Perhaps not. It was probably a lot better to have security alerted to the problem of weapons being printed on the internet by people who weren't a danger to the Prime Minister, than to have somebody with the worst intentions sneak a polymer weapon past the security guards.

"Though US authorities have demanded the blueprints be removed from the internet, they have already been downloaded more than 100,000 times, which makes their distribution practically impossible to stop." Idiots. As soon as something becomes popular on the Internet, NOTHING you do can stop it.

Security were embarrassed that's why they responded the way they did. And I agree with you on the obvious point you make.

Did the gun have ammunition? If not, then basically the TV crew smuggled in a worthless piece of plastic. And a hint: a country like Iran or Saudi Arabia, or a rich organization lke a mafia could easily make a working plastic gun without the 3D printer.

Actually what was "smuggled in" was not a "gun" but just a gun part. For a gun to actually work, requires an explosive containment chamber (AKA breach) and a barrel to guide the projectile. The plastic used in 3D printers can not contain the explosion, so a metal or carbon fibre MACHINED part must be used for those parts. The plastic part only do the mechanical stuff required to set of the igniter in the bullet. Of course in 1950s "zip guns" made with metal tubes for barrels and rubber bands with nails were used to do the same thing.

Unless they have a way of making plastic bullets, I'm pretty sure the gun is useless no mater where you sneak it in to. You have to sneak in the metal bullets too. Printable Plastic guns are a problem for entirely different reasons. Typical israeli reporters. Making up news cause they have nothing better to do.

I have read about journalists doing stunts like to carry this gun before remember reading one about a couple of journalists who took it on the eurostar train from England - France Got pictures of them doing James Bond like poses with with their gun but they say for safety they did not put in the firing pin or ammunition. The gun might be plastic but the firing pin and bullet are metal and so would show up with metal detectors and if they x ray your bag you cannot pretend a bullet is not a bullet. I think everybody was surprised when the designs for this gun first appeared on the internet and now journalists keep trying new tricks keep trying to put new angles into an old story.