Redmond gunmaker worried about 3D printed guns’ impacts

The issue of 3D printed guns is sparking debate across the country. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump tweeted he’s looking into the 3D plastic guns and said it “doesn’t seem to make much sense.”

On Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order to stop a company from releasing instructions on how to make a 3D printed gun. That’s good news for eight states. including Oregon, that sued the Trump administration to bar the distribution of those downloadable plans.

But what kind of an impact would 3D printed guns have locally?

Larry Myers, the owner of Redmond Black Rifle/Colfax Tactical, said Tuesdays he’s concerned about safety and more regulations when it comes to 3D printed guns.

“I mean, as soon as people start getting hurt, there’s going to be laws on the books,” Myers said. “I don’t want to see them banned. I’d rather see the individual go, ‘I’m not building a plastic gun.’ It’s just counter-intuitive to me.”

The 3D gun blueprint was actually made in 2013, but it’s only recently that the State Department has decided to waive its restraint.

Capt. Paul Garrison with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said it’s concerning any time more guns are available to the public — and publicizing the instructions could also mean more guns on the black market.

“This is something that once upon a time was science fiction, and now it’s science fact,” Garrison said. “You already had the individual who produced it — and now, as you said, the sky’s the limit.”

Myers also said printing a gun wouldn’t be as easy as it sounds and would require investing several thousands of dollars for a 3D printer, as well as having the ability to code.

“I am not going to build a plastic gun and go shoot it. I want to go home with all my digits. That’s my opinion,” Myers said. “But I don’t want to see laws banning them. I’d rather see the public know that there’s much safer ways to go.”

One of the biggest concerns with 3 D guns is that they would have not be traceable and backgrounds wouldn’t be checked, because they wouldn’t have the same serial number system as guns purchased at a store.