New York targets 3D printers in bid to curb untraceable ghost guns

A first-of-its-kind US bill in New York could require 3D printers sold for homes and businesses to come equipped with technology that prevents them from producing firearms.

The proposal, which is also being considered in California, aims to curb the latest method of manufacturing untraceable "ghost guns", which, according to an AP article on this development, are homemade firearms that lack serial numbers and have increasingly been linked to criminal investigations.

Unlike existing laws that regulate or ban ghost guns themselves, the proposed legislation targets the equipment used to make them. If adopted, it could reshape industry standards for 3D printer manufacturers and provide a template for other Democratic-led states looking to tighten gun regulations.

However, the proposal has already sparked debate. Critics question whether the blocking technology is technically feasible and warn that it could raise concerns over personal privacy and constitutional rights.

Around one-third of US states already regulate or prohibit privately made firearms without serial numbers, which also bypass the background checks required for purchases from federally licensed gun dealers.

The legislation comes as 3D printing has become increasingly affordable and widespread. According to Bill Decker, executive chairman of the Association of 3D Printing, the number of 3D printers worldwide has grown from an estimated 30,000 in 2012 to more than 3 million today, while the industry's annual value has expanded from roughly $2 billion to $26 billion. Although industrial-grade machines can cost thousands of dollars, consumer models are now available for just a few hundred dollars.

The technology is widely used to manufacture products ranging from toys and prosthetic limbs to aircraft components. But it can also produce complete firearms or individual gun parts using digital blueprints that are readily available online.

According to a US Department of Justice report released last year, firearms produced privately — including those made with 3D printers — are appearing more frequently in criminal cases. The number of homemade guns recovered by law enforcement and submitted to federal authorities rose from about 1,600 in 2017 to nearly 27,500 in 2023, although the report did not specify how many were produced using 3D printers.

One of the most high-profile recent cases occurred in New York, where police believe a 3D-printed firearm was used in the 2024 killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.

By Nazrin Sadigova