Summary
Americans are posting videos about 3D-printed guns on the Chinese video app RedNote, despite the content being illegal in China.
While some users are uncomfortable with the topic, others see it as an opportunity for cultural exchange.
The future of TikTok remains uncertain as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the ban.
Well, that, I suppose, or the fact that they’re almost untraceable so we don’t have selling/download stats on them as you’re not legally allowed to sell your own manufactured firearms, and they haven’t been used in crime much so we don’t have crime stats. What statistics are you after?
Ones regarding their safety and reliability. What statistics do you think I would be after?
I’m not trying to be snarky, I can see how it might come off this way. I’m just having a discussion.
Anyway, a lot of that sorta testing is inside the files you download/in blogs of the file makers. You are correct though, there are no studies.
Now, it does definitely get into “he said, she said” type territory there however, I would find it somewhat telling that you don’t hear about people being hospitalized after messing around with them. Someone would have posted it somewhere, and those files wouldn’t be circulated.
Now, my opinion on that is based on as much data as “3D printed guns are dangerous and blow up” is. So anecdotal for sure.
You just might be surprised how well these things actually function, and yes, I’ve had multiple. Honestly, it’s an interesting rabbit hole to go down just to come to grips on how simple(or not) firearms actually are.
I’m not saying they are dangerous and do blow up. I’m saying their reliability is not trustworthy. As someone else pointed out in a comment, we’re talking about all kinds of 3D printer designs and all kinds of types of filament. There is no quality control. If I had an option between a 3D-printed gun and one I know was made with properly calibrated equipment to a high standard, I wouldn’t choose the 3D-printed gun. For the same reason I would choose the car made at the car factory over a car I 3D-printed from online car plans.
Oh 1000%. I probably went off on my own tangent after not understanding.