New York proposes background checks for 3D printer purchases — the bill combats 3D-printed guns

3D printer printing out gun
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

New York State Senator Jennifer Rajkumar sponsored State Assembly Bill A02228, which requires anyone selling a 3D printer capable of “printing a firearm or any components of a firearm” to “request and receive criminal history information.” According to Gizmodo, this gives New York State 15 days to conduct the background check and determine whether the buyer can buy the printer. The senator proposed this law on January 15, which is still being considered at the committee level.

Senator Rajkumar introduced the bill to control the proliferation of homemade 3D-printed handguns. One profile example is the Luigi Mangione case, where it’s thought that he used a 3D-printed Glock-style gun during his assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

“Three-dimensional printed guns are growing more prevalent each year. There were 100 taken off the streets of New York City in 2019. That number skyrocketed to 637 in 2022. Concurrently, ghost gun shootings have risen 1,000% across the nation,” Senator Rajkumar previously wrote in a 2023 memo. “Currently, three-dimensional printers allow people to make, buy, sell, and use untraceable guns without any background checks. This bill will require a background check so that three-dimensional printed firearms do not get in the wrong hands.”

This isn’t the first time the senator attempted to pass a law requiring background checks to purchase 3D printers. She proposed something similar in 2023, but the bill didn’t advance beyond the committee level.

However, despite seemingly easy, 3D printing a complete firearm at home is still pretty tricky. Most 3D-printed gun hybrids contain both 3D-printed and metal parts. While it’s technically possible to 3D print metal, purchasing metal parts and combining them with 3D-printed parts is often cheaper.

Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

  • USAFRet
    Hopefully, this doesn't go any farther than the last one.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ny-bill-bans-3d-printers
    Reply
  • LolaGT
    That is beyond foolish. No one needs a 3D printer to make a firearm. Anyone can make one with a few simple hand tools. Trying to legislate an idea that has been around for centuries is like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    I printed a ghost gun the other day

    Reply
  • beyondlogic
    this is just getting dumb what's next do you have a license for that knife set at home
    Reply
  • helper800
    beyondlogic said:
    this is just getting dumb what's next do you have a license for that knife set at home
    Only after a national background check and a 10 day waiting period. The knife set block also cannot hold more than 10 knives or it will become an assault set. You can also only buy 1 set per 30 days. Can you guess what state I live in? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
    Reply
  • beyondlogic
    helper800 said:
    Only after a national background check and a 10 day waiting period. The knife set block also cannot hold more than 10 knives or it will become an assault set. You can also only buy 1 set per 30 days. Can you guess what state I live in? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

    police raids on restaurants kitchens then for suspected terrorist activity
    Reply
  • thestryker
    Performative governing at its finest since you could technically make a "gun part" with virtually any 3D printer. Unfortunate that this keeps coming back since the only real result would be just creating another paperwork backlog.
    Reply
  • Notton
    This law forgets to go after anyone with a drill press and piping.
    Reply
  • beyondlogic
    thestryker said:
    Performative governing at its finest since you could technically make a "gun part" with virtually any 3D printer. Unfortunate that this keeps coming back since the only real result would be just creating another paperwork backlog.

    you could make a gun from any material all it takes is a understanding of components and right tools and materials.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    I personally know a couple of 11 year olds that built and fired a functioning canon, that would fire flaming rounds across the neighborhood.

    Before 3D printers
    Before personal computers
    Before the internet
    Reply