Fabricated Evidence

It was only a short time ago that the press worldwide was up-in-arms (pun not intended) about an American guy who was developing rifle parts from home on a 3D printer to sell and distribute.

It was only a matter of time then that someone in the UK would do the same!

Except, well they haven't yet, despite announcements made earlier this week.

How will Nerf guns and real guns be differentiated between?!

That's right, the Police raided a legitimate businessman obviously with no reasonable grounds, have potentially caused much damage to the mans life and his business image, all because some parts he printed 'may' have looked a bit like a part of a weapon, which it wasn't. What was being printed was spare parts for the very 3D printer that was being used. How you could confuse any part of a printer with a gun magazine, I don't know, but fact is often stranger than fiction.

I think the respectable gentleman caught up in all this hit the nail on the head when he said 'This is 100% bollocks!'

Still, when 3D printers become much more widespread I don't know how the authorities are going to be able to stem the tide of counterfeit replacement parts and weapons, it should certainly make for some interesting times, especially if metal printing in a home environment really takes off. Especially if you can print parts which end up having more structural integrity than what the manufacturer originally designed them with.

But the ultimate question will be, how, when every household has this ability, are they going to be able to differentiate between a homemade pistol, and a Nerf gun?

This is all going to get more interesting with time!