FBI Director Kash Patel's 3D-Printed Toy Gun Replicas Violate New Zealand's Strict Firearm Laws

Kash Patel's 3D-Printed Gun Gift To New Zealand Officials Was Toy Replicas

The pistols presented by Kash Patel to New Zealand officials were designed after toy Nerf guns, as recently discovered. Documents obtained by The Associated Press reveal that the inoperable pistols gifted by FBI Director Kash Patel to senior New Zealand security officials were actually Maverick PG22 revolvers, popular among 3D-printing enthusiasts and inspired by children's toy guns.

The Associated Press previously reported that Patel had given plastic 3D-printed replica revolvers as part of display stands to New Zealand's police and intelligence chiefs, along with two cabinet ministers during his July visit. Police documentation released this week identified these gifts as Maverick PG22 models, which are working revolvers modeled after the colorful toy guns bearing the same name.

Under New Zealand's strict gun regulations, pistols are heavily restricted and require special permits beyond standard firearms licenses. Officials who met with Patel would have needed such permits to legally keep the gifts, though authorities did not confirm whether they possessed the necessary documentation.

After the officials surrendered the revolvers, police communications confirmed that the gifts met New Zealand's legal definition of firearms. The country treats 3D-printed weapons with the same regulatory approach as conventional firearms.

Patel, who visited Wellington to inaugurate the FBI's first dedicated office in New Zealand, was the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit the country. When contacted, Patel's spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

New Zealand law considers inoperable weapons as functional if they could potentially be made operational through modifications. In August, shortly after Patel's visit, police armory team leader Daniel Millar informed his superiors how easily the guns could be rendered operational.

"These processes are very straight forward processes and require minimal skills and common 'handyperson' tools," Millar wrote, specifying that only "a battery drill and a drill bit for the holes and a small screw for the firing pin" would be needed.

The New Zealand police union stated in February that the Maverick PG22 was among the most frequently seized 3D-printed firearms. Millar noted in his communication that his team had requested to retain one revolver for testing purposes, but the police commissioner denied this request, and all the guns were destroyed on September 25.

Professor Alexander Gillespie from New Zealand's University of Waikato, who specializes in firearms regulation, explained the dual risks involved: "The first risk is that it can be made viable and it gets into the hands of the wrong person and it's used for a crime. The second risk is it just explodes because it's not actually safe. There's a reason these have been made in people's backyards instead of coming from an armory."

Online instructions for constructing the Maverick PG22 caution that it "does not feature proper modern safeties and should be used in a controlled environment." The manufacturing origin of Patel's guns remains unknown, though Millar noted they had been "manufactured to a high standard."

Three senior New Zealand law enforcement officials received these gifts on July 31, including Andrew Hampton, director-general of the human intelligence agency NZSIS, and Andrew Clark, director-general of the technical intelligence agency GCSB. Additionally, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Judith Collins, who oversees military and intelligence agencies, received revolvers during meetings with Patel. All five officials voluntarily relinquished the weapons.

The New Zealand Police denied the AP's public records request for photographs of the guns, claiming that "releasing the requested images would be likely to prejudice New Zealand's relations with the United States of America." This explanation was provided despite the fact that photos and instructions for creating the Maverick PG22 are readily available online.

New Zealand strengthened its gun control measures following the 2019 white supremacist attack on two Christchurch mosques, where an Australian gunman legally acquired semi-automatic weapons and killed 51 Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers.

The weapons Patel gifted were not the semi-automatic models prohibited after the Christchurch tragedy. However, New Zealand has numerous other restrictions on weapon possession, including specific requirements for pistol permits.

Gun ownership in New Zealand is not as culturally significant as in some other nations, and public perception of firearms has become more negative since the mass shooting. Under New Zealand law, gun ownership is explicitly defined as a privilege rather than a right.

While firearms are not uncommon in rural areas for pest control purposes, violent gun crimes are rare, and many urban residents may have never personally seen a firearm. Even police officers typically do not carry weapons during regular patrols, instead keeping them secured in their vehicles.