Manhattan DA Bragg: We must confront deadly threat of 3D printed guns

While the United States has always been awash in firearms, a widening threat will endanger our communities even further: 3D printed ghost guns.

What was once the “iron pipeline,” the interstate trafficking of illegal firearms, has evolved into a “kitchen table pipeline,” where anyone with just a few hundred dollars can manufacture a fully operable firearm at home. This convergence of dangerous guns and advancing technology demands a comprehensive, nationwide approach.

It is shockingly cheap and easy to make a 3D printed weapon. General use 3D printers are widely available from major retailers for as little as $200. Digital blueprints for gun parts are available on mass consumer digital design platforms alongside files for everyday products like children’s toys. Within hours, you can print firearm components and build a fully functional firearm.

The public safety implications cannot be overstated: No background check is needed to buy a 3D printer or to download gun blueprints. Anyone could make hundreds of guns, undetected, regardless of criminal record. Furthermore, these guns are not serialized, making them untraceable if ever recovered at a crime scene. 

The first iterations of these firearms were termed “ghost guns,” assembled from metal parts, oftentimes from ready-made kits.

Nearly a decade ago, these guns were a novelty, but their use quickly exploded, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reporting a more than 1,000% increase in recoveries in recent years.

Today, kits are unnecessary. 3D printed firearms created at home are just as deadly as traditional firearms, and on the verge of becoming just as commonplace. They are already being used in deadly crimes, and we expect them to appear in our cases with increasing frequency.

Guns are becoming harder to detect

We must adapt to confront this growing threat. Doing so requires traditional enforcement strategies paired with new regulations and meaningful collaboration between law enforcement partners and the private sector.

My office has prioritized prosecuting those manufacturing and selling homemade guns. We have announced several indictments and prison sentences for those who have made, sold and trafficked these weapons.

These cases are only possible through strong partnerships with local and federal law enforcement agencies. In 2020, my office and the New York City Police Department launched the Ghost Gun Initiative to address the proliferation of ghost guns and 3D printed weapons in New York City. Working alongside the NYPD and the ATF, we share strategies, intelligence and resources to bring enforcement measures and hold people accountable.

As these weapons become harder to detect, this type of collaboration will be even more critical.

Yet enforcement alone is not enough. That is why we engaged with the private sector to stymie the production of these weapons at every stage: digital design firms that host firearm blueprints, slicer companies that provide software to convert designs for printing, and 3D printer companies themselves.

We urged these businesses to enhance security measures and implement technology to detect and block attempts to upload or print guns and gun parts.

These efforts are yielding results. Several 3D printing companies added user agreements explicitly prohibiting the printing of guns, and a digital design company removed gun blueprints.

Just as traditional printers block the printing of counterfeit money, we should expect 3D printer manufacturers to add guardrails to prohibit the printing of 3D guns and accessories that put us all at risk.

Patchwork enforcement doesn't work. Close firearm loopholes nationwide.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced a slate of proposals to codify this work, including requiring 3D printing companies to install software that blocks the manufacture of guns.

And while New York law does criminalize the possession of 3D printed guns and the manufacture of “undetectable guns,” it doesn’t specifically forbid the making of 3D printed guns. Closing loopholes in our laws that allow for the manufacture of these easily made weapons must be addressed.

That is why I proposed state legislation that would make it a felony to manufacture 3D printed guns, gun parts and accessories and criminalize the sharing of blueprints used to produce them.

I am grateful the governor also introduced a new series of bills that would adopt the framework of these proposals – commonsense steps that treat 3D printed guns with the seriousness they deserve.

This legal framework offers a model for accountability and meaningful prevention. But New York is just one of 50 states, and patchwork enforcement will not stop the flow of these weapons. We need a united front across the country.

As technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, bad actors will continue to exploit loopholes to access illegal firearms. I urge other states to review the laws they have on the books and make sure these weapons are treated the same as traditional firearms. Through my role as cochair of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, I look forward to bringing together stakeholders nationwide to develop solutions equal to the scale of this challenge and encourage other states to get ahead of the curve on this issue.

We cannot do it alone. I welcome anyone to join this fight to save lives and protect our communities.

Alvin Bragg is the current Manhattan district attorney, and the 37th person elected to the office.