Jump to content
JohnnyB

Senator Menendez goes after 3D printed gun threat!

Recommended Posts

I got this email from Menendez.

 

 
It’s so ridiculous I honestly couldn’t believe it was real.  And I’ve been fighting tooth and nail to stop it ever since. 
 

Without warning or explanation, the Trump State Department gave the green light for a company in Texas to publish downloadable plans for 3-D printed plastic guns - starting August 1st. 
 

That’s right.  Plastic guns you can create at home that load, fire, shoot and kill, but are untraceable, nearly undetectable, and don’t require a background check.  Even the blueprint for an AR-15 – the assault rifle used in the Parkland school massacre – is available online for download by anyone – including terrorists, extremists, criminals and, God forbid, another mass shooter.
 
It’s insane. We already have a gun violence problem.  Downloadable guns will only supercharge the crisis. 


So I immediately took action, and introduced a bill with my colleagues to block the publication of these 3D gun blueprints.  

 

Time was ticking.  But when we tried to pass it, Republicans blocked us.

   

Floor-speech-Facebook-screenshot-300pxwi

CLICK TO WATCH MY FLOOR SPEECH

Thankfully a federal court in Seattle issued a temporary injunction shutting down the online depot for 3-D printed firearm blueprints.  But a temporary injunction is just that. Temporary. Already, thousands of people have downloaded these deadly blueprints.
 
Look, whether it comes from a gun store or out of a 3D printer; if it loads like a gun, shoots like a gun, and kills like a gun -  it’s a gun. And if our gun safety laws don’t keep pace with technology, printed plastic guns will flood our children’s schools, and all hell will break loose. That’s why we have to keep fighting to outlaw these downloadable weapons.
 
Your role in this is to be loud and outraged – to keep talking about it. Here are 3 small things you can do online to help raise awareness: 

  1. Share this article about our legislation to #StopDownloadable guns. Share on facebook here, and/or share on Twitter here.
     
  2. Tag one of your friends on Instagram who needs to learn about this issue in this video I posted here. Putting your friend’s handle in the comments will help more people see this video and learn about the issue.
     
  3. TUNE IN to my Facebook Live tomorrow at 11 AM from Cliffside Park Elementary School, where I’ll be highlighting how 3D printed guns put our children and communities at-risk.

By raising awareness and pushing your family and friends to reach out to their members of Congress about it, we can make a difference.
 

Sincerely,

RM-Signature-300x109.png

 

My response to him with a response requested. I will let you all know what I hear!

 

Senator,
Your stance on the 3D printed gun threat to NJ is greatly exaggerated and just plain wrong on a scientific level!
It is not possible to print an AR 15 or any other gun from a plastic or even metal 3D printer and have it reliably shoot more than one .22 round. These are a farce and with the cost of a 3D metal printer at $100,000 and the fact that they would explode with the first shot, do you really think a criminal who can buy a real gun on the streets for less than 1/100th that cost would not opt to do so over a printed toy?
Please go after the real problems that plague our state and stop wasting time on a fantasy! Just trying to help you! And us!


 

Facebook.pngTwitter.pngInstagram.pngwebsite.png

 

 

  • Like 6

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If anyone watches the Shooter TV series, last nights episode was right out of current happenings. Speaking what is happening on the dark side of this country. But the key item was, a guy printed out what looked like a Glock that folded in half to accept one round and was able to put a bullet in a woman’s head. Don’t recall the caliber but guessing it was a 22.
Amazing how fast things make it to Hollywood.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Has anyone made a 3D gun that actually worked?  I'm not up on 3D printing technology, but from what I've seen my kid bring home from high school science class, it doesn't seem that you could make something to reliably withstand the pressure of repeatedly firing bullets.   I would think 80% lower receivers would be a much more viable avenue to the DIY firearm just based on reliability factor alone.   

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 8/3/2018 at 0:23 PM, bhunted said:

If anyone watches the Shooter TV series, last nights episode was right out of current happenings. Speaking what is happening on the dark side of this country. But the key item was, a guy printed out what looked like a Glock that folded in half to accept one round and was able to put a bullet in a woman’s head. Don’t recall the caliber but guessing it was a 22.
Amazing how fast things make it to Hollywood.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The line drawing for the printed gun looked nothing like the result.  They couldn't even come up with a new idea for the "used" one.   Does this look familiar?  

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/In_the_Line_of_Fire

Wont even go into a headshot at 15 yds with a 2 inch plastic barrel.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 8/3/2018 at 10:01 AM, Bob2222 said:

Do you think that he actually wrote that?

Or even read it?

Neither, but the press event was held at an elementary school, and he's not one to pass up visiting an elementary school.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Alex did a decent job but did not emphasize some important points on 3D printed guns.

1) You can't 3D print a gun that works and is all plastic and is therefore undetectable, period! You can't print an all plastic gun that won't melt down or blow up after a couple .22 rounds. Ammo is detectable! Until you can 3D print an all plastic cartridge that will kill, you won't be a TSA threat in the foreseeable future.

2) The only thing you can print that will work for a short time is an AR15 lower. Anyone can buy an 80% lower and with basic tools actually build a reliable AR15. You can also buy a mold and pour your own polymer lower that is much stronger than a printed one.

3) Real guns are everywhere, on the streets already. Why print something that will most likely blow up in your hands when 300 million guns already exist.

4) 3D printed guns are a lie and a farce. The technology today does not exist that can print even a quasi reliable gun!

The media and politicians are making the general public believe that we can hit the print button and out comes a machine gun.....Nothing could be further from the truth! There really is NO SUCH THING as a 3D printed gun that works and I could, as Alex pointed out, go to Home Depot and but the parts to make a gun that actually works.

My daughter commented the other day how horrible it is that bad guys can now print whatever gun they want........BIG MISTAKE! She got set straight on the facts real quick!

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
36 minutes ago, JohnnyB said:

Alex did a decent job but missed some important points on 3D printed guns.

1) You can't 3D print a gun that works and is all plastic and is therefore undetectable, period! You can't print an all plastic gun that won't melt down or blow up after a couple .22 rounds. Ammo is detectable! Until you can 3D print an all plastic cartridge that will kill, you won't be a TSA threat in the foreseeable future.

2) The only thing you can print that will work for a short time is an AR15 lower. Anyone can buy an 80% lower and with basic tools actually build a reliable AR15. You can also buy a mold and pour your own polymer lower that is much stronger than a printed one.

3) Real guns are everywhere, on the streets already. Why print something that will most likely blow up in your hands when 300 million guns already exist.

4) 3D printed guns are a lie and a farce. The technology today does not exist that can print even a quasi reliable gun!

The media and politicians are making the general public believe that we can hit the print button and out comes a machine gun.....Nothing could be further from the truth! There really is NO SUCH THING as a 3D printed gun that works and I could, as Alex pointed out, go to Home Depot and but the parts to make a gun that actually works.

My daughter commented the other day how horrible it is that bad guys can now print whatever gun they want........BIG MISTAKE! She got set straight on the facts real quick!

 

Alexander did point out that you can't have one without a metal firing pin and that the plans did include more than the minimum amount of metal to be detected by a metal detector.  The moderator read some of the comments that made the points about the multiple rounds and accuracy.  Alexander also pointed out that anyone with a machine shop and lathe skills can mill one out of a chunk of metal. 

One thing that he did not mention, that only people with actual experience with 3D Printers know is that the run of the mill 3D printers you can get at Best Buy or wherever can't print these things.  The 3D printers that can print this stuff run well over $1000 (like $1500+ easily), not including the material, which is not some cheap plastic found in most 3d printed stuff.  It requires specialized filaments with reinforcement with carbon fiber or other materials.  

This is really mass media hysteria... and people blindly following what the media says without actual knowledge of the issue.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am an experienced mechanical engineer and machinist with a full precision shop. I also have a $3,000 3D printer. It is state of the art and works great. There is not a chance a 3D printer can make a useable firearm. I would not waste a minute trying it, being fully aware of 3D print capability. Even a POS harbor freight lathe mill would be 1,000x more efficient. You would have a better chance making award winning wine out of a bag of grass clippings.

If there is a bad actor that could print a 3D firearm, he could get a job in today's economy and buy anything. And I mean anything. or 10 anythings hahahaha. I just laugh at the whole thing. I don't even care if it is legislated. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
19 hours ago, PeteF said:

The line drawing for the printed gun looked nothing like the result.  They couldn't even come up with a new idea for the "used" one.   Does this look familiar?  

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/In_the_Line_of_Fire

Wont even go into a headshot at 15 yds with a 2 inch plastic barrel.

Good catch.... don't recall that in the movie. Hadn't seen it in awhile...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...