Prospect of easily made 3D printer guns a worry for federal officials

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"Wiki Weapons" project leader Cody Wilson points to his laptop screen displaying an image of a prototype plastic gun on the screen in Austin, Texas, Oct.3, 2012. The federal Public Safety Department is worried about the emergence of 3D printers that can easily manufacture guns without any kind of licensing control.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Statesman.com, MAGS OUT; NO SALES; INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM

OTTAWA – The federal Public Safety Department is worried about the emergence of 3D printers that can easily manufacture guns without any kind of licensing control.

The department is commissioning a study that will look at the advent of 3D technology and the feasibility of crafting firearms, parts and ammunition.

In May, the U.S. government made headlines when it ordered a Texas-based website to remove blueprints for using a 3D printer to make a handgun.

The Public Safety Department recently issued a call for a contractor to carry out the study with an eye to receiving a final report by next February.

The notice points out that legal possession of a firearm in Canada requires a licence and, in the case of handguns and other restricted guns, a registration certificate.

In addition, a firearms business licence is needed to manufacture a gun.

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