Does an e-reader holder pose the same risk as a Glock 19?

Recently, Louisville, Kentucky-based designer Luke The Maker unveiled an unusual, 3D-printed, handgun-formed holder for the compact Xteink X4 e-reader. The X4 sits upright on the plastic pistol's upper section, featuring a side opening for button access. Although modeled on an actual firearm shape, this holder cannot fire any rounds. Pulling the trigger produces no effect. He named the item the Gundle.

In a video demonstrating the odd accessory, Luke (last name Blackford) flips through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye before placing the gun-shaped e-reader holder into his vehicle's storage area.

Text overlaid on the clip states it is the ideal e-reader for reading in public settings.

Although this online project serves as humor or social observation, upcoming 3D printers might interpret it differently. Officials in several states seek rules that force gun-detection software onto every new printer sold. This developing system would examine each file prior to printing and attempt to decide if it matches a firearm or component. Should the program conclude the item resembles a gun closely enough, printing halts. Success remains uncertain. Lawmakers in New York and California defer to expert groups to assess if the concept can function technically. Despite doubts, such rules have passed into law in New York and cleared California's assembly.

I avoided broad distribution because I did not wish for many copies to circulate widely.

The idea appears sensible, yet creators and specialists earlier informed The Verge that current tools lack maturity and could wrongly block items that merely resemble guns. Blackford's design sits squarely in this uncertain zone. He states he did not create the Gundle specifically to test the rules, yet he voiced clear views on them.

I oppose such restrictions since I support open-source tools, Blackford notes. The area remains largely unregulated, so I cannot rely on gun-file scanning systems at present.

Individuals determined to print firearms will find ways regardless, he continues. Printer software developers should not bear responsibility for oversight.

Advocates for the rules declined to confirm if their systems would halt Blackford's harmless project. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office offered no reply on the specific device or how mistaken blocks might affect creative freedom.

Governor Hochul concentrates on boosting safety and cutting gun violence across New York, deputy communications director Jess D'Amelia states. The statute draws on specialists to assess new technologies and tackle untraceable weapons. The Governor believes these steps will protect communities.

The goal is not to halt items like this, yet the example reveals the core problem.

Cliff Braun of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who has criticized California's plan, notes uncertainty about whether the system would flag the design. Existing technology operates only in restricted ways, Braun explains. Opponents argue hash-based checks on known files can be bypassed easily through minor edits. Broader AI analysis of shapes risks more errors, potentially catching gun-like but harmless objects. Panels in both states will decide details, but Braun stresses an unavoidable balance between missing real guns and blocking safe items.

The law aims to avoid stopping prints like this, yet this case illustrates the challenge, Braun observes.

Handgun frames create special issues. In 2022, the ATF clarified that only the main structural part housing the firing mechanism needs a serial number. AR-15 receivers have distinct forms, as do conversion parts. Handgun frames vary more and share shapes with hoses, toys, and tools.

Dartmouth engineering professor Solomon Diamond explains that blocking depends on the printer's method. Hash matching would miss the case since it differs from stored files. Vision-based AI might incorrectly flag it due to appearance.

Blocking based on looks raises false-positive risks because props and real guns can appear similar, Diamond states. Training data and thresholds create trade-offs between missing threats and over-blocking.

Visual checks could mistake the e-reader case for a gun, he adds.

Diamond mentions a third method, geometric matching, might balance accuracy. Used in manufacturing checks, it allows precise comparisons with theoretically zero false positives. Application to printer blocking remains early.

Geometric identification would not confuse the e-reader case with a gun, he notes.

Printer makers and standard setters face a tough decision. Effective detection that works soon will inevitably catch some safe objects. This quickly restricts how creators, hobbyists, and artists work.

Attempting to stop all creative users makes printing props or commentary very difficult, Braun says.

Blackford describes building the Gundle as simple. He searched online for free gun models, found a shell design, imported it into Fusion 360, and added the e-reader with surrounding structure. The Xteink X4 offers basic features yet attracts users who enhance it. He sent the file to his Bambu Lab H2D printer. The full process took under a day.

Though non-functional, Blackford has not used it publicly. He shared the files on his site for others to download. He did so cautiously, concerned that open carry could cause dangerous misunderstandings with police. After discussion with his wife, he avoided major sites like Thingiverse to limit spread while allowing interested users access.

I preferred limited availability, Blackford explains. I wanted to prevent widespread copies.

Blocking all creative individuals complicates prop printing and social commentary.

Questions remain about whether public use would breach federal rules on look-alike firearms that require orange markings. Those laws target toys and replicas, yet this project functions as art.

Blackford says any public version would use a non-realistic color. The caution is warranted. Carrying gun-like items can lead to fatal encounters. In 2014, Cleveland officers shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice over a toy gun. A 2016 Washington Post analysis found police killed 86 people holding realistic toy or airsoft guns over two years.

Backers of scanning rules argue they close gaps allowing prohibited persons to obtain guns. Laws already ban 3D-printed ghost guns, but home printing hinders enforcement. Hochul terms this the plastic pipeline and warns of kitchen-table production. Mandates place checks on manufacturers to prevent illegal guns at the source.

Whether 3D-printed gun risks justify major printer changes stays debated. Performance improves and numbers grow. In 2024, the NYPD recovered 109 mostly 3D-printed guns, up from one three years earlier. An Everytown report showed similar trends in 20 cities.

All remain small compared to traditional guns seized. In 2025, Mayor Eric Adams reported over 5,200 illegal firearms taken by the NYPD. Nationwide firearm totals exceed the population.

Blackford remains unconvinced of immediate danger from printed guns. He views them as mainly made by enthusiasts with time and interest. Obtaining conventional guns stays simpler in most cases.

3D printing involves too much hassle, Blackford states.

Should similar laws reach Kentucky, Blackford plans workarounds such as VPNs. He expects others will do the same.