How 3D printed firearms are spreading online and are used in armed crimes and conflicts

According to Nickina, from Eventown, an American arms control organization, 3D printed guns could become the “favorite weapon” of those who plan violent acts: “The materials have improved, the cost has fallen and the ease of access to these planes is maximum,” he says.

BBC Trending research began with arms ads on Instagram and Facebook. In October 2024, Tech Transparency Project, a non -profit organization that supervises technology companies, found hundreds of weapons ads – including 3D printed on 3D and other ghost weapons – that appeared on the finish lines, violating their policies.

Goal refused to comment on the findings at that time. Several months later, BBC Trending discovered ads of similar weapons that continued to appear as assets in the finishing database.

Many of these arms ads directed potential customers to Telegram or WhatsApp channels. In Telegram, we found channels that showed various weapons for sale. Some seemed to be printed in 3D. A Telegram account with more than 1,000 subscribers claimed to send weapons to the whole world.

BBC Trending contacted the account, which called “Jessy”, to confirm if he would be willing to violate the law by sending 3D printed weapons to the United Kingdom. In less than an hour, Jessy offered us a liberator or a Glock switch The Glock switch.

A glock switch (also known as Auto Sear or automatic trigger) is a small piece, sometimes printed in 3D, which converts a gun into an automatic weapon.

The liberator, designed in 2013 by the “cryptover” Cody Wilson, is the first 3D printed gun in the world widely available, capable of firing a single shot.

Jessy said he could pass the smuggling weapon for the customs of the United Kingdom, requested the payment of 160 pounds (US $ 215) in Bitcoin and then suggested a bank transfer to a United Kingdom account that we could not track.

When we later contacted Jessy, identifying ourselves as the BBC, he acknowledged that the sale of weapons in the United Kingdom is illegal, but did not sound repentant.

“I carry my business, I sell some belts (jargon to refer to weapons) online, “he said.

We do not carry out the transaction to verify Jessy's claims. Although her carefree attitude suggested that it could be a scammer, her ability to announce in the finish line and operate on Telegram shows apparent lagoons that true arms traffickers could take advantage of.

When contacted, Meta told the BBC that the ads that we highlight had been “automatically deactivated in line with our policies”, and that the inclusion in their advertisement library “does not necessarily mean that the announcement remains active or visible.”

Telegram said Jessy's account had been proactively eliminated for breaking his policies.

A spokesman added: “The sale of weapons is explicitly prohibited by the terms of Telegram service and is eliminated whenever it is discovered. The moderators empowered with personalized AI and automatic learning tools pro -actively supervise the public parts of the platform and accept reports to eliminate millions of pieces of harmful content every day, including the sale of weapons.”

However, the worrying thing is that people looking for 3D printed weapons do not need to buy them already made through social networks. They can ride them them. Models such as FGC-9 are designed using only 3D printed plastic and reused metal components, without the need for weapons available in the market.

“Basically, you become a homemade fan,” says Rajan Basra, researcher at the King's College in London. However, “it is not as easy as printing an A4 paper sheet on your office printer.”

As BBC has previously reported, there are websites that offer free step -by -step guides and downloadable plans to build 3D printed weapons.

One of those guides was written by Matthew Larosiere, a Florida lawyer specialized in weapons rights. It is associated with the world community in favor of 3D printed weapons, which has many members in the US who consider the right to carry weapons- enshrined in the second amendment of its constitution- as a human right.

BBC Trending asked him why he shares information to help people build a lethal weapon.

He replied: “It is only information. They are some and zeros. The fact that the information has a use that bothers you, I understand and sympathize with it, but that does not make it right to say that it is more than information.”

Asked about the risk that this “information” will be used in a shooting or a massacre in a school, he replied: “I thank God that this has not happened.” Myanmar cited as a country where, in his opinion, 3D printed weapons have served a positive cause.

Myanmar is currently the only known case for the use of 3D printed weapons in an active military conflict. The use of the FGC-9 by the fighters of the resistance against the Military Board has been widely informed.

But, as Hnin Mo discovered, from the BBC Burmese service, many of these groups have stopped using 3D printed weapons. This despite the fact that the resistance forces produced hundreds of FGC-9 in 2022 and 2023, which cost more than ten times less than machine guns in the black market.

The rebel leaders with whom Hnin Mo spoke cited the iron control of the Military Board about the imports of essential materials such as glue and metal. In addition, these groups now have more conventional weapons, such as launching or machine guns.

Myanmar's example demonstrates the limitations of current 3D printed weapons for military use. But worldwide, its diffusion is evident. Several countries are studying laws to penalize plans possession.

There are also appeal for 3D printers manufacturers to block the printing of gun pieces, in the same way that conventional printers restrict currency impression. But it remains to be seen if these measures can be effective.

With additional information from HNIN MO.

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