Gun control activists are alarmed that the world's first firearm made entirely with 3D printer technology has been successfully fired, and that the blueprint has been made available online as a free download.
US Congressman Steve Israel wants a ban on 3D printed gun components included in the Undetectable Firearms Act, which bans the possession of any weapon that cannot be detected by a metal detector or x-ray machine.
The New York Democrat told Forbes: "All the acts of Congress will not be effective if someone can go to a Staples, buy a 3D printer and manufacture plastic weapons components in their basement."
A group described as the "Pirate Bay of 3D Printing" successfully fired the firearm in Texas at the weekend. Defence Distributed, which spent a year designing the handgun, dubbed "Liberator", built it from plastic on a 3D printer bought on eBay for US$8000 ($9412).
A 3D printer operates by spraying layer upon layer of plastic, ceramics and even metals to form complex objects. For several years, manufacturing firms have used the technology to create prototypes and components, but it is now increasingly available to the public.
