ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — An Albany man faces multiple felony charges found with 3D printed guns, hundreds of parts, and 3D printers, CBS6 is looking into the laws surrounding these 3D printed pieces and why it’s so hard to enact and enforce regulations.
“The problem with ghost guns is that they can be made easily at home. They can be purchased in some instances they can be purchased in the mail or from out of state and they come in parts,” said Greg Rinckey, Co-Founder of Tully Rinckey Law firm.
Local law enforcement says it’s not easy to enforce regulations on ghost guns and the use of 3D printers.
“This is one of those unintended consequences that comes with technology right? things are going to have to be tougher, they’re going to have to be stricter,” said Albany County Sheriff, Craig Apple. “How do we go about that right, we have to create that paradigm, that change. But it doesn’t prevent bad people from doing bad things. you can have all the laws under the sun, but bad people will still do it.”
The most recent use of a ghost gun and parts is the United Healthcare CEO shooting; murder suspect Luigi Mangione used a partially 3D-printed handgun.
“Years ago, machinery was needed to do this, but now it’s becoming much easier to print plastic parts. So it becomes harder to regulate because it gets easier for people to print the parts needed to make a firearm or they can buy parts that are not illegal, right? Then they can print the part that makes it a complete firearm,” said Rinckey.
In 2022, the NYS Attorney General’s Office changed the rules of state gun buyback programs after someone used a 3D printer to make firearm parts and traded them in for over $20,000 in gift cards.
