They’ve got tough gun laws in Japan. So strict are the laws that a few years back, a cop was charged and convicted posthumously after blowing up his own head. The effect of these gun regulations has been positive with the land of the rising sun recording one of the lowest rates of firearm deaths worldwide.
You can imagine the amount of trouble you’d get in by possessing a 3D printed weapon in such an environment. But this was not readily apparent to the 27-year old Yoshitomo Imura.
Yoshimoto copped a $590 3D printer from an online store and with plans downloaded online, he got to printing parts for his own guns. The results weren’t so bad, so he posted a video online to show off his 3D printed pieces. When the police got wind of this, they found and cuffed Yoshimoto for possessing illegal weapons.
The absence of bullets for the rapidly proto-typed firearms showed that there was no immediate intent to kill although the case is still being treated seriously. Firing an unlicensed firearm gets you 3 years to life in Japan. But there has been little success in 3D printed resin guns that actually fire without coming apart.
“The technological advancement in the field of 3D Printing has made it possible to produce 3D printers in all sizes and shapes, each made with a set of features that would help to accomplish certain tasks better than others.
Buying a 3D printer is no longer a difficult task. The prices have dropped immensely in the last few years. These days, you can get a hold of a 3D printer for less than $500“.
