Daring AM: Americans Help Chinese Internet Users 3D Print Guns – 3DPrint.com

Individuals are bypassing traditional channels of weapon production and regulation, creating guns that are untraceable and decentralized. From American firearm enthusiasts teaching Chinese users to build ghost guns to Canadian authorities uncovering smuggling rings and 3D printed weapons appearing alongside drug busts, this latest news points to how 3D printing technology is increasingly becoming a factor in criminal activities.

Teaching 3D Printed Gunmaking on REDNote

A group of American gun advocates has taken to REDNote, an app known in China as Xiǎohóngshū and considered a hybrid between Instagram and TikTok, to teach users how to build unserialized ghost guns. Despite being a platform known for its strict rules and active moderation to control content (such as removing inappropriate or controversial posts), REDNote has become an unlikely space for a small group of Americans to share knowledge about building firearms at home.

One advocate, who goes by “YZY,” has uploaded videos showcasing 3D printed firearms alongside links to online repositories like “The Gatalog,” which hosts blueprints for gun designs. Despite China’s strict prohibition on private gun ownership, YZY insists that the right to bear arms is universal, stating, “The Chinese have every right to own a gun, the same that we do.”

The news outlet Daily Dot, the first to report the news, says that while some Chinese users have responded positively, others warn that the activity could jeopardize REDNote itself, given its already heavy-handed censorship policies. In fact, the platform’s struggle to moderate content like this points to the challenges of controlling the global dissemination of 3D printed firearm blueprints.

In the wake of the possible TikTok ban in the United States, REDNote experienced a surge of nearly three million new U.S. users in a single day on January 18, 2025. This influx was attributed to TikTok users seeking alternative platforms ahead of the original ban that would take effect on January 19, 2025. However, on January 20, 2025, his first day back in office, President Trump granted a 75-day extension, delaying the ban.

YZY’s REDNote profile teaches how to 3d print guns. Image courtesy of Daily Dot.

In the United States, the legality of 3D printed firearms varies. Federally, there is no explicit prohibition against manufacturing or possessing 3D printed guns for personal use, as long as they include detectable metal components as required by the Undetectable Firearms Act. However, several states have implemented their own regulations to deal with the proliferation of these untraceable weapons, especially by criminals.

Unlike the United States, China keeps stringent gun control laws that prohibit private citizens from manufacturing or possessing firearms, with guns limited to military, police, and select security personnel. While there is little publicly available information about specific regulations on 3D printed firearms, the country’s gun laws could suggest that these weapons would also be considered illegal. With such different rules on guns in the U.S. and China, it’s unclear how Chinese authorities will react to Americans sharing pro-gun content on REDNote.

Canadian Border Agents Uncover a 3D Gunmaking Operation

In Aurora, Ontario, an investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) led to the arrest of Reza Nezamabadi, who faces nine charges related to the illegal manufacturing and smuggling of firearms. Authorities seized several 3D printed guns, printers, and gun parts from his home after finding banned devices in packages flagged at border facilities.

Officials of the case say this highlights the intersection of international smuggling and decentralized firearm production. By using 3D printers and easily accessible blueprints, individuals like Nezamabadi bypass traditional ways of making and importing guns, creating firearms that are difficult to trace.

Director of CBSA Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET) Abeid Morgan noted, “Border services officers work tirelessly to stop the importation and exportation of contraband. Our Intelligence and Criminal Investigations team were vigilant throughout the investigation into this attempt at cross-border smuggling and successfully prevented these illicit firearms and prohibited devices from reaching our communities.”

Prohibited firearm parts and 3D manufacturing equipment. Image courtesy of CBSA.

3D Printed Weapons in a Drug Bust

Also in Canada, a traffic stop led to the discovery of drugs and 3D printed weapon parts. On January 8, 2025, Stoney Nakoda Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers found evidence of fentanyl trafficking, along with 3D printed firearms and accessories and a 3D printer, which led to the arrest of all three car occupants. The suspects, linked to a recent break-and-enter, now face multiple charges related to drug trafficking and unauthorized firearm possession. This incident is an example of how 3D printed weapons are increasingly tied with other criminal activities, from drug trafficking to property crime.

Inspector Dave Brunner of Cochrane RCMP outlined that they will continue to work with all police jurisdictions to solve crimes being committed in the rural areas surrounding Calgary: “Information sharing is essential, and we have great relationships with our neighboring police agencies. We will continue to work diligently to keep our communities safe.”

3D printed firearms that were found by RCMP during a vehicle search. Image courtesy of RCMP.

In Canada, manufacturing firearms, including 3D printed guns, is illegal without the appropriate licenses. Section 99(1) of the Criminal Code prohibits unauthorized firearm production, carrying severe penalties of up to 14 years in prison, with mandatory minimum sentences of three years for a first offense and five years for subsequent offenses. In fact, the RCMP has issued warnings about the dangers of privately made firearms, highlighting that producing or possessing 3D printed guns without proper authorization is a criminal offense.