Australian teen charged for 3D printing this ‘fully functional’ firearm

The plastic firearm is said to be capable of firing 15 rounds with one pull of the trigger

publishing date:

Jun 14, 2022 † 5 days ago † 2 minute read † 22 Comments

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An 18-year-old teenager has been charged after police in Western Australia seized a fully functional firearm he 3D printed at home.

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Authorities executed a search warrant at the individual’s home where a number of other weapons were discovered.

“This firearm although it resembles a toy, has the ability to cause serious harm within our community,” Detective Senior Sgt. Blair Smith told reporters. “It’s deeply concerning that this man was able to manufacture this firearm at home with a 3D printer and readily available materials.”

The plastic firearm is said to be capable of firing 15 rounds with one pull of the trigger, CNN affiliate 9News Australia said.

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“This is the first time we’ve seen a fully operational 3D printed firearm here in Western Australia,” Smith said.

According to police, it allegedly took two days to produce the weapon with materials costing less than 40 Australian dollars ($35), Nine reported.

No motive has been determined for printing the firearm.

The teen, whose identity has yet to be released, will face Perth Magistrates Court on June 20.

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Last year, the Western Australia government proposed changing gun laws to make it illegal to manufacture plastic 3D firearms. Under the proposal, a maximum 10-year sentence would apply to anyone caught with plans or instructions on how to make them.

The Western Australia government proposed changing gun laws last year in an effort to criminalize manufactured plastic 3D firearms. Anyone caught, the statement said, will face a maximum of 14 years in jail.

A maximum 10-year jail penalty will apply to anyone caught in possession of instructions or plans on how to make them.

After a gunman killed 35 people at a cafe and tourist site in 1996, Australia banned all semi-automatic rifles and all semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns. Thousands of unlicensed firearms were surrendered under a gun amnesty program, and licensed gun owners were required to take a safety course.

The chances of being murdered by a gun in Australia plunged to 0.15 per 100,000 people in 2014 from 0.54 per 100,000 people in 1996, a decline of 72 per cent, a Reuters analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed.

With additional reporting from Reuters

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