Forensic Experts Test Lethality of 3D Printed Weapon in BBC Video

The BBC presented a video in which a 3D printed weapon was tested by forensic researchers.

3D printed weapons are in the news lately due to an increase in their production and use. It’s possible for criminals to produce these devices in a way to avoid registration, or obtain the weapons when one legally cannot.

Police worldwide are concerned as this practice could increase the amount and severity of crimes, so many jurisdictions have taken steps to close down producers of said weapons. Often they are produced with common desktop 3D printing equipment.

Note that the weapons are not entirely 3D printed. Portions of the weapons are actually made from conventional parts, with only one key component being 3D printed. This particular part is the one that represents the registration: the other parts are just hardware.

The video, below, from the BBC shows a forensic researcher testing a weapon apparently seized by the West Midlands Police in the UK. They were interested in determining whether the 3D printed weapons was legal to possess or not.

That’s because it’s quite possible to produce replica weapons that are not functional. Just because something looks like a weapon doesn’t necessarily mean it legally is one.

The testing involved several steps, and a very careful procedure for safety. It is quite possible for such weapons to explode as they may not be able to withstand the energy when the trigger is pulled.

For the final test the researchers fired a live round into a cube of “ballistic soap”, a gel that has mechanical properties similar to human tissue.

Their experiment showed that this particular 3D printed weapon was capable of delivering the round to a depth of 150mm, which in their opinion would be a lethal strike.

This implies that the weapon is indeed “lethal”, and that information was relayed to the police. From there they should be able to proceed with legal steps based on possession of a lethal weapon.

This experiment is not unique. You can be certain that similar experiments are performed by police in many regions for precisely the same reasons: obtaining proof of illegality.

3D printers are just tools, and they can be used to produce almost anything. Here they’re used to make items apparently required by some actors, but not always for good purposes.

Via YouTube