By WPRO News
Congressman David Cicilline wants to ban 3D printed guns, which he called a “disaster waiting to happen.”
Cicilline said he, along with Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton, are introducing a bill to ban the unusual new weapons “in response to the Trump administration’s decision earlier this month to allow a company to post designs for 3-D printed guns online.” He said the guns are dangerous for a host of reasons, but largely because they are often plastic and “virtually undetectable” by modern security.
“I think this is something which most people would recognize as danger, that you can publish blueprints online and have someone printing a gun who is ineligible, prohibited from having a firearm, maybe someone who has a criminal record, maybe someone who is not of proper age, and that they could somehow just make a gun using these blueprints,” Cicilline said.
Some reports describe 3D printed guns as capable of firing only one shot, but Cicilline said he believes some can fire more depending on what materials are used to print them. Plus, he said, “obviously if your goal is to kill one person or cause harm, you can do it with a single shot.”
“As someone who has had to use guns for his job, I know how critical it is that we assure well trained, law abiding citizens have access to guns,” added Moulton in a statement. “The availability of guns made by 3-D printers is a dangerous step in the wrong direction.”
Cicilline said he and Moulton will introduce the bill on Tuesday.
