The rules of a state gun buyback program have been changed by New York’s attorney general after an arms seller used a 3D printer to demonstrate that buybacks are futile in an era of printable weapons and to take advantage of a loophole in the program.
The seller from West Virginia, who identified himself by a pseudonym, exploited the system by making firearm parts in bulk on the 3D printer and earning $21,000 in gift cards by turning them in on the Aug. 27 gun buyback in Utica, New York.
At the buyback hosted by Attorney General Letitia James’ office and city police, he turned in 60 printed auto sears – small devices used to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons- which, under the rules of the buyback, entitled him to $350 for each of the printed parts.
Since they were deemed “ghost guns” lacking serial numbers, the seller was also entitled to a $100 premium.
The seller admitted that the prospect of making money was also quite enticing although his main goal of taking part in the buyback was to send a message. According to him, the people running the buybacks, which he called ridiculously stupid, are horribly uneducated about the laws surrounding the regulation of guns, gun crime, and guns in general.
The new rules put in place by attorney general James’ office as a response to the exploited loophole are setting a standard that all 3D-printed guns accepted by the program must be capable of being fired more than once.
They’re also giving more discretion to buyback personnel to determine the value of weapons being handed in.
James’ office said in a statement that it’s shameful that someone exploited a program that protects the communities from gun violence by successfully taking thousands of guns off the streets.
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