Knoxville — They would be untraceable with no background check required.
Americans will soon be able to 3D print guns in their homes, including AR-15s.
A Texas nonprofit plans to release blueprints for guns online starting Aug. 1.
In 2012, the company filed a lawsuit after the government shut that plan down.
Last month, they settled,and allowed the release of the blueprints.
Lincoln Memorial University Constitutional law professor Stewart Harris says this could change the gun control debate drastically.
"It means that anybody, with very little skill except for some basic computer skills, can download these guns and assemble them and be fully armed, packing heat, in a short period of time," Harris said.
That's possible because Defense Distributed's founder Cody Wilson filed a lawsuit in 2012 after the government blocked his initial effort to release gun blueprints online.
Harris says his argument was based on the First Amendment's freedom of information.
"(The argument was) This is speech," Harris said. "I have a right to upload this speech, other people have a right to download this speech."
The U.S State Department settled last month, giving him permission to release the blueprints.
"This, as disturbing as it may be to many of your viewers, is really just the beginning," Harris said. "What happens when people start downloading the parts for explosive devices?"
Harris says while the lack of a serial number on the gun makes it hard for law enforcement to police, for everyone else, there's a greater concern.
"Most of us agree, even people who don't particularly like gun control, we want to keep guns out of the hands of mentally incompetent people or children. But all those people have internet connections," Harris said. "This is a tool that people can use to very effectively evade the law and make dangerous weapons that are effectively untraceable."
Right now, the 3D printer it would take to print these parts would be very expensive.
So would the materials, so it's not common to have what you need around the house.