Bottom Line Up Front:
- 3D printer guns, also known as ghost guns, are firearms manufactured at home using 3D printers or readily available kits. These weapons lack serial numbers, making them untraceable and circumventing traditional gun control measures, thus posing a significant and growing threat to public safety worldwide.
- The accessibility of 3D printer gun designs and manufacturing instructions online has democratized firearm production, enabling individuals without licenses, including criminals and extremists, to create functional weapons.
- Law enforcement in the United States and globally is witnessing a surge in the use of 3D printer guns in criminal activities, extremist plots, and violence involving youth, highlighting the urgent need to address this evolving threat.
- The internet serves as a dual-edged sword, facilitating the spread of information about 3D printer guns while simultaneously acting as a platform for radicalization, where firearm enthusiasts can be drawn into extremist ideologies and illegal activities.
In early September, authorities in Detroit apprehended a 14-year-old for manufacturing 3D-printed firearms within his residence. The teenager was found in possession of 3D-printed gun components, 3D printers, and devices designed to convert pistols into automatic weapons. This incident, though preempted by law enforcement, underscores a burgeoning global concern: the ease with which untraceable firearms – commonly referred to as ghost guns or 3D printer guns – are becoming accessible to individuals who should not possess them, including minors and violent extremists.
What exactly is a 3D printer gun? At its core, a 3D printer gun is a firearm manufactured, either in whole or in part, using a 3D printer. These firearms are often termed “ghost guns” because they are privately manufactured and lack commercial serial numbers. This absence of serial numbers means they are untraceable by law enforcement, effectively bypassing established gun control regulations that mandate licensed manufacturing and serializing of firearms. Individuals can create these weapons by either assembling parts from readily available kits or by 3D-printing components from scratch using designs freely available online. This ease of manufacturing and lack of traceability are what make 3D printer guns a unique and growing challenge for global security.
3D printed gun parts and a 3D printer
The proliferation of 3D printer guns is significantly fueled by online platforms. The internet has become a vast repository of information, providing publicly accessible manuals, blueprints, and instructional videos that demystify the process of creating these weapons. Groups like “Deterrence Dispensed,” spearheaded by the online figure “Ivan the Troll” (John Elik), have been instrumental in popularizing the DIY gun culture. They have successfully disseminated designs for 3D-printed firearms that have gone viral, along with detailed, step-by-step guides for their construction. This online accessibility lowers the barrier to entry for anyone interested in manufacturing their own firearms, regardless of their legal eligibility to own one.
Furthermore, algorithms on platforms like YouTube can inadvertently lead individuals towards content related to 3D printer guns. As Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg highlighted, the pathway from watching video game content to discovering tutorials on building ghost guns is alarmingly short. This ease of access to weapon manufacturing information online has led to widespread concern about the potential for increased gun violence and the challenges it poses for law enforcement and public safety.
The accessibility of 3D printer guns has rapidly escalated their status as a significant threat to gun safety, particularly in the United States. A U.S. Department of Justice report from 2023 documented a staggering increase in the recovery of privately made firearms by law enforcement. These recoveries surged by over 1000 percent, from 1,629 in 2017 to 19,273 in 2021. Adding to this danger is the increasing prevalence of machine gun conversion devices (MCDs). These devices can transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons, dramatically increasing their lethality by enabling them to fire hundreds of rounds with a single pull of the trigger. The combination of untraceable 3D printer guns and easily obtainable conversion devices creates a highly dangerous landscape for gun violence.
3D printed gun parts and a 3D printer
Youth involvement is a particularly disturbing aspect of the rise of 3D printer guns. Tragic incidents across the United States illustrate this point. In 2019, a 16-year-old student in California used a ghost gun in a school shooting, killing two classmates before taking his own life. In 2022, a 16-year-old in New York was discovered to be running a “ghost gun factory” from his bedroom and had used one of his creations to kill another teenager. These are not isolated incidents but rather indicative of a broader trend of youth becoming both perpetrators and victims in incidents involving 3D printer guns. This trend also aligns with the rising involvement of young people in violent extremist groups, particularly within far-right movements, where they are increasingly active in recruitment, propaganda dissemination, and acts of violence.
Domestic extremists are also increasingly turning to 3D printer guns as their weapon of choice due to their untraceability and accessibility. In the U.S., these firearms have been linked to extremists close to executing or facilitating violent acts. For instance, in April 2024, a man with white supremacist ties was sentenced after authorities found 3D printers, one adorned with Nazi symbols, in his home. He had been manufacturing weapons for years and had previously advocated for the “mass murder and genocide of Jews” online. More recently, an alleged leader of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group promoting lone-wolf attacks, was arrested with a 3D-printed assault weapon and other 3D-printed guns, alongside Nazi paraphernalia. She had also allegedly provided her followers with a hit list of U.S. government officials, aiming to incite a race war.
The connection between online gun culture and extremism is bidirectional. While extremists are leveraging online resources to obtain 3D printer guns, individuals initially interested in firearms are also being drawn into extremist circles online. Platforms like Reddit and 4chan, particularly forums dedicated to weapons, have become breeding grounds for both illegal gun trading and radicalization. Users who initially engage in legitimate firearm discussions can quickly encounter illegal activities and extremist rhetoric. The 2022 Buffalo shooting is a stark example, where the 18-year-old gunman stated in his manifesto that his interest in firearms led him to 4chan’s /k/ board, a weapons-focused forum. There, he was exposed to conspiracy theories and racist and antisemitic content that fueled his white supremacist ideology.
The threat of 3D printer guns extends beyond the United States, posing a significant challenge to countries with historically stricter gun control laws and less prevalent gun violence. The sudden emergence of these untraceable weapons can overwhelm law enforcement agencies unprepared for their influx, potentially leading to a rise in gun-related crimes and empowering violent extremists who previously had limited access to firearms. While still an emerging threat in many parts of the world, the danger is already becoming apparent.
In 2019, a neo-Nazi in Germany used a homemade gun in a racially motivated attack on a synagogue in Halle, killing two people. Similarly, the 2022 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe involved a makeshift firearm. More recently, in the wake of October 7, this trend has been further noted. In Italy, a 20-year-old man was arrested in June for manufacturing weapons with a 3D printer and disseminating racist and antisemitic videos online. In the United Kingdom, three men were arrested for plotting a terrorist attack in Leeds and were found in possession of a 3D-printed FGC-9 semi-automatic firearm. These examples from Germany, Japan, Italy, and the UK underscore the global reach of this threat and the particular challenges 3D printer guns pose in regions with tighter gun regulations, highlighting the ongoing and evolving challenges for law enforcement worldwide.
