A machine that can make metal parts from a blueprint can also make all kinds of weapon. Do you think such a 3d printer would be legally available to the general public?
Actually, there was a big kerfuffle on Thingiverse when someone published, as proof of concept, a design for a plastic rifle magazine: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11636
That's interesting. I would think that a machine capable of making arbitrary metal parts would very quickly be subjected to heavy government regulations?
The parent poster is probably referring to CNC milling machines. AFAIK, gun parts made on them are subject to the same regulation/registration as if they were purchased in a store or made in a machine shop. Also, using CNC machines takes skill -- they're not "set and forget" -- and I would imagine that the kind of people with said skill are smart enough not to tempt fate and make illegal gun parts.
