People are losing their marbles over this particular gun because it was put out there with the intention of being provocative. People fear what they are told to fear.
I don't see 3D printing changing the situation very much, as the capability already exists and is harshly regulated.
You can legally make and own unregistered/unserialized AR-15s or other firearms as long as it’s for personal use; you can’t sell, gift or distribute them in anyway. It’s easier and more economical (for now) to buy a BATF compliant 80% finished AR-15 lower receiver then drill/machine the last 20%. You’d have a commercial quality firearm. I think it would be a lot easier to get your hands on a drill, jig and mill than a high quality 3D printer too. There are even build parties where a group of people bring/buy their unfinished lowers and an experienced machinist helps the group finish their firearms.
Again, these guns are unregistered (not in any database) and have no serial number (unless you decide to stamp it with an ID mark in case it gets stolen). There's also no record of the 80% lower sale because its unfinished and not considered a firearm yet.
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/firearms-technology.html: “For your information, per provisions of the Gun Control Act (GCA) of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, an unlicensed individual may make a “firearm” as defined in the GCA for his own personal use, but not for sale or distribution.”
And my understanding is that it is generally considered a good idea to add a serial number, even if it's not legally required. It can make interactions with law enforcement easier if they're not aware of all these details.
With any luck 3d printers will become more ubiquitous in the next few years, and this will all clearly be no longer the case.
3d printers that people can afford can only produce garbage guns. 3d printers that professionals use (i.e., that cost tends of thousands of dollars) can produce slightly less crappy guns. In either case, you end up with a product that is substantially lower quality that mass-manufactured equivalents and costs substantially more.
What kind of idiot would pay more money for a lower quality product that could easily blow up in your hand severely injuring you? I mean, it is not like there's a shortage of mass-manufactured firearms.
Sure, ABS plastic weapons are still somewhat laughable. What happens when you can print a metal gun in your own home with some metal powder, with a machine purchased for less than $1K?
Note: Boeing uses laser sintered parts in their new Dreamliner; this isn't just for prototyping.
EDIT: Make Magazine plans for an open source laser sintering device: http://blog.makezine.com/2012/02/01/an-open-source-laser-sin...
What happens when I buy an eight-round Mossberg from the pawn shop for $250 dollars (that is like 8 Rasberry Pis!)?
Odds are, same outcome: it sits around doing nothing, because nearly nobody is murderer just itching for an easy way to do it.
The average citizen who wants a gun has one. And they have one that is much more effective than this 3D printed gun.
Anyways, no, I don't think that it will make a huge difference--the materials in use and the resolution in printing is just comical compared to even a simple throwaway zipgun.
is this a problem?