3D Printed Gun Safety Act of 2025
The 3D Printed Gun Safety Act of 2025 is a Senate bill that would amend federal firearms law to block the online distribution of digital files and code used to make guns. Specifically, it adds a new prohibition to 18 U.S.C. § 922, making it unlawful to intentionally distribute CAD (computer-aided design) files or similar digital instructions that can program a 3D printer to produce a firearm or to produce a firearm from an unfinished frame or receiver. The bill’s findings describe concerns about untraceable “ghost guns,” how 3D-printed firearms could evade detectors and background checks, and the role of digital schematics in enabling illicit gun access. The overall aim is to curb the spread of untraceable firearms while clarifying that the measure targets the distribution of digital designs, not the broader rights of computer programmers under the First Amendment.
Key Points
- 1Short title: The bill is named the “3D Printed Gun Safety Act of 2025.”
- 2Findings: Congress highlights the accessibility of 3D printing for firearms, the risk of untraceable guns, challenges for tracing such guns, and public safety concerns including potential evasion of background checks.
- 3Prohibition added to law: It adds subsection (aa) to 18 U.S.C. § 922, creating a new offense.
- 4What is prohibited: It is unlawful to intentionally distribute online CAD files or other code that can automatically program a 3D printer (or similar device) to produce a firearm or a firearm from an unfinished frame or receiver.
- 5Policy intent: The bill states its aim is to curb the spread of untraceable firearms and support public safety and firearms tracing, while clarifying that it is not intended to infringe on the First Amendment rights of programmers (or others) to create code, but rather to restrict the distribution of weapon-design files.