The files needed to print a gun are not buried in the dark.
It can be downloaded in just three clicks from major social networking sites like YouTube.
3D-printed weapon technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, with a range of printable semi-automatic rifles, rifles, and pistols available.
Those who create and share the designs for these firearms have thousands of followers on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Although popular in the US, where they are legal, 3D-printed weapons are beginning to appear more frequently in the UK.
Metropolitan Police told Sky News in an exclusive interview that they have recovered four 3D-printed guns since 2018. They are treating printed firearms as an “emerging trend” that the force is actively controlling.
“F *** Gun Control 9”
A community of mostly American and mostly male 3D printed gun enthusiasts has sprung up online.
These amateurs make designs, distribute them for free, and film themselves testing the weapons, including bending over the top of the guns to show how robust they are.
Image: Homemade weapons are robust, as this YouTuber demonstrates
They use their social profiles to help guide people to find downloadable files, as well as assembly manuals and accompanying computer lists.
Here’s how they do it:
Let’s look at this Instagram page as an example. One person comments on one of the photos asking how to find the files. It’s called “Google” literally.
From here, users go to a smaller social networking site.
Then a user will select the weapon they want …
… and from there download the files needed to print its components.
Sometimes it’s even easier: in three clicks you can go from a link to YouTube …
… grabbing a gun …
… to download weapons files for free.
One of the most popular models is the FGC 9. Its name means F *** Gun Control and its download page has over 70,000 views.
Matt Larosiere is part of this online community. He says there is no centralized group behind the movement, but what unifies them is the desire to protect their freedoms and allow others to do the same.
He told Sky News: “There are no 3D Guns Incorporated. There is no 3D printed weapons general manager.
Image: Dismissal of an FGC 9
“But I will tell you that the predominant motivations I have seen from the people in our communities are just an incredible love for freedom and the people and understanding that we have a right to bodily autonomy.
“And the best way to keep our bodies safe is to have effective mechanisms to defend ourselves.”
Mr Larosiere believes that governments are part of the threat that individuals face. He argues that there is a possibility that governments may endanger a person or infringe on public liberty.
Image: Matt Larosiere is part of the community that designs 3D printed guns
“Frankly, as we’ve seen in places like Myanmar, the government usually lies to you about most things and you should probably print a gun in case you have to shoot them,” he explains.
How easy is it to make a 3D printed gun?
3D-printed guns are often talked about as cheaper and easier to obtain than other firearms, but it’s not so clear.
Rajan Basra is a senior researcher at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization at King’s College London. It has closely followed the arrival of 3D printed weapons.
Image: Rajan Basra explains that there are several opportunities for a person to be trapped during the process of making a 3D printed weapon in the UK
“It’s a very simplistic view to say that with a couple of hundred pounds you could print a gun in 3D,” says Dr. Basra.
“There are a lot of obstacles to getting a hand-operated gun and every step of this manufacturing process represents another point of intervention for the authorities.
“It’s another point where they could catch you.”
One possible hurdle is the cost of acquiring a 3D printer, which builds up layers of filament into viable components of firearms based on design files, which are seen in the animation below.
These printers have become more affordable in recent years, but cost at least £ 150.
There is also a misconception that 3D-printed guns can be made entirely behind closed doors because they are only made of plastic, which is not always the case.
Most 3D-printed weapons need some metal parts.
For example, a printed version of this glock would require springs, needles, the barrel, and other metal parts.
These pieces can often be purchased at major online stores.
But different guns are more complex than others; for example, a glock like this would require a metal slider among other metal elements.
An “emerging trend” in the UK
Mass shootings such as the school attack in Uvalde, Texas, have rekindled the debate in the United States over the ease of access to firearms. This includes access to 3D-printed weapons, which are not believed to have been used in these attacks.
U.S. gun laws are relaxed compared to most of Europe, where firearms, including printable ones, are illegal.
UK laws are some of the most robust and punitive. Despite this, 3D-printed guns appear.
Police in Northern Ireland are investigating two printed weapons seen in the hands of the Republican split group, Óglaigh na hÉireann.
Image: In April of this year, two weapons were printed in the hands of a Republican split group. Credit: Dieter Reinisch
And since 2019, six people in the UK have been prosecuted where 3D-printed guns played a role in their case.
Image: Tendai Muswere was the first person thought to have been convicted of a 3D-printed pistol in 2019. Photo: Met Police
For the first time, the Metropolitan Police agreed to show public examples of the 3D-printed guns their team made to aid their investigation and a recovered FGC 9.
Image: Met police make 3D-printed weapons as part of their investigation into evolving firearms
Matthew Webb, a detective inspector for specialist crime at the Metropolitan Police, explained that FGC 9 was recovered in September 2021 in a North East London neighborhood.
“A member of the public called the police what they thought was a firearm contained in a backpack,” Detective Webb said.
“It simply came to our notice then.
“Technology has developed, so now you’re talking about hybrid weapons, metal and plastic together, allowing someone with knowledge and experience in the area to print a rifle-style semi-automatic weapon as we see with the FGC. 9 “.
He adds that the first designs were prone to break with the force of firing ammunition, unlike the more robust designs of recent years.
Image: Here are released liberator pistols (white) and wash bear (black) broken after being fired
Even with advanced technology, 3D-printed guns represent only a fraction of the work of the Met police today, with the force that more than 500 traditional firearms were confiscated last year alone.
But part of the challenge of controlling 3D-printed weapons is that they can be built discreetly. Metropolitan Police say they are adapting.
Image: Head of Department Supervisor Nick Blackburn reveals police are working to intercept 3D-printed weapons before they hit the streets of London
Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Blackburn says his colleagues are being trained to monitor weapons that do not look like conventional firearms. For example, officers will be able to spot brightly colored guns or those that may look like a toy.
He says: “It is an emerging trend that our staff is aware of.
“We need to understand the threat, treat it as an emerging threat, monitor it, monitor the people who are watching this online if we can and intercept these weapons before they hit the streets of London.”
Who makes the 3D printed weapons in Britain?
The greatest risk of attack is unlikely to come from the 3D-printed weapons movement that carries out violence for ideological or political reasons, according to Dr. Basra’s research at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization.
Instead, he suggests that there is a growing link between these weapons and extremists.
He said: “The reality is that effective designs are published on the Internet. We have seen extremists share these designs. [and] we’ve seen extremists try to build 3D-printed guns. “
Dr. Basra says members of the far right often share instructional documents and plans online in preparation for the so-called racial war, increasing their chances of finding weapons files.
Examples of this can be seen in the UK, with five out of six people prosecuted in connection with 3D-printed weapons with links to the far right. They all used online spaces to research, prepare, or start building a 3D printed gun.
Image: A partially constructed 3D-printed firearm was found after the arrest of (from left to right) Daniel Wright, Liam Hall and Stacey Salmon. Credit: CTPNE
In one case, a undercover police officer intercepted online plans between Daniel Wright, Liam Hall and Stacey Salmon of Yorkshire. Following his arrests, a partially built 3D-printed firearm was recovered.
Those convicted in England were arrested before they could inflict physical harm.
But in Germany, a neo-Nazi equipped with 3D-printed pistols and other improvised weapons killed two people and attacked a synagogue …