Australian Police Arrested a Teenager With a Fully Functioning 3D Printed Gun

During the house raid of an 18-year-old suspect in Western Australia, Police officers from the Drug and Firearm Squad secured a number of illegal firearms, including a 3D printed semi-automatic gun. The 4kg gun is able to fire 15 lethal 9mm rounds and is considered to be fully-functional. The inclusion of select metal parts have enabled this, as often 3D printed guns fall apart quickly after use due to the use of polymers.

Only recently, the European Police Office (Europol), expressed concerns about the increasing amount of 3D printed weapons that have been seized in Europe over the last few years, resulting in a conference held in Den Haag, the Netherlands, at which professionals and experts discussed the problem. Now, after the United States and Europe have already been forced to deal with the increasing danger, it seems like the threat of 3D-printed firearms has found its way down under.

The deadly weapon looks like a plastic toy (photo credits: PerthNow)

According to various Australian news outlets, the Australian Police executed a search warrant on the 3rd of June in Bayside, Western Australia, the officers were surprised to find a fully functional, semi-automatic firearm, allegedly produced in a suburban home. The gun, which has the appearance of a regular harmless plastic toy, turned out to be a dangerous assault weapon with the ability to shoot 9mm caliber rounds, the same caliber used by the armed police. “It’s deeply concerning that this man was able to manufacture this firearm at home with a 3D printer and readily available materials” Detective Senior Sgt. Blair Smith said in a statement. “That is a semi-automatic 9mm assault rifle in essence.”