World's First 3D Printed Metal Gun

Okay, I gotta say I am envious.

I'm here struggling with ropey PLA and they're using metal. That makes me cry.

The other thing is that guy doing the shooting must really trust his technology. Never mind the Liberator, that pistol really demonstrates how capable the technology is. Now if we all had access to that kind of printing technology - and we will think of all the stuff we could make.

Boyoboy.

Gun issues aside, this technology would allow researchers and medical personnel to get tools and specific parts to very far away and hostile environments. With the right set of supplies and energy source, a remote manned station can exist and thrive for an extended period of time; also, many military craft that have become obsolete due to unavailable parts... Not so obsolete with this technology.

Does that printer print out the ammunition as well? so what comes first, the ammo or the pistol?

pikestaff
Does that printer print out the ammunition as well? so what comes first, the ammo or the pistol?

The ammo. Once you have ammunition you simply need a tube to hold it and a means of hitting the back of it. You can very easily print usable plastic shotgun cartridges with a low-end 3d printer. After that it's simply making or obtaining crude low-explosive powders. Black powder has been around for 1000 years and simply consists of 3 readily available ingredients. Modern self-loading pistols can fire and cycle on black powder and there are videos demonstrating this (of a 1911 funnily enough).

Ammunition is simply a cylindrical container filled with explosive powder (a crude form would be matchheads) and an ignition source (again, a crude form would be strike-anywhere match tips or toy caps) and lastly a projectile (a piece of lead or other heavy metal equal to the diameter of the barrel.


The most trivial means of setting off a round of ammunition would be a crude 'zip gun' known as a 'slam bang', 'Four Winds' or '$5 dollar pipe shotgun'. It is simply two pieces of standard pipe, a screw on cap and a nail. There are plenty of kids making these on Youtube if you care to look.

i56.tinypic.com...

www.issafrica.org...

I want one just to print genuine fiat currency in large denominations ...just a thought lol

this is a story of a guy that built a affortable 3 d printer www.cbc.ca...

reply to post by SgtBenton


I agree, the possibilities are endless.

GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by PhoenixOD

 

them

Its perfect. Not just America. The whole world. Governments will have to accept guns and maybe they will start teaching safety to kids again.

Either 3d printers are banned, guns become legal, or they really start filling prisons. Think about it.. eventually these printers will be in every home. Like paper printers.

Just so you know, 3d printers won't be banned on the basis of them being capable of making firearms in the U.S. being that making a firearm yourself for strictly personal use is legal as long as it isn't a class III firearm.

PhoenixOD
Just what America needs..more guns! more guns! more guns!

Yes, that's exactly what we need! And women, don't forget the women!

Feltrick
reply to post by Fylgje

 

I'll be impressed when they can 3D print ammunition. Until then, they're only building weird shaped clubs.

I think it could be done. All you would need is the précise casing size. Then, fill it with gun powder and put a led tip on it. All a bullet is is a cylinder packed with gun powder. If nothing else, make some arrows

PhoenixOD

I loved the way the guy said "its not out intention to show how to make fast cheap guns.." . Im only surprised he didnt turn around and wink at that point. lol

Uh, he didn't wink because it wasn't some sly remark, it was the truth. The point of this was to prove the strength of the DMLS material... It's more expensive and takes longer this way for doing full scale production. This method is cheaper for making small runs and rapid prototyping, but for full scale firearms production the current methods are quicker and cheaper. That may not always be the case, but as of now their goal is to prove the strength of the material, not make full production printed guns cheaper.

Imagine bunkers full of printers printing iRobots or terminators based on Boston Dynamic's advanced robots.
This tech makes it possible.

The gov't has absolutely no right to shut 3D printing down. It is the way of the future. The technology and materials are going to continue to get better and more refined until we are able to build atom by atom. Star Trek replicators? Yes please. Although that level of 3D printing is still a long ways off.

Anybody legally able to own a gun can go ahead and make one in their garage with just a few basic parts. All perfectly legal according to the ATF provided you don't try to sell it to a 3rd party without an FFL.

With certain exceptions a firearm may be made by a non-licensee provided it is not for sale and the maker is not prohibited from possessing firearms.