California Arrests Two Women 3D Printing an AR-15 Lowe Receiver

[Wolfie]

You are mixing apples and oranges.

From the page you quoted from, the title of that section is..:
Q: Is it legal to assemble a firearm from commercially available parts kits that can be purchased via internet or shotgun news?

That section pertains to ASSEMBLING a firearm from pre-manufactured parts. 3D printing is actually manufacturing the parts by any definition I can think of. Different scenario than what the article refers to.

And, by chance did you read the VERY FIRST sentence in the article you quoted from? Here it is:

For your information, per provisions of the Gun Control Act (GCA) of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, an unlicensed individual may make a “firearm” as defined in the GCA for his own personal use, but not for sale or distribution.

By the way, the ATF bolded those words. Not me.

That statement verifies what I have said all along. You can make a gun. You can't then sell or give it away unless its properly marked and serialized.

[Have Blue]

That section refers to assembling parts from a parts kit, where the user has to supply their own receiver (which they have to 'manufacture').

And yes, I did read the very first sentence - you may not make a firearm _for_ sale or distribution - you can only make one _for_ yourself. That is the 'intent'. However, you can then later on (a rule of thumb I've heard is at least a year) sell it if you wanted - the original 'intent' to make it solely for yourself has not changed.

Note the second paragraph of that FTB letter I linked to:

Also, for your information, a nonlicensee may manufacture a semiautomatic rifle for his or her own personal use. As long as the firearm remains in the custody of the person who manufactured it, the firearm need not be marked with a serial number or name and location of the manufacturer. However, if the firearm is transferred to another party at some point in the future, the firearm must be marked in accordance with the provisions set forth in 27 CFR 478.92 (formerly 178.92).