Security News > 2020 > January > States sue over rules that allow release of 3D-printed gun blueprints
Most things aren't made from a single material, and in the case of printed guns, that means printed plastic parts that are joined with essential metal components.
In other words, 3D printed parts don't need to be the end product: they can, rather, assist in the fabrication of the end product - for example, besides the plastic bits of a printed gun, 3D printing can also assist in rifling the metal barrels.
Thursday's lawsuit isn't the first go-round when it comes to suing the government over the sharing of 3D-printed gun plans online.
Proponents of the administration's attempts say that it's citizens' constitutional right to get at 3D gun blueprints.
The states are claiming in this second lawsuit that regulatory change would effectively allow for unlimited distribution of the guns.