While fears over 3D-printed guns becoming widely available have been allayed for now, some local experts say that printing one would require a lot of time, money and technical know-how.

At the University of Bridgeport's 3D printing lab, it took about 45 minutes to make a small News 12 logo. Creating all the parts of a gun could take up to 50 hours or more.

The software used to produce the 3D models takes a fair amount of technical expertise. Experts say they discourage anyone from making a firearm in such a way.

"It's a very dangerous practice because, you know, you never know whether they do a right job," says Dr. Tarek Sobh. "And if they are even trying to use it for purposes that are appropriate, it might backfire and it might cause problems."

Experts also say a 3D-printed gun could probably only be used once because it would be made of plastic. There are newer machines that can print in metal, but they can be prohibitively expensive.

Connecticut was among eight states that filed a lawsuit to stop 3D-printed gun plans from being released, although those "how-to" guides have already been downloaded thousands of times.