3D-printed firearm

A 3D-printed firearm is a firearm that is partially or primarily produced with a 3D printer. While plastic printed firearms are associated with improvised firearms, or the politics of gun control, digitally-produced metal firearms are more associated with commercial manufacturing or experiments in traditional firearms design.

Although it is possible to create fully-printed plastic firearms and silencers, these tend to have short working lives. 3D-printed gun culture is built around the printing of open-source firearm frames and receivers, the use of standard, metal commercial components (like an action and barrel), and other parts that can be made or purchased in a parts kit.

While 3D-printed parts are made in the development and production of conventional firearms, they are more commonly associated with homemade firearms in American gun politics. 3D-printed parts complicate the debates regarding high-capacity magazine and assault weapon bans, as well as federal regulations like the ATF's pistol brace rule.