An 18-year-old Australian man has been charged after police discovered a fully functional handgun he reportedly built at home using a 3D printer. The handmade weapon was discovered on June 3 by Drug and Firearm Squad police inside a property in Bayswater, in Perth’s northeast. ‘This pistol, while it seems to be a toy, has the potential to inflict great harm in our community,’ Detective Senior Sgt. Blair Smith told reporters. ‘It’s highly troubling that this individual was able to make this pistol at home using a 3D printer and widely available components.’
The 3D-printed handgun can fire 15 bullets with a single stroke of the trigger. The adolescent has been charged with a number of gun-related offenses, including unlicensed production of weapons or ammunition and possession of a restricted weapon. In Australia, individuals are not permitted to acquire fully automatic weapons, and all other gun ownership is strictly controlled and limited to persons over the age of 18 who have a valid license. The restrictions were enacted in 1996, following the death of 35 people when a gunman opened fire on holidaymakers at Port Arthur, a former colonial jail in Tasmania.
Sergeant Smith called the finding of the assault rifle ‘very worrisome’, adding that it had no place in the community. ‘Although it seems to be a toy, it has the potential to inflict great harm in our community,’ he told reporters at a press conference on Monday. It is believed that a pistol may be made in 48 hours using components as cheap as $40, but a 3D printer can cost $6,000. The adolescent is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on June 22.
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