There are a handful of states that prohibit so-called ghost guns. Yet with 3D printers being a thing I can order off of Amazon, there’s not really a whole lot they can do about it. I can print a receiver, then order the parts. If I can’t get a bundle, I can just order them individually. There’s not a lot that can be done to stop the practice.

But it’s perfectly acceptable in most of the country. It’s legal because, well, it’s not like criminals will stop doing things if you make them illegal anyway, and so-called “ghost guns” of any kind aren’t nearly as prevalent in criminal activities as the media would have you believe. And that’s from any source, not just those from a 3D printer.

Just the same, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg wants 3D printer manufacturers to “discourage” making guns on their devices.

With crimes involving ghost guns on the rise, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., is calling on a 3D printer manufacturer to put more safeguards in place to prevent the spread of 3D-printed guns and gun parts.

Bragg penned a letter to Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd. (Creality), which produces 3D printers available to individual consumers, to install their printers with an available 3D-printing software program that detects the shapes of common gun parts and blocks their printing. Bragg also called on Creality to take down any online blueprints, also known as CAD files, from its cloud platform, and to ban the creation of illicit weapons in the company’s user agreement.

…

“We are calling on companies that sell 3D-printers to work with us to stem the flow of dangerous weapons into our communities by implementing targeted, commonsense fixes. Too often, gun violence tragically takes innocent lives and tears at the fabric of our communities. Over the past several years, the number of illegal, 3D-printed firearms and ghost guns has increased significantly. We have an aggressive and holistic approach to combatting gun violence alongside our law enforcement partners but we cannot do it alone. We are hopeful that we can partner with these companies and make a meaningful impact on public safety,” said District Attorney Bragg. 

My letter to Bragg: Get bent.

These firearms are legal throughout most of the country. What’s more, the recent Supreme Court decision, while less than thrilling for us, didn’t actually support a ban on these firearms in any way. In fact, Gorsuch’s opinion specifically said the regulations were permissible because it wasn’t a ban, which suggests that your regulations on privately made firearms might not get so favorable of a treatment.

But more than that, you’re asking these companies to leave money on the table, and why? Because all of the much-celebrated New York gun control hasn’t stopped bad guys from getting guns?

Let’s keep in mind that while the number of privately made firearms recovered by law enforcement may have increased, the violent crime rate hasn’t actually reflected much of anything. It goes up and comes down based on completely different factors that have nothing to do with the availability of these firearms.

And even if that dried up tomorrow and privately made firearms were completely and totally impossible to make–something that will never happen, to be sure, but roll with me on this one–it won’t matter because people had no problem getting guns before printers were available.

Which brings me back to the “money on the table” thing.

I want a 3D printer. I want it so I can make my own firearms, among other things. It’s part of any criteria for a printer that I might consider.

If one decides to do as Bragg asks, then that’s off the list. It’s not going to be considered at all.

But for most people who want a 3D printer, there are unlikely to be enough people who feel the opposite from me to make up for all the gun people who won’t buy a printer that won’t do guns. The other folks will just buy the printer that meets their needs best. Even many who are anti-gun aren’t going to let that drive their decision.

So yeah, I’m skeptical anyone will take Bragg up on his offer, which isn’t really an offer.