My New Paper on 3D Printed Firearms and the Second Amendment

I've recently written a paper titled, The Second Amendment Implications of Regulating 3D Printed Firearms. I am sending it out into ExpressO this slating cycle to see if anything happens, but in the meantime, you can access it here on SSRN.

Here is the abstract:

3D printed firearms have arrived, and commentators are beginning to ask whether and how this new technology can be regulated. An inevitable question that governments and courts will need to confront when considering restrictions on 3D printed firearms is whether these restrictions violate the Second Amendment. In this paper, I argue that most restrictions on 3D printed firearms would survive Second Amendment challenges. In carrying out this argument, I consider a complete ban on the manufacturing and possession of 3D printed firearms, and conclude that even this complete ban would be likely to survive Second Amendment challenges. Because these particularly restrictive bans are likely to survive, I conclude that most restrictions on 3D printed firearms will survive similar challenges. The main obstacle for governments will not be overcoming Second Amendment arguments against restrictions on 3D printed firearms, but ensuring that these restrictions are effective.

For a deeper introduction to the paper, see my previous post here, which formed the basis for this project. Comments and feedback on the paper are welcome, and make sure to send it to everybody you know who may be interested in the topic.