California Bill, Making 3D Printing a Gun Without DOJ Approval Illegal, Heads to Governor’s Desk

With all the positive publicity that 3D printing has been receiving lately, it is hard to remember that there are people trying to add a negative spin to the power that this technology holds. Whether they are right or wrong, will be for you and the government to ultimately decide. However, it appears that California may be about to pass a law directed mainly towards 3D printing and firearms.

Every year a staggering “0” people are killed by 3D printed guns. They are used in horrible ways, such as being symbols of freedom, learning tools, and even art. Realistically though, 3D printed guns have been harmless up until this point. Perhaps that’s simply because there are so many other easier methods of finding a gun than to print one out. Also, those who are stupid enough to try and commit a crime with one of these weapons, likely don’t have the brain power to even print a thimble, much less the numerous pieces for a gun, which then needs to be carefully assembled.

Last year California Senator Keven De Leon introduced Senate Bill 808. The bill, which is clearly aimed towards 3D printed firearms or ‘ghost guns’, would make it a crime under California law for a person to manufacture a firearm without first obtaining California Department of Justice approval to do so. Additionally, if that gun is approved, the individual would also be required to engrave a serial number on that weapon, which would be provided by the California Department of Justice.

This Weekend, after fierce debate within the Senate, SB808 was passed. It is now headed to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk. Brown will either sign the bill into law, or veto it. With this said, his past actions would weigh in favor of this bill being signed into law very soon. On Friday, as the bill was debated on the Senate Floor, California Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who was obviously against the bill, asked a simple question to Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, who was arguing in favor of it passing.

Assemblymember Tim Donnelly

Donnelly stated, “I got a question to the author, How many crimes in the past year have been committed with these so call ghost guns?”

“Madame Speaker I would take that as a rhetorical question but I am sure Mr. Donnelly would be able to find an answer if he were to Google the question,” replied Skinner.

“Well I guess I will be left to answer my own question,” Donnelly responded.  “So, given that part of the justification for bringing this measure forward was crimes committed with guns which are basically made at home, that are put together under very strict guidelines, by the way of the government here in California…. I have a feeling the answer is zero, or probably something close to that. This bill is about forcing every single gun owner to surrender to the government, so that the government can stamp their gun, so if someday they find it convenient, and they come up with a crisis of such a magnitude, maybe they can justify confiscating it. That’s the bottom line here. The goverment wants total control.”

So I decided to spend close to an Hour ‘Googling’ all sorts of phrases such as ‘3d printed gun crime’, ‘crime committed with 3D printed gun’, etc.  How many crimes could I find which were reported online being committed with a 3D printed gun, in the history of the world, on every continent?  The answer was one, and that was on the TV show ‘Elementary’, when Lawrence Pendry used a 3D printed gun to murder his wife.

Donnelly didn’t get the support of the majority within the Senate, so he will now hope that Governor Brown sees it his way. Let’s hear your thoughts on Sb808. Will it be signed into law? What could the consequences of such a law be? Discuss in the California 3D printed Gun Approval forum thread on 3DPB.com.