Citation

Walther G. Sci. Eng. Ethics 2014; 21(6): 1435-1445.

Affiliation

Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute for Science Ethics and Innovation, University of Manchester, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK, gerald.walther@manchester.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Opragen Publications)

DOI

10.1007/s11948-014-9617-x

PMID

25520257

Abstract

In 2013, the first gun printed out of plastic by a 3D-printer was successfully fired in the US. This event caused a major media hype about the dangers of being able to print a gun. Law enforcement agencies worldwide were concerned about this development and the potentially huge security implications of these functional plastic guns. As a result, politicians called for a ban of these weapons and a control of 3D-printing technology. This paper reviews the security implications of 3D-printing technology and 3D guns. It argues that current arms control and transfer policies are adequate to cover 3D-printed guns as well. However, while this analysis may hold up currently, progress in printing technology needs to be monitored to deal with future dangers pre-emptively.

Language: en