Printing a gun without licence could lead to jail time

Public Safety Canada has said that it’s closely monitoring U.S. moves that would allow designs for 3D-printed guns to be posted online, but there are rules already in place to prevent unauthorized weapons from being made.”Regardless of manufacturing method, a business licence is required to produce a firearm and all firearms are subject to the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code and their associated regulations,” the department said in a statement. It adds it’s illegal to make or possess a firearm without the right licence and registration certificate. “The Firearms Act requires that a business, museum, or organization must have a firearms business licence to manufacture ammunition, firearms, restricted or prohibited weapons, or prohibited devices. A business licence is valid only for the activities specified on the licence.”

Anyone who makes weapons or ammunition knowing they aren’t authorized to do so could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the section of the Criminal Code that deals with weapons trafficking.

The legal wrangling in the U.S. around 3D-printed firearms dates back to 2013, when Texas-based Defence Distributed started publishing downloadable gun blueprints online. The plastic guns are easy to hide and difficult to trace.