The Plastic Gun Panic. Not The First Go Around On This

By Tom Knighton

“Plastic guns are going to get people killed. They’re going to be used by terrorists and criminals, and there’s nothing to be done except ban their existence!”

Sound familiar? It should, as this is pretty much what we hear from anti-gun crusaders when we talk about 3D-printed firearms. However, as The Volokh Conspiracy notes, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard it:

Have you heard about the “undetectable plastic gun”? The gun control lobbies call it is “tailor-made for terrorism.” The Washington Post reports that a state sponsor of terrorism is already attempting to obtain these guns. A Post columnist warns that the police “vehemently oppose the introduction of plastic guns into our armed society.” Newsweek predicts the NRA will face a member revolt for opposing legislation to ban plastic guns: “This time the gun lobby may have shot itself in the foot.”

The above is not today’s news. It’s the news from 1985 to 1988, the years of the first plastic gun panic. The supposed “plastic gun” was the Glock pistol, which contains more than a pound of metal, and is easily identified by metal detectors.

Today, millions of Americans own Glock pistols, and they are widely recognized as among …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms