Threat of Plastic Guns Rises
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Law-enforcement agencies have grown increasingly concerned about plastic guns since late last year, when a Texas man posted online gun blueprints for 3-D printers, which build three-dimensional objects using plastic materials. The ability to build a working gun from plastic has excited technology geeks and gun enthusiasts, but law-enforcement officials say plastic guns could compromise security measures in countless schools, government buildings and other areas.
There is additional urgency around the issue because next month a 1988 law that bars production of firearms that don't contain enough metal to be read by metal detectors is set to expire. Congressional aides say the legislative calendar is so uncertain it's unclear how or if legislation to renew the law would come to a vote.
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To date, there haven't been any known instances of a person being shot with a plastic gun in the U.S., nor are there currently any criminal investigations for possession of such a weapon, ATF officials said. The weapons are still expensive to produce, and quality is uneven. A cheap 3-D printer can cost as little as $1,000, but to make a working gun requires more expensive printers, which can cost $100,000 or more.
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http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303559504579196342767042548
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