Formnext Germany

Australian Senate Not Convinced That Laws to Prevent 3D Printed Guns Are Needed

Share this Article

Australia-3d-printed-gunsA pair of reports from the Australian Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee reveals that while law enforcement, and federal and state governments are considering regulations to deal with 3D printed firearms, a majority of that country’s senators said they think existing laws will do the job.

According to the report asking for new regulations, “invention and expansion of 3D manufacturing means that the production of firearms in this way is now a reality.” It adds that there are problems posed by such firearms that might come as a result of the difficulty of detecting them and the simplicity of disposing of such guns.

The report also noted that, as yet, the impact of crimes related to 3D printed guns in Australia “appears at present to be negligible.”

liberator-parts-3d printedThe minority report cites evidence from the Law Institute of Victoria, which says inconsistencies in laws across Australian jurisdictions in regulation and registration of firearm parts and the manufacture of firearm parts could be impacted by “rapid changes” brought on as a result of 3D manufacturing methods. The Australian Green Party is also calling for legislation to limit the production of firearms with 3D printing technology.

This led the minority committee report to suggest that “uniform legislation regulating the manufacture of 3D printed firearms and firearm parts be introduced in all jurisdictions.”

Australian Senators Ian Macdonald, Bridget McKenzie, Linda Reynolds, and David Leyonhjelm rejected that assertion and said that although monitoring the situation makes sense, there’s no current need to create additional laws which deal specifically with the production of firearms produced with 3D printing technology. That group said they were concerned that such laws might lead to unnecessary regulation of 3D printing overall.

“The committee … does not accept that banning the individual use of 3D printers or introducing a character test for ownership is either necessary or practical,” says the majority report on the matter.

Back in February, police in Queensland seized some plastic, 3D printed gun parts during a raid and showed them off for the assembled press. Two years ago, New South Wales police had also test fired a version of the 3D printed ‘Liberator’ which failed catastrophically.Australian 3DP Gun Laws

A proposal put forward last June did make specific reference to 3D printed guns, saying they pose a risk and questions:

“…the adequacy of current laws and resourcing to enable law enforcement authorities to respond to technological advances in gun technology, including firearms made from parts which have been imported separately or covertly to avoid detection, and firearms made with the use of 3D printers.”

The Australian Senate is considering both reports this month.

Do you think it’s necessary to specifically prevent the creation of 3D printed guns, or do you think current laws are sufficient? Let us know in the Australian Senate Gun Debate forum thread on 3DPB.com.

3d printed Liberator failure

Liberator fired by NSW Police Department following its failure. (Photo: New South Wales PD)



Share this Article


Recent News

Honeywell Qualifies 6K Additive’s Nickel 718 for 3D Printed Aerospace & Defense Parts

Ruggedized: How USMC Innovation Officer Matt Pine Navigates 3D Printing in the Military



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

U.S. Congress Calls Out 3D Printing in Proposal for Commercial Reserve Manufacturing Network

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee moved the FY 2026 defense bill forward to the House floor. Included in the legislation is a $131 million proposal for...

Beyond Killer Apps: Why Additive Manufacturing Access Matters More Than Ever

February’s Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS) 2025 was a whirlwind of innovation. A dominant narrative, championed by industry leaders like Stratasys CEO Yoav Zeif, was AM’s need to prove its value...

IperionX Receives SBIR Phase III Contract for Titanium in Defense Applications

IperionX has obtained a SBIR Phase III Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The potential value of the contract is $99 million, and not surprisingly is focused around “Low-Cost Domestic...

Velo3D and US Navy Sign R&D Agreement to Characterize 3D Printing Materials for Aerospace

After going through major changes last year, including being delisted from the NYSE and being acquired by Arrayed Additive, Silicon Valley-based metal 3D printer OEM Velo3D has been picking up...