3D printers have ‘fingerprints,’ which could help trace guns, counterfeit goods

Re:3D printers have ‘fingerprints,’ which could help trace g... by chrisseaton on Saturday October 20, 2018 @03:42PM (#18265025)

Well if you're planning to trace weapons by their serial number then you're already going to be defeated by a simple screwdriver, let alone 3D printing.

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Re:3D printers have ‘fingerprints,’ which could help trace g... by function_seven on Saturday October 20, 2018 @04:02PM (#18265128)

You'd be surprised how well a serial number can be recovered even after it's been filed away. The stamping process that imprints each digit affects the metal underneath as well. Even when the physical characters have been filed away, the serial is readable using some advanced techniques[1]

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/scien...

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Re:3D printers have ‘fingerprints,’ which could help trace g... by dreamcompiler on Saturday October 20, 2018 @05:23PM (#18265564)

Bureaucracy is a bigger issue. All guns registered in the US are required by law to have their serial numbers recorded only on paper, not on computers. This means that even if you know the serial number of a gun used in a crime, it can take weeks or months to trace it to a purchaser. The reverse search (find all serial numbers associated with a particular person) is basically impossible.

Source: https://www.gq.com/story/inside-federal-bureau-of-way-too-ma...

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