US company releases 3D printing ad, claims it can easily make guns at home
A company in the United States recently advertised that with a computer and a 3D printer, a semi-automatic gun can be made in just a few hours. There is no need for a production license, no need to undergo a background check, and even if you do not know gun knowledge and gun manufacturing technology, you can easily own a gun at home. This technology has emerged in the tide of gun control in the United States.
US President Barack Obama is making a big push for gun control after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut late last year. However, the development of science and technology has constantly presented new challenges to gun control in the United States. One company advertises that it can easily print the body of a gun without any metal parts using 3D printing technology.
The technology was invented by an activist group called "DefenseDistributed" in the United States. They have created downloadable blueprints that can be downloaded online and then printed through a 3D printer to create the AR-15 semi-automatic gun. The group's founder, Cody Wilson, calls the gun a wiki weapon: "The great thing about a Wiki weapon is that it only takes a kill shot, that's the idea. The fact that it does, even if it's only one kill, we've crossed that threshold. We're going to have a weapon system that can be printed on a desktop. As long as you have a computer, you can make weapons."
Deadly weapons can be reproduced through 3D printing, which has alarmed anti-gun groups in the United States. Many Americans are concerned that this is not a matter of freedom, it is a matter of public and personal safety. Others worry that the printed plastic guns will escape metal monitors, putting national security at greater risk. Leah Barrett, a member of the anti-gun Violence group in New York City, is concerned about the proliferation of guns that could be created. "The use of 3D printing plastic guns is frightening and worrying, when you think about it, 40 percent of Americans are trying to avoid a background check when they buy a gun, and for those who print plastic guns at home, it's impossible to get a background check. These guns could end up in the hands of criminals, people with severe mental illness, people with severe China's abuse, and even children who shouldn't have guns."
The 3D gun printing technology was born shortly after the Connecticut school shooting triggered further gun control by the US government, which makes it difficult to control guns. The debate about gun control in the United States is even more chatty. One New Yorker said he was afraid that wherever he went, he could be shot.
"Even if you're standing here, somebody across the street might have a 3D printed gun, and they might shoot it to see if it really works. It would be really scary."
The Coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns advocates for stronger provisions in gun-related laws. But Wilson says it's no longer something someone can control. Wilson and friends have been trying to find projects that are "above politics" to challenge government censorship and management, proving that they can oppose all controls.
"I mean, even if you wanted to enact treaties and legal mechanisms, declaring the great age of gun control is not going to help, listen, it's over. You don't know anything about the era you're living in."
There are no background checks, no age restrictions, no engraved serial numbers or sales receipts that require tracking where the guns go. Many Americans worry that this will lead to a loss of safety and wonder what the proliferation of guns will do to society. (Reporter Du Huiqin)