Overview
- The ARD documentary that aired Wednesday shows weapons expert Jörg Sprave rebuilding an FGC-9 in his workshop in three days and saying skilled hobbyists could do the same.
- The FGC-9 design uses mostly 3D‑printed polymer parts and a few simple metal components such as a barrel that can be bought from ordinary suppliers or hardware stores.
- Build instructions for the weapon circulate on the open internet, so makers do not need the dark web to find plans and can reproduce a working firearm from those files.
- Interpol and terrorism researchers warn that 3D‑printed guns are turning up in many countries and that extremists are increasingly trying to manufacture them for violent use.
- German authorities say they do not know how many such weapons exist and the Federal Interior Ministry is waiting for EU coordination rather than imposing immediate national measures, while past cases like the 2019 Halle attack and a 2022 Eisenach raid show the real-world risks.