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NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

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Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#31

Post by Zimahl »

pjungwir wrote: post #9
jlgreco wrote: post #6

> announced he would be introducing legislation to renew a ban on firearms and magazines that can't be picked up by standard metal detectors. The current ban on plastic firearms expires this year. In other words, the only thing this has to do with printed magazines is that printed magazines are being used as a talking point to promote the bill. Printed magazines, when printed with plastic, would still be picked up by…

The idea of a plastic Glock appeared in one of the Die Hards. For all I know that's where it originated.

There was also a composite gun used in 'In the Line of Fire', a Clint Eastwood movie from 1993.

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#32

Post by Zimahl »

It does bring up an interesting ethical scenario with respect to 3D printing. You can ban the sale of high-capacity magazines all you want, but if it's simple to just make one with a 3D printer the point of the law is completely moot. Since the law won't ban making these magazines (to not conflict with US manufacturers exporting these) and the law won't outlaw the existing magazines, this is a huge loophole.

And magazines aren't anything special, definitely something that is perfect for 3D printing. Simple designs punctuated by slight one-offs - depending on cartridge size, cartridge count, and weapon fit.

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#33

Post by Zimahl »

dhughes wrote: post #17
cdjk wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Until someone figures out a way to make plastic bullets (pedantic edit: and cartridges) I'm not going to worry too much about it.

Bullets are not the only thing which can kill even a compressed air canister which expels some sort of projectile can be lethal.

A lot of people don't realize that Lewis and Clark used an air rifle. There's a great little movie about it on Youtube[1].

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#34

Post by nthj »

badgar wrote: post #24
gojomo wrote: post #11

This will have about as much protective effect against the criminally-motivated as putting up "gun-free school zone" signs.

I always thought school zone laws existed not for deterrence but to provide for stronger punishments, and that the signs are there to help law-abiding citizens carrying weapons from unintentionally breaking the law.

That's really weird reasoning. If we applied that reasoning to highway construction areas, you'd see "vehicle-free zones" for fear of somebody speeding.

But we don't, so instead, we just have "traffic fines double in construction zones." Which makes sense, and presumably people drive more carefully in construction zones.

If you want to double the murder punishment in school zones, there is your deterrence. Preventing law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves & others in the statistically most-likely place for a mass-murder makes no sense whatsoever.

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#35

Post by theorique »

pjungwir wrote: post #9
jlgreco wrote: post #6

> announced he would be introducing legislation to renew a ban on firearms and magazines that can't be picked up by standard metal detectors. The current ban on plastic firearms expires this year. In other words, the only thing this has to do with printed magazines is that printed magazines are being used as a talking point to promote the bill. Printed magazines, when printed with plastic, would still be picked up by…

The idea of a plastic Glock appeared in one of the Die Hards. For all I know that's where it originated.

According to the Glock company's official story, that's correct.

The Glock 7 is a fictional weapon, it doesn't cost as much as John McClane said, and a gun barrel is still made of metal to deal with the explosive pressure of rapidly expanding gases.

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#36

Post by scarecrowbob »

nthj wrote: post #34
badgar wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought school zone laws existed not for deterrence but to provide for stronger punishments, and that the signs are there to help law-abiding citizens carrying weapons from unintentionally breaking the law.

That's really weird reasoning. If we applied that reasoning to highway construction areas, you'd see "vehicle-free zones" for fear of somebody speeding. But we don't, so instead, we just have "traffic fines double in construction zones." Which makes sense, and presumably people drive more carefully in construction zones. If you want to double the murder punishment in school zones, there is your deterrence. Preventing…

Well, there are a lot of crimes that people engage in other than murder, and many of them involve weapons. It's a much different thing to be caught selling drugs, soliciting sex, etc. in a school zone from a punishment standpoint.

All that aside, I don't trust other parents with handguns around my children, and am perfectly okay with laws preventing people from carrying around my kids. Most of the people I know who are deep enough in their fantasies about their handguns are, and this is just my belief, just as likely to accidentally shoot a child as they are to do any good with a weapon.

You might disagree, but it isn't true that prohibiting weapons around a school has absolutely no sense about it.

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#37

Post by eridius »

el33tel33t wrote: post #7
defilade wrote: post #4

Who cares if a magazine can be picked up by a metal detector?

Let's see: Everyone who does screening. Everyone who poses a natural target (judges, DAs, federal officers, etc) whose protection depends on screening. Everyone who works in a federal building where they are not allowed to carry guns, and therefore relies on a metal detector to keep gun carrying people out. Everyone who flies. One could go on.

You're conflating magazines and guns. A magazine can't fire bullets. It can't hurt people. So who the hell cares if they get picked up on metal detectors? You want to catch the gun, not the magazine.

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#38

Post by kennywinker »

Zimahl wrote: post #32

It does bring up an interesting ethical scenario with respect to 3D printing. You can ban the sale of high-capacity magazines all you want, but if it's simple to just make one with a 3D printer the point of the law is completely moot. Since the law won't ban making these magazines (to not conflict with US manufacturers exporting these) and the law won't outlaw the existing magazines, this is a huge loophole. And maga…

It would be fairly trivial to outlaw non-licensed manufacturing of high-capacity magazines.

The same way distilling alcohol is illegal in the US, but owning a still, owning alcohol, and purchasing distilled alcohol is not illegal.

Re: NY Congressman Introducing Ban On 3D-Printed High Capacity Gun Magazines

#39

Post by jmvoodoo »

kennywinker wrote: post #38
Zimahl wrote: post #32

It does bring up an interesting ethical scenario with respect to 3D printing. You can ban the sale of high-capacity magazines all you want, but if it's simple to just make one with a 3D printer the point of the law is completely moot. Since the law won't ban making these magazines (to not conflict with US manufacturers exporting these) and the law won't outlaw the existing magazines, this is a huge loophole. And maga…

It would be fairly trivial to outlaw non-licensed manufacturing of high-capacity magazines. The same way distilling alcohol is illegal in the US, but owning a still, owning alcohol, and purchasing distilled alcohol is not illegal.

Trivial to write the law perhaps, but enforcing it would be another thing entirely.
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