The U.S. House on Tuesday approved a 10-year extension of a federal law requiring that all guns be detectable by metal screening machines . But partisan wrangling could still mean the Undetectable Firearms Act , approved 25 years ago , will expire next Monday . The law prohibits guns that do n't contain enough metal to trigger screening machines commonly found in airports , courthouses and other secure areas accessible to the public . It has become an issue with the advent of 3-D printers , which the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives recently said its tests showed are capable of producing lethal firearms entirely made of plastic . ATF tests show 3-D guns lethal as metal detection law expires . A one-sentence bill by Rep. Howard Coble , R-North Carolina , was approved easily by House lawmakers and sent to the Senate . The Obama administration and congressional Democrats want any extension to also deal with potential loopholes for 3-D-printed guns , which the House bill does not do . Currently , plastic guns made using 3-D printers comply with the law by inserting a removable metal block . That has led to worries that plastic guns could pass through metal detectors without being flagged by simply removing the block , which is n't required for a 3-D-printed gun to operate . Plastic components have become common in popular guns , but commercial manufacturers often use metal as a permanent part of the gun to comply with the law . Proposals to extend the law have languished for months . The Obama administration and congressional Democrats want an extension to also take into account the new technology , by making all guns be required to contain metal in the functioning parts of the firearm . The White House said it supported reauthorization of the `` commonsense gun safety '' measure . `` But Congress should work to close any loopholes that make it possible to evade the law with new technologies , '' said White House spokesman Matt Lehrich . Sen. Charles Schumer , D-New York , is sponsoring a one-year extension of the law , arguing it would give lawmakers time to come up with a new measure that would tighten the rules to require metal parts in guns . Texas company makes metal gun with 3-D printer . Schumer has said he 'll try to get his bill passed next week . `` The House bill is better than nothing , but it 's not good enough , '' Schumer said . `` We absolutely must close the loophole that allows anyone to legally make a gun that could be rendered invisible by the easy removal of its metal part . Under current law , it is legal to make a plastic gun so long as it has some metal in it , even if it is easily removable . The bill we 'll try to pass in the Senate would fix that . '' Republicans say Democrats are refusing to work with them to pass a longer-term extension of the law . `` The ( Democratic ) majority is playing politics with public safety , '' Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley said last week after Democrats tried a legislative maneuver to pass Schumer 's one-year extension . `` It does n't meet the common-sense test to only reauthorize an extension of the Undetectable Firearms Act for a short year , '' Grassley said . With the Senate out on a break and not returning to work until Monday , it remains unlikely legislation will be ready to take its place .
Law requiring all guns with enough metal to be detected during screening to ban . House must act by next week to pass law , but wrangling continues . White House and Senate want tougher law than House - approved bill . Concern growing about plastic guns going through 3-D process .