Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Australian teenager charged with printing a 'fully functioning' 3D firearm

Australian teenager charged with printing a 'fully functioning' 3D firearm

An Australian teenager has been charged with gun offenses after police seized a fully functioning firearm he allegedly made at home with a 3D printer.
Police in Western Australia found the weapon and a number of other firearms after executing a search warrant at the 18-year-old man's home in early June.

"This firearm although it resembles a toy has the ability to cause serious harm within our community," Detective Senior Sgt. Blair Smith told reporters. "It's deeply concerning that this man was able to manufacture this firearm at home with a 3D printer and readily available materials."

The plastic weapon is capable of firing 15 rounds with one pull of the trigger, according to CNN affiliate Nine News. Police allege it took two days to make with materials costing less than 40 Australian dollars ($28), Nine reported.

Last year, the Western Australia government proposed changing gun laws to make it illegal to manufacture plastic 3D firearms. Under the proposal, a maximum 10-year sentence would apply to anyone caught with plans or instructions on how to make them.

In Australia, civilians are banned from possessing fully automatic weapons, and all other gun ownership is heavily regulated and restricted to people over 18 with a valid license. The laws were introduced in 1996 after a gunman opened fire on tourists at Port Arthur, a former colonial prison in Tasmania, killing 35 people.

The massacre horrified the Australian public and the government quickly tightened rules on firearm ownership. A gun amnesty was launched, which encouraged people to hand in guns at local police stations anonymously and without penalty. Combined with a gun buyback scheme, the measure took about 640,000 guns out of circulation.

Since then, short-term amnesties have been announced -- around 57,000 guns were surrendered in just three months during the last national amnesty in 2017, according to the government. Last July, the national gun amnesty became a permanent feature.

The teenager in Western Australia has been charged with offenses including the unlicensed manufacture of firearms and ammunition, and possession of a prohibited weapon.

He's due to appear in court next week.

Australia is often held up as example of how decisive action gun control can succeed in reducing deaths from firearms. The last mass shooting in Australia was in 2018 when seven people were killed at a property in Perth, Western Australia. It was the worst mass killing in the country for 22 years.

Australia's rate of gun homicide is 33 times lower than that of the United States, according to the gun policy website.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
×