When the 3D printing of complete firearms became a thing, it was clear that any hope gun control had of working was effectively dashed. Sure, some are now looking at restricting printers as if they're guns themselves, but that's not remotely likely to work either. The truth is that, as was said in the 2005 film Serenity, "You can't stop the signal."
And a Georgia man just pled guilty in a case that utterly proves that fact.
See, we all know that nothing is as tightly controlled as NFA items such as suppressors and machine guns. While we can still get suppressors without that much of a hassle, relatively speaking, machine guns are unicorn items for most of us, costing insane sums on top of the burden of just getting the paperwork to own one.
And yet, this guy was making both with a 3D printer.
A man from Lizella, Georgia, pleaded guilty to various gun charges after posting videos of him using 3D-printed machine guns and silencers on social media.
“3-D printed machineguns and silencers pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities by increasing the access of illegally manufactured rapid-fire weapons to potentially dangerous individuals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “I applaud our local and federal law enforcement partners for shutting down this clandestine machinegun manufacturing operation.”
Making and using 3D-printed suppressors is not illegal. After submitting a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 1, paying a $200 fee, passing a background check, and receiving a tax stamp, any American in a state where silencers are allowed can make a suppressor. A metal plate with a serial number must also be affixed to the device’s tube.
Twenty-year-old Jaden Michael-William Pope was arrested for printing machine guns and suppressors on four 3D printers in his bedroom. Authorities didn’t say if all the guns were machine guns or machine gun conversion devices such as a Yankee Boogle. However, at least one device was a Glock switch, which converted a Glock pistol from a semiautomatic firearm to a fully automatic gun.
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Police were tipped off about the technical college student’s activities by a confidential informant who saw videos of the 3D-printed firearms. Pope also posted videos and pictures of the devices on his Facebook page, which was used as evidence against him. Police were already investigating the man for stealing firearms out of parked cars. Police viewed the videos and contacted the ATF. The Bureau examined the evidence and determined it had enough to move forward with an arrest. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia secured an arrest and search warrant for the man and his home.
Now, neither of these devices is legal to own without ATF approval, and yet, here we are.
The only reason they caught this guy was because it's pretty clear that he was a functional moron. He posted this stuff all over the place and, unsurprisingly, someone who saw the videos realized they were illegal and reported him to the police.
But the ability to print these things is there for anyone who wants to. The files aren't particularly difficult to find, either, which means anyone so inclined can make their own full-auto switches and suppressors.
Yes, it's illegal, but for those interested in breaking the law, so what?
It's been widely reported that UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder was conducted with a 3D-printed gun, but reports also note that he'd 3D-printed his suppressor, too.
The signal is out there and no one can stop it.
What that means is that if we're going to stop violent crime, there's even less hope now of gun control accomplishing it's stated goal. That means if gun grabbers are serious, they should start looking at other avenues for achieving those goals.
Of course, I think we all know that's not really the goal, don't we?
