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Congressional
Research Service
Gun Control: 3D-Printed Firearms
-name redated-
Specialist in Domestic Security and Crime Policy
August 7, 2018
In May 2013, Defense Distributed, a federally licensed firearms manufacturer, posted on its website
computer assisted design (CAD) files for three dimensional-printing (3D-printing) of a single-shot,
smoothbore, .380 caliber pistol that could be made almost entirely with non-metallic material. The design
of this firearm, the Liberator, does not appear to violate the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 (18
U.S.C. §922(p)), because it includes the requisite amount of steel. This statute prohibits the manufacture,
importation, transfer, or possession of any firearm that
* is [not] detectable to walk-through metal detector[s] calibrated to detect a security
exemplar that resembles a handgun with the same electromagnetic signature as 3.7
ounces of stainless steel; or
* includes major components (barrels, slides, cylinders, frames, or receivers) that generate
an [in]accurate image when inspected with x-ray machines commonly used at airports.
The Liberator's design arguably illustrates a possible shortcoming in this statute. Besides the cartridge
casing and projectile (bullet), the only operable metallic part of the firearm is its firing pin. The pistol's
design includes a cavity that holds a steel block that is intended to meet the security exemplar
detectability requirement described above; however, it is not an operable part of the firearm. The steel
block is actually inserted into the cavity after the pistol frame is printed. In other words, it is not
permanently embedded into the firearm. Consequently, it could be removed, perhaps allowing a criminal
to evade security with an undetected, but still operable firearm.
In May 2013, the Department of State (State) invoked a provision of the Arms Export Control Act (22
U.S.C. §2778) related to technology transfers and ordered Defense Distributed to remove those CAD files
from its website. Defense Distributed complied, but it sued State in federal court, arguing that the order
violated its First and Second Amendment rights. In April 2018, the parties entered into a settlement that
would allow Defense Distributed to upload 3D printer files for firearms and parts, including an AR-15
Congressional Research Service
7-....
www.crs.gov
IN10953
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
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