Donald Trump hits out against 3D printed gun sales

Donald Trump has hit out against 3D printed guns being sold to the public by tweeting "already spoke to NRA, doesn’t make much sense".

His comment comes a day after eight US states sued his administration for allowing blueprints of 3D printed guns to be legally accessed online.  

3D printed guns can be created by anyone with access to a 3D printer  - a device that deposits molten plastic or powder to build an object layer by layer. 

"Would-be terrorists may well see the 3D printed gun as being a useful addition to their deadly arsenals – and not just in the US,"  Iain Overton, executive Director of Action on Armed Violence, wrote in a comment piece for the Telegraph. 

"Once these plans are freely distributed we can never know for sure where guns may eventually be printed."

Blueprints for the guns were due to be made public tomorrow following a ruling from the US Justice Department. However, they were published online early and have since been downloaded thousands of times.

Yesterday, Washington State attorney general Bob Ferguson said that he would be suing the State Department "to stop the illegal distribution of 3D printed guns" on behalf of eight US states.

The case dates back to 2013 when Texas-based Cody Wilson, the 30-year-old founder of pro-gun site Defense Distributed, created the world’s first 3D printed gun known as "The Liberator".  The gun was made entirely from ABS plastic with the only metal parts being the firing pin and a piece of metal included to comply with the Undetectable Firearms Act.

A blueprint for the gun was released online allowing anyone with a 3D printer to replicate the weapon. Within weeks, the files had reportedly been downloaded more than a million times.

Amid mounting concern, the US State Department ordered that these blueprints be removed citing a violation of export laws called the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Defense Distributed, however, sued the State Department in a legal battle that took four years. Last month it won its case.

"The era of the downloadable gun has formally begun," said the homepage for Defense Distributed.

The State Department was this week sent a letter by eight states asking it to reinstate its ban.

At a glance | Brilliant uses for 3D printing

"As the chief law enforcement officers of our states, we believe the settlement terms and proposed rules are deeply dangerous and could have an unprecedented impact on public safety," the letter said.

"In addition to helping arm terrorists and transnational criminals, the settlement and proposed rules would provide another path to gun ownership for people who are prohibited by federal and state law from possessing firearms."

But Overton believes it's just a matter of time before the blueprints for 3D printed guns fall into the wrong hands.

"Just as it was predictable that someone would, sooner or later, be run over by a driverless car, so too is it predictable that someone will print off a 3D gun and use it for murder," he said.

"The technology for plastic and metal printing will improve, costs will come down and 3D printing may become commonplace."