Distributed’s founder, has been arrested and charged for having sex with an underage girl in Texas.

New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone, has now introduced fresh legislation to the House of Representatives. H.R. 7115, known as the ‘3D Firearms Prohibition Act’ was introduced in early November and is waiting to move to the committee stage with the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary.

Based on the text of the bill, it will also block incomplete receivers from being sold as well.

Of course, Pallone is deluding himself if he thinks this will have any meaningful impact.

First, there are already a number of these firearms in existence. The genie is out of the bottle, and you think people are just going to dispose of their printed guns because Uncle Sam tells them too? Not going to happen. These are often folks who internalized the phrase “cold, dead hands” and for good reason.

Second, let’s assume they grandfather those guns in somehow. How are you going to tell when a gun was printed? You can’t.

All of that ignores the reality that if criminals want these guns, they’ll get these guns. The files needed to create them have been all over the internet for months now. People who didn’t even want these kinds of firearms have them on their hard drives. They’re on torrent sites as well. They’re out there. Anyone who wants to print a gun only needs a 3D-printer. Since the government doesn’t control printer use in any way, nothing is stopping a group of criminals from printing out firearms for whatever reason.

In other words, this is an attempt to put the genie back in the bottle, and it’s not going to work.

More than that, though, it’s a time-waster. Even if the House passes this bill, there’s almost no chance that the Senate will. Not without something serious in return, and the Democrats aren’t going to be willing to deal. At least, not to the extent that would be required to get Senate Republicans willing to outrage their base.

And Pelosi and company know this. They know they’re not going to accomplish anything. They just want to look good for the cameras, get the news talk show circuit asking them for interviews, all so they can look like they’re going to accomplish something.

They’re not.

No, not even if they managed to get the bill to pass and get it signed by the president. Even then, they won’t accomplish much of anything.