Print and shoot: The rise of 3D-printed guns
How the technology to print your own lethal weapon is promoted on social media and the growing popularity of 3D-printed weapons online.
A growing number of incidents have highlighted the dangers of 3D-printed ‘ghost guns’: untraceable firearms that can be assembled at home with the help of a 3D printer. Since the first designs appeared in 2013, 3D-printed gun technology has advanced rapidly. Some models can now fire hundreds or thousands of rounds without their plastic components failing. Although these weapons are illegal in many jurisdictions, designs, parts, and blueprints continue to spread on social media. In this episode of BBC Trending, we explore the growing popularity of 3D-printed weapons online.
Presenter/producer: Dan Hardoon
Additional reporting: Hnin Mo
Editor: Flora Carmichael
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Sat 31 May 202504:32GMTLive News- Sat 31 May 202504:32GMTBBC World Service
- Sat 31 May 202517:32GMTBBC World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview, News Internet & Europe and the Middle East only
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Trending
In-depth reporting on the world of social media

