First fully 3D-printed rifle appears to be fired in new video, but it also breaks

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Well I'm now sure that there's a ton of people virtually pooping in their pants over this development.
However it's a really great use of the 3D printer.

I'm sure as 3D printing matures and the materials get stronger a 3D printed gun that won't break on the first fire will become more common place.

I wonder if they ported the barrel some if it would of not broken.

I'm sure we have a few gun smiths on here that can chime in. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

The era of the "Wiki Weapon" may be upon us, but so far, it's achieved mixed results at best. A few months after Cody Wilson of the Austin, Texas, based organization Defense Distributed revealed and successfully test-fired what he said was the world's first functional, fully 3D-printed gun, a pistol known as "The Liberator," someone else in Canada has now gone ahead and developed and shot a bullet out of what they claim is the world's first fully 3D-printed rifle. Nicknamed "the Grizzly," the rifle appears in a YouTube video posted online yesterday by username "ThreeD Ukulele." As the video creator explains in the title card, the weapon is a .22-caliber long rifle of the single shot variety, fabricated using a Stratasys Dimension 1200es 3D printer.

Originally posted by grey580
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Well I'm now sure that there's a ton of people virtually pooping in their pants over this development.
However it's a really great use of the 3D printer.

I'm sure as 3D printing matures and the materials get stronger a 3D printed gun that won't break on the first fire will become more common place.

I wonder if they ported the barrel some if it would of not broken.

I'm sure we have a few gun smiths on here that can chime in. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

The era of the "Wiki Weapon" may be upon us, but so far, it's achieved mixed results at best. A few months after Cody Wilson of the Austin, Texas, based organization Defense Distributed revealed and successfully test-fired what he said was the world's first functional, fully 3D-printed gun, a pistol known as "The Liberator," someone else in Canada has now gone ahead and developed and shot a bullet out of what they claim is the world's first fully 3D-printed rifle. Nicknamed "the Grizzly," the rifle appears in a YouTube video posted online yesterday by username "ThreeD Ukulele." As the video creator explains in the title card, the weapon is a .22-caliber long rifle of the single shot variety, fabricated using a Stratasys Dimension 1200es 3D printer.

edit on 25-7-2013 by grey580 because: (no reason given)

It looks like the damage was in the region of the chamber. Porting just effects muzzle rise at the end of the barrel. I agree with you that the issue needs to be resolved at the materials end--some sort of polymer that is liquid when it is injected so the process works but becomes hard enough to support the pressures.

reply to post by NavyDoc


I wonder if you could use jb weld in a 3D printer head.
now that would make some strong stuff.

Originally posted by grey580
reply to post by NavyDoc

 

I wonder if you could use jb weld in a 3D printer head.
now that would make some strong stuff.

You could print the chanber larger than need be and fill it with jb weld then use a dremel or hand drill to smooth it out.

That should be plenty for a .22lr.

The most important takeaway from this is YOU CANT STOP THE SIGNAL!

reply to post by grey580


Though this is incredible technology, I’m curious why anyone in America would want a printed gun?????

You all do realize that we still have a 2nd amendment for the time being. Why not simply buy a gun that will not turn soggy in the rain, catch fire, explode after one shot, etc? They’re really not very expensive, people.

reply to post by seabag


Because we can. That's really it. Why do I do half the things I do? Because I can. And the other half I do just to see if I can.

Can I pack on enough muscle to bench 350? I dont know but I'm trying.
Will I like escargo? I dont know but I'll try it.
Can I make a gun by melting aluminum cans and shaping the block with hand tools? I dont know but I'll try.

Sure I could just use a block and tackle, order a pizza and buy a gun but where's the adventure in that?

The most interesting and rewarding things in life come from just seeing if you can.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

The most interesting and rewarding things in life come from just seeing if you can.

Hey, if it’s worth risking the loss of a hand, your eye sight, or maybe your life then have fun!

Its fascinating tech but a completely unnecessary risk for absolutely zero gain. In my world, I tend to balance Risk Vs Reward….this one doesn’t pan out for me!

More power to ya! Hope you can still pick your nose when you're done playing!

Originally posted by seabag


Hey, if it’s worth risking the loss of a hand, your eye sight, or maybe your life then have fun!

That's what repeated testing, evaluation and, yes, the string are for.

Though if some moron printed a gun, loaded it up and pressed it against his cheek then who am I to argue with natural selection.

Originally posted by NavyDoc
... the issue needs to be resolved at the materials end--some sort of polymer that is liquid when it is injected so the process works but becomes hard enough to support the pressures.

Just reading that sentence reminds me of the brilliant and colorful minds we have at ATS.

To the OP, thanks for sharing. The 3D printing revolution will soon change the world. Hopefully the focus will not be on guns but making a gun with plastic and a drafting table is pretty damn promising.

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by grey580

 

Though this is incredible technology, I’m curious why anyone in America would want a printed gun?????

I know guys in the military who play Call of Duty. I know avid hunters who play Cabella's Hunting video games. I know real estate agents who enjoy playing Monopoly.

If I were a huge gun nut, I'd be all up in this.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

…. who am I to argue with natural selection.

I hear you! That’s why I said more power to you.

Maybe we should air drop fully loaded paper guns to our enemies???

reply to post by Cuervo

I know guys in the military who play Call of Duty. I know avid hunters who play Cabella's Hunting video games. I know real estate agents who enjoy playing Monopoly.

If I were a huge gun nut, I'd be all up in this.

I am a huge gun nut and I wouldn’t fire that crap if you paid me!

How can I play call of duty, bow hunt or shoot my REAL guns when I don’t have hands or fingers??

To each his/her own. I was just curious what the fascination is. There are a lot of inventions in this world made simply because “they could be” and they’re incredibly stupid and/or dangerous (like the one wheeled motorcycle, paper gun, pet wigs, etc)!!

Hmm, I wonder if they could use the print out of the chamber like a wax/sand mould and then pour melted brass or copper into the form? (Lost Wax Casting.) Obligatory Wiki link

It seems like it would be an easy way to get past the chamber pressure issues.

M.

I believe that the design as printed might work if they used a sleeved barrel. The sleeve would have to be purchased though, and would defeat the goals of a 3D printed gun.
Until then, they must wait on stronger materials to become available.

reply to post by Moshpet


I'm sure they could.

Used to do this when making jewelry. Make a wax replica of the item. Do a cast. Then put in the molten gold or silver via centrifuge.

It's an involved process but doable.

With high pressures of modern ammo 3D printed weapons materials have a long way to go before they can ditch chrome-molybdenum lined steel chambers/barrels.

The chamber is where the most pressure is exerted on the weapon. Without some method to strengthen the chamber and barrel all you will get, time and time again, is the destruction of the weapon.

reply to post by grey580


The 3D printed weapon is of course an interesting subject from both a design and technology point of view, and a political and ethical point of view. However, from a design and technology point of view, it is only interesting, in my opinion because those who are its loudest advocates, are blatantly either very stupid, or more interested in the political effects of this up and coming culture, than producing a quality product.

The evidence for this is clear, since those who print guns in three dimensions seem obsessed with using printers which only work in plastics. When building anything, compromising on materials, stepping away from the ideal of form and function, makes one a moron. Cost should only be a consideration for mere accountants, where the design of an ideal form to perform a certain task is concerned. Therefore, it is evident, from the fact that none of these 3D printed gun builders, has actually invested in metallic printers, that they are rather less interested in making good weapons, than they are in terrifying the advocates of regulation and control of firearms.

Now, much as I would agree with them, that the sort of bastards who want to prevent a people from having a method of defending themselves from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (wether they be launched from bandits or politicians, not that one could know the difference in this honourless age), need terrifying at every possible oppertunity, I find the actual output of these 3D weapons designers to be childish, ineffectual, and largely pathetic when compared with the possibilities presented by printing in proper mediums for the task.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
reply to post by grey580

 

The evidence for this is clear, since those who print guns in three dimensions seem obsessed with using printers which only work in plastics. When building anything, compromising on materials, stepping away from the ideal of form and function, makes one a moron. Cost should only be a consideration for mere accountants, where the design of an ideal form to perform a certain task is concerned. Therefore, it is evident, from the fact that none of these 3D printed gun builders, has actually invested in metallic printers, that they are rather less interested in making good weapons, than they are in terrifying the advocates of regulation and control of firearms.

Now, much as I would agree with them, that the sort of bastards who want to prevent a people from having a method of defending themselves from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (wether they be launched from bandits or politicians, not that one could know the difference in this honourless age), need terrifying at every possible oppertunity, I find the actual output of these 3D weapons designers to be childish, ineffectual, and largely pathetic when compared with the possibilities presented by printing in proper mediums for the task.

There are machines that can print objects directly from powdered metal, but as it stands it's prohibitively expensive, so it's market use is limited to things such as aerospace components and medical implants. Here's something to get you started on your research if interested:

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by butcherguy


The idea of sleeving the plastic barrel is a good one since it is much easier to obtain a piece of steel tubing than it is to get a real barrel. If you know where to make industrial material purchases you can also get the tubing in a higher grade of steel to handle higher pressures. Once you have the tubing it would be easy to ream the first part of the tubing to form a chamber. Then you would have a complete barrel. The only problem remaining is the rifling of the barrel. But anyone who has the ability to print the gun should have little trouble finding a way to rifle it.

The real advantage of a printed gun over a purchased one is that you would then have a weapon that is untraceable and unregistered. The upside is that a patriot defending his second amendment rights can maintain a cache of weapons that the government knows nothing about. The downside is that violent felons and mentally disturbed people can also make their own weapons and detour around the background checks.

If one does ones own reloading; it would be easy to make lighter pressure loads that the weapon could handle. Many weapons would still be deadly even with downgraded ammo, since some of them have the ability to "reach out and touch someone" at distances far more than necessary for simple self defence with standard ammo.