Japanese Man Arrested for Possession of 3D Printed Guns

[Eddie]

Imura, a 27 year old man in Japan was arrested for possession of 5 3D printed guns, including the ZigZag Revolver. He printed them on a $589 3D printer, and had created a video of himself shooting blanks out of it. It should be interesting to see what the courts in Japan decide for a punishment. More details on this story at http://3dprint.com/3373/3d-printed-gun-arrest/



This again brings up the debate on what should be done to people that 3D print guns.

[Roxy]

I didn't realize there were so many flavors??? That UT Law Student released the Liberator, but I thought that was the end of it?

[Maggie]

I think this will eventually become one of those thing in which the government will lose control of. As 3d software progresses, it will be easy to create these things. They can make owning one illegal, but if you keep it in your house there is likely no way anyone will find out. I'm not advocating printing one out, just saying the Government isn't going to have very much control unless they take away our rights.

[CaptainObvious]

Any half decent workshop can make a better "gun" than any 3D printer available to the general public can since the year dot. Heck, around this parts technical student gangs shoot at each other with "guns" that are little more than a steel pipe with a screw-on breech, pop in a round, aim in the very general direction of the target, bang.

Making something that can shoot a bullet is not a terribly complicated feat of engineering, making something that you can wield, aim and use repeatedly without it blowing up in your face is the difficult thing. With 3D printers the last part is the main stumbling block, you just can't make a gun barrel out of thermoplastics, fuggedaboutit. So in the end this guy had something that looked like a gun(s), that could go bang bang shooting blanks, little more than a cap gun you can buy in a toy shop.

[Brian_Krassenstein]

Well the Japanese courts handed down a sentence today for Imura. Unless appealed he will serve 2 years in prison for 3D printing 2 separate firearms. More details on this verdict/Sentence can be found here: http://3dprint.com/20019/sentence-imura-3d-printed-gun/

[ckirmser]

As long as no one is unjustly injured, print up all the 3d guns you like.

Free Citizens are armed, subjects and serfs are unarmed.