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3D Printed Glock Magazine Kills Gun Control — Again

A fully plastic 30-round Glock magazine just made extended-mag bans unenforceable.

3D Printed Glock Magazine Kills Gun Control — Again
A workstation on the assembly line at the Defense Distributed factory, which publishes blueprints for printed guns. (Tamir Kalifa for The Washington Post)
By Mason Mohon

The American gun control debate rages on, hot as ever. Liberals show no sign of relenting when it comes to taking away the rights of Americans to defend themselves against the state. However, thanks to the miracle of 3D printing, gun control is dead in the water. The most recent blow to gun control via 3D printing takes the form of a 30 round Glock magazine made completely out of plastic.

Deterrence Dispensed released a video showcasing a 30 round Glock magazine made completely out of plastic.

Traditionally, Defense Distributed has been at the forefront of the firearm printing movement. However, their work seems to inspire others to pursue similar projects. Deterrence Dispensed makes clear that they are not associated with Defense Distributed, but the inspiration in both the style of the video and the projects is clear.

Thanks to Deterrence Dispensed, high capacity magazine bans are now a joke to anyone with access to a 3D printer. As a result, the right to bear arms is only more secure. Hopefully, more similar projects will spring up. Because gun control is dangerous: it takes away the last barrier between government overreach and the rights of everyday Americans.

Why 3D Printed Guns Are Important

The 3D printing firearm movement began with Cody Wilson’s liberator. The small, unsuspecting single-shot plastic pistol launched fear, interest, and obsession into the political discourse. Although the weapon itself is barely a threat to anyone, the implications of such a project were widely understood.

Now that individuals across the globe can access firearm materials via a 3D printer, the U.S. government is in an awkward position. They can either ban plastic 3D printing, go after the ghost guns themselves, or ignore the problem altogether.

Banning plastic 3D printing is obviously not going to fly. It would be a clear abridgment to the rights of Americans, and the externalities would be far-reaching. It would hold back innovation in many industries, including, but not limited to, jewelry, medical devices, and general manufacturing products.

Another option the state has is legislation. They can attack the problem of 3D printable firearms head-on. H.R. 7115 aims to do exactly this, but if it were to be implemented, it would barely be effective. The ghost gun movement exists for the exact reason of circumventing legislation like this. Attempts by the government to stop 3D printed guns are laughable.

Government Can’t Ignore the Problem

Finally, the government can just ignore the problem. It can try to just let it fade away and hope everyone forgets. And this would probably be the best option for everybody. Our lawmakers would save themselves some pretty serious headaches, and it would allow Americans to slowly but surely become freer.

In conclusion, this 3D printed Glock magazine is part of a revolution. Unregistered, untraceable firearms and firearm components are now a fact of American life. The only question that remains is: how can we get them to Hong Kong?

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