SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - A Springfield man has been arrested after allegedly 3D printing AR-15 guns in his home.
“Ghost guns, or self-manufactured firearms that are fully functional and untraceable, are gaining prominence with violent criminals and gun traffickers. This arrest highlights the significant public safety threat these weapons create, when someone can be manufacturing high capacity military style assault rifles from their living room right in the middle of Springfield,” Hampden District Attorney Gulluni said.
Over the past few weeks, law enforcement developed intelligence that Buffum was building AR-15s at his home and was also in possession of three additional handguns.
On Tuesday afternoon, members of the Hampden DA’s Strategic Action and Focused Enforcement Task Force, the county’s Narcotics Task Force and the State Police Detective Unit executed a search warrant at Buffum’s Hancock Street home.
Officers found a makeshift workstation with a 3D printer and other tools used to manufacture firearms. They recovered an AR-15 rifle, two handguns, 12 extended magazines and various ammunitions. Three additional AR-15s that were under construction were also recovered. None of these firearms had serial numbers, making them untraceable to law enforcement.
Officials think Buffum made replica Glock switches on the printer, which are easily installed, turning semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic firearms.
He’s facing charges of possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a large capacity feeding device and possession of ammunition without a license.
Buffum was arraigned Wednesday in Springfield District Court, with cash bail set at $2,500.
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