If you have several hundred dollars and a bit of free time to spare, you can do a lot these days.

For example, purchase a 3D printer for home use and manufacturing equipment piece by piece to then self-assemble to create this 3D-printed paintball gun:

This is what the June 14, 2016, Facebook post above said:

This photo shows you why as a security consultant, I don't think it's a joke when someone threatens to shoot anyone -- even in "safe" Singapore: it's a 3D printed gun powered by simple pneumatics. It's meant for paintball, but any fool can tell you that simple adjustments on a CAD based software can modify this design to shoot just about any projectile -- who says only bullets can kill?

The scary thing is: you can print and build this gun part by part using a normal desktop 3D printer that costs less than $500, and the blueprints are available online, along with more complex designs.

It's not possible for crazed gunmen scenarios in Singapore you say? Think again. So the next time anyone makes a very public (and brainless) threat online to shoot anyone, don't just dismiss it as a joke or "he didn't mean it literally" -- especially coming from someone who in other posts tries to intimidate other people publicly.

(my reaction to the Bryan Lim saga)

Yes, it is indeed scary to think that it is possible to print a weapon out of thin air in Singapore by relying on blueprints that are readily available on the Internet.

However, this issue has been flagged by the public before, and the police in Singapore has responded in December 2015:

We have in place tough laws against the trafficking, manufacture and use of firearms. This applies equally to 3D-printed firearms. It is already an offence under the Arms and Explosives Act for anyone to use a 3D printer to manufacture any arms or any component part of any arms without a licence.

Ho Yenn Dar (Superintendent)

Assistant Director

(Public Communications Division)

Public Affairs Department

Singapore Police Force

This response is clear-cut enough: Under the Arms and Explosives Act, without a license, no one is allowed to traffick, manufacture and use arms, unless authorised.

Using it, naturally, carries the death penalty in Singapore.

And very broadly, "arm" refers to any firearm, air-gun, air-pistol, automatic gun, automatic pistol and any other kind of gun or pistol from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged.

So, no, don't even think about it.

Top photo via Roy Phang Facebook

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