Posted on 05/07/2013 10:08:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A New York Democrat wants to revise gun laws to encompass a downloadable plastic gun produced on a 3-D printer.
On Friday, Defense Distributed premiered its plastic firearm with only one small necessary metal part: the firing pin.
Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) wants to pour water on this invention with his Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act, which extends a 1988 ban on plastic guns that expires this year and extends it to include homemade, plastic high-capacity magazines and receivers. The piece of metal in the downloadable gun, which allows it to be spotted by metal detectors, keeps it within current law.
“Security checkpoints, background checks, and gun regulations will do little good if criminals can print plastic firearms at home and bring those firearms through metal detectors with no one the wiser. When I started talking about the issue of plastic firearms months ago, I was told the idea of a plastic gun is science-fiction. Now that this technology appears to be upon us, we need to act now to extend the ban on plastic firearms,” Israel said.
Israel “revamped” his bill to make it “illegal to manufacture, own, transport, buy, or sell any firearm, receiver, or magazine that is homemade and not detectable by metal detector and/or does not present an accurate image when put through an x-ray machine.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was so alarmed by Friday’s demonstration video of the downloadable gun that he called a Sunday news conference to jump on board Israel’s bill.
“We’re facing a situation where anyone — a felon, a terrorist — can open a gun factory in their garage, and the weapons they make will be undetectable,” Schumer said. “It’s stomach churning.”
The senator clarified he doesn’t want to ban 3-D printers outright.
See update on next page.
UPDATE: On CNBC today, Schumer said “at the very least” Congress needs to make it “a crime to have such a gun.”
#8220;If the police see you carrying one on the street, they’ll know it’s a crime. If anybody sees you doing it, they’ll know it’s a crime,” he said. “What we should do beyond that, I don’t know. I mean, obviously there are First Amendment issues. We’ve had this issue about bombs being put on the Internet in the past. And obviously someone could go overseas and put something on the Internet where our laws don’t govern.”
“But we have to do more than just make it a crime. I agree with that, mindful of the various constitutional and other types of constraints,” the senator continued. “And I don’t want to abolish these printers, that’s for sure, because I think by and large they do good things.”
Schumer said Congress has to investigate all ways in which guns can be made and regulate them.
“Everyone saw that John Malkovich movie, In the Line of Fire. It was a frightening movie. He spent months and months and months trying to craft a gun made of wood and plastic and figuring out a way,” he said.
“Obviously, you still have to deal with the bullets, but they could be put in a metal casing that could get through a metal detector without it ever being revealed there — a bullet. But he spent months doing this so he could assassinate the president, and the movie was frightening. He was one of the best bad guys I’ve ever seen in a movie. But now it’s real. And that’s — that’s much more frightening.”
PJM FLASHBACK: Gutenberg’s Rifle: The Downloadable Firearm Is Almost Real
So cut back on Internet sales tax and I’ll give you my vote for gun control?
These pieces of excrement are completely out of control!
Evidently he’s REALLY scared of Gabby Giffords & Mark Kelly so that excuses his tucking his tail and running. /s
I can tell you from personal observation that a 12 ga shotgun barrel made of white oak, fiberglass and epoxy held up to 10 firings.
When I was last out in the shop, right before lunch, my unregistered lathe and milling machine were still right there.
If I was so inclined, I could be cranking out single-shot smoothbore .380s by the weekend.
I've only had that ablility for the last 2 decades or so, Chuckie..
/johnny
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Checkpoints? This guy's nuts if he thinks criminals are going to bother leaning how to ‘print’ a gun. They're the folks who STEAL - that's why we call them criminals....
I'll also bet Mr. Israel is soft on crime.. and protects street criminals, rapists, thieves etc... He's after the second amendment... period.
It makes him sick because it BLASPHEMY! It's a challenge to the power of the state that filth like Schemer, 0, and all of their ilk worship. And the worst part about it is that he represents the viewpoint of the majority of the people in his electorate.
“Schumer said Congress has to investigate all ways in which guns can be made and regulate them.”
A person can make a crude .22 out of a piece of metal and a hammer.
Regulate ‘this,’ Shummie.
the NRA has no intention of becoming a political party—just wants to continue being the voice that it is. I have no reason to stay in the GOP—join the Constitution party or something—esp. because I live in NYC.
OMG !!! Stomach churning Schumer again ,does he even know what a 3D printer is ?
Yep. The Soviets tried the same thing with respect to printed material. Samizdat killed them. Making it illegal won't stop it, won't even slow it down. Welcome to the 21st century, Chuckie.
“We’re facing a situation where anyone — a felon, a terrorist — can open a gun factory in their garage, and the weapons they make will be undetectable,” Schumer said.
Yes, but if everyone else can open a gun factory in their garage too criminals won’t get very far, will they?
Armed criminals only have an advantage if the law abiding are not armed.
When the law abiding are armed the criminal’s advantage disappears.
Schmucky should be more afraid of tar and feathers than plastic guns.
Effing traitor!
I would be embarrassed if I was seen carrying this thing on the street. And I am a CCW permit holder. It's really ugly and completely unreliable for personal protection. There is nothing practical about it....yet. Obviously this piece was a only and R&D prototype to prove the concept. The innovator certainly did make his point and in spectacular fashion. I'm proud of him.
I’m really happy that it churns democrat stomachs.
If Steve Israel can't understand that he's in the wrong country. Must have gotten off the plane in London and turned left or something.
But yeah, working steam engines and Stirlings engines weren't a problem, I figure a knock-off of the original Liberator would be pretty easy.
/johnny
Hey, nitwit Representative, they're criminals; their intent is to break the law. The ONLY thing your new law would do is add an additional charge onto the stack of existing broken laws, should the cops be lucky enough to even find the perp.
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