Winnipeg police seize 3D-printed AR-15 firearm, dozens of gun parts from North End home

An 18-year-old man is facing numerous weapons charges after Winnipeg police seized 20 3D-printed Glock-style parts, an AR-15-style firearm resembling a toy and various other items used to manufacture 3D-printed guns from a home on Boyd Avenue. 

Police were initially tipped off by the Canada Border Services Agency in January about parts used to complete 3D-printed guns being shipped from China and the United States into Canada to addresses in Winnipeg.

The shipments were disguised as tools and manufacturing equipment, said Insp. Elton Hall of the organized crime division. 

Investigators identified an address on Boyd Avenue as the final destination for shipments, believing individuals were manufacturing guns at this location, Hall said. 

Police said they searched the house on March 31 and seized parts and devices used to make functioning 3D-printed firearms, including:

• 20 3D-printed Glock-style parts, some of which had a Gucci label on them.
• A 3D-printed AR-15-style firearm that looked similar to a toy Nerf gun.
• Close to 100 auto-sears/switches, which are used to convert handguns into fully automatic firearms.
• Three 3D-printed magazines.
• A 3D printer and numerous spools of filament.
• A Type 81 rifle.
• Numerous loose firearm components, including trigger mechanisms, rails and springs.

An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with numerous weapons and drug offences, including weapons trafficking, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Police believe there could be more guns manufactured by the accused on Winnipeg streets, Hall said.

Becoming more common 

These types of firearms are becoming more common in Winnipeg, Hall said.

In 2022, Winnipeg police seized 14 3D-printed guns for the entire year. This year, they've already seized 23, he said. 

However, they can be hard to control because it's not illegal to carry around 3D gun parts if they're not assembled, Hall said. 

"For police, we have to prove the fact that they're actually assembling guns and trafficking them," he said.

Another challenge for police is the guns' appearance. Hall said because these 3D guns can sometimes looks like toys, it's hard for officers to spot the difference. 

"If you're going to a firearms call and a young man or young girl is coming around the corner with one of these firearms, the first reaction from a policeman is that it's toy gun. And then before you know it, you have a situation," he said. 

"I mean, how are parents, teachers, law enforcement, reporters, anybody supposed to know what's real and what's not anymore?" 

Hall said he'd like to see the federal government close gaps in the law under its proposed gun legislation that would make trafficking 3D-printed gun parts illegal. 

The Liberal government's pending gun legislation doesn't target 3D-printed guns specifically, but includes a ban on semi-automatic, centre-fire firearms that are not handguns that fire in a "semi-automatic manner" and were originally designed to accept a magazine with more than five rounds.