3D-printed guns are now appearing the world over, including in the hands of organised criminals in Europe and anti-junta rebels in Myanmar. Made using a 3D printer and a few metal parts that can be easily sourced online, these shadow guns are untraceable, and becoming a popular choice for extremists too. 

In this episode, we talk to researcher Rajan Basra at King's College London about this clandestine world, and about his hunt to uncover the real identity of the man who designed the world's most popular 3D-printed gun, the FGC-9. Read an article by Basra from our Insights series about his research too.

This episode was written and produced by Gemma Ware with assistance from Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive editor. Full credits available here. Subscribe to a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.

Further reading

• What are ‘ghost guns,’ a target of Biden’s anti-crime effort?
• American gun culture is based on frontier mythology – but ignores how common gun restrictions were in the Old West