The National Rifle Association said Tuesday that "undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years" despite claims that making the technology available on the Internet will cause the "widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms."
"Many anti-gun politicians and members of the media have wrongly claimed that 3-D printing technology will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms," Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA's legislative arm, said in a statement.
"Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years."
Cox noted that the association helped craft legislation passed in 1988 that made it illegal to "manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive an undetectable firearm."
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was "looking into" 3D printed plastic guns.
The federal government last week reached an agreement with Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson, who sued the Obama administration over his plans to distribute blueprints to print a plastic, functioning gun.
The blueprints are expected to be available on the Internet at midnight.
The firearms are made of polymer that cannot be flagged by metal detectors — and they are untraceable because the weapons are homemade and lack serial numbers.
Attorneys General from eight states and the District of Columbia have sued the Trump administration to prevent the digital publisher from releasing its plans online.
House and Senate Democrats have also decried the company's plans — and gun-control groups have also appealed the Trump administration's decision in federal court.
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