11-22-2013: Philadelphia became the first city in the world to formally ban 3D-printed firearms

Philadelphia’s city officials were ahead of their time

On November 22, 2013, the Philadelphia City Council voted unanimously to prohibit the manufacturing of guns using 3D printers, making Philly the first city to enact such a ban. This decision came in the wake of global hype surrounding 3D-printed guns, fueled a year earlier by Cody Wilson and his infamous Liberator project.

While at the time, the ban seemed almost laughable and irrelevant due to the technological limitations of desktop-grade 3D printers, it appears far more prescient today in light of the growing concerns over MCDs, "switches," or "auto sears"—small components that can convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons.

One of the architects of the 2013 ban was Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, who justified the legislation by saying: “You can use certain types of plastic and other materials to replicate almost anything. But what happens if someone uses a personal-use 3D printer to create a real gun? That would be catastrophic.” Johnson sought to regulate these issues out of fear that plastic firearms could easily bypass metal detectors and other security systems. “If this technology falls into the wrong hands… I mean, all it takes is one or two shots,” he warned.

Philadelphia Police Captain Francis Healy, serving as a special advisor to Commissioner Charles Ramsey, echoed Johnson's concerns. “While these guns are currently made from plastic and are fairly crude, many versions are functional,” he noted. He also pledged the police department’s support for City Council efforts aimed at improving public safety.

Between 2012 and 2015, 3D-printed firearms were one of the most sensationalized topics surrounding 3D printing, largely due to Cody Wilson, his organization Defense Distributed, and most notably, the Liberator—the first widely accessible functioning 3D-printed pistol. In 2012, as news of Wilson's 3D-printed gun project spread, he briefly became one of the most controversial figures globally. Even Stratasys, a leading 3D printer manufacturer, issued a formal statement opposing the use of its machines for producing parts of the Liberator.

At the time, much of this controversy seemed more about media hype than actual risk. Today, however, the landscape has changed significantly. At the end of September this year, President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at combating the increasing threat of 3D-printed firearms and machine gun converters.

These devices, known as MCDs, "switches," or "auto sears," are small attachments capable of turning semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons that can fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute—faster than the standard-issue M4 rifle used by the U.S. military. These plastic converters are inexpensive and easily manufactured using publicly available design files and low-cost, desktop-grade 3D printers.

In hindsight, Philadelphia’s city officials were ahead of their time.

Source: www.phillymag.com