Are 3D Plastic Guns Really a Threat? Four Blunt Points

The feds have sprayed some lighter fluid on the fire about 3D plastic guns. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says the homemade futuristic weapons “can potentially create a huge problem.” Count me, again, as dubious. Here’s why:

First, the background. 3D printers use digital designs to build a variety of devices out of thousands of layers of hard plastic. On Nov. 13, the ATF held a media briefing to announce that the agency had used one to make a plastic handgun. The agency said it had fabricated a model known as the Liberator, designed by a Texas libertarian and DIY firearm enthusiast named Cody Wilson. The government said its version fired eight rounds. “There are ways that this can potentially create a huge problem for the American public,” said Richard Marianos, an assistant director of the agency. The Washington Post, the New York Times, our cousins at Bloomberg View, and other outlets sounded alarms. The ATF wants to generate support for the reauthorization of a 1988 law that bans “undetectable” firearms and is due to expire early next month.