World's first fully 3-D printed gun is tested by ATF agents... and blows up in their faces

The Liberator is the first 3-D printed gun

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tested several versions of the gun in different plastics

One made of Visijet exploded before it was fired; another of more durable plastic fired eight shots easily

Authorities say the gun is a safety and security concern because it's not detected by metal detectors

The world's first printable gun has been deemed a serious safety and security concern after a gun printed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms exploded before it was even fired.



This danger is matched by the problem with fully-functioning 3-D printed guns - they work all too well.



The blueprint for the 3-D gun known as the Liberator was made available online six months ago by the group Defense Distributed with the aim of enabling anyone to print a gun with a 3-D printer six months ago.

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No toy: The first gun printed on a 3-D printer, the Liberator, has been tested by the ATF

New technology: An Ultimaker 3-D printer

The State Department demanded the design be taken offline but not before it was downloaded more than 100,000 times.

The ATF used the blueprints to print the plastic gun on a 3-D printer.



The bureau released the results of its tests on the Liberator on Wednesday, posting a series of videos on the tests to YouTube.



The weapon was found to have the power to penetrate several inches of flesh as well as a human skull.



'The bottom line is, the penetration results demonstrated that the Liberator is a lethal weapon,' Earl Griffith, chief of ATF's firearms technology branch told the Huffington Post.



'The .380 bullets fired from the Liberator penetrate sufficiently to reach vital organs and perforate the skull.'



The ATF printed several versions of the gun using different materials.



The gun printed in a plastic material called Visijet exploded during the test.

Explosive: The Liberator made from Visijet exploded during testing

A gun rendered in a stronger plastic known as ABS shot eight rounds without any problems.



'[The testers] quit after eight rounds, but there was no issue with the firearm at that point,' ATF spokesperson Tim Graden told Forbes.

Authorities say the guns are a particular concern because they're made of plastic which is undetectable, meaning they could be brought into areas where weapons would normally be banned such as airports, schools and courts.

Depending on the metal detector, a bullet might not be enough to set it off, and the only way the gun itself could be detected would be with an X-ray machine, which aren't used in many facilities.



Undetectable: Authorities are concerned that plastic 3-D guns could be brought into places such as schools or government buildings where metal detectors wouldn't find them

New threat: A Liberator pistol next to the 3D printer on which its components were made. The single-shot handgun is the first firearm that can be made entirely with plastic components forged with a 3D printer

The gun manages to bypass the Undetectable Firearms Act by including a metal block in its make-up. However, the metal part of the gun doesn't play any part in its function and could be removed.

The Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 expires early next month, and there is a push to have the law updated to account for printed plastic guns.



New York Congressman Steve Israel told the Washington Post that he's making a 'last-ditch effort' to renew and update the law.

'It would be unfathomable to me if we are not able to renew thiws law right now,' he said.



ATF spokesperson Tim Graden outlined the bureau's concerns to Forbes: 'One, they do work. Two, they’re not reliable, and three, they’re undetectable,' says Graden.

