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Definitely a fan of the 2nd Amendment but how will be control '3d printed' weapons?
The Liberator - In Photos: The World's First 3D-Printed Gun - Forbes
Looks like the blueprint for these files is super easy to access as well.
https://pinshape.com/items/18671-3d-printed-ak47-from-rust
Is anyone here aware of this technology? Love to create a custom gun or a replica rifle but safety is definitely a concern for me.
Same as weapons made with any other tools. Lathes, milling machines, welders and even tools as simple as a file can be used to make weapons. A 3D printer is just another tool. It’s what you do with the tools that matters in the eyes of the law.Quote:
Originally Posted by bulletpeace
You can legally make a “gun”, like an AR15 lower or pistol frame with a 3D printer, injection molding or a milling machine.
Some gun parts can be 3D printed. To do that you really need an industrial 3D printer, like a Stratasys Objet Eden260V. It will make some usable gun components, like an AR lower or a polymer pistol frame. It’s not going to make a usable barrel, tipping lock slide or a rifle bolt. Those parts still have to be made from steel.
AR lowers have been made using different types of resins and such. They simply don't pass the function or stress tests. They break. That simple. You're better off buying an 80% lower and working from there, if that's what you're after. Remember, here in Canada...a replica firearm is prohibited. Watch and shoot!
Exactly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent
The truth is gun control won't work ever since all the parts, wood, plastic or steel, needed to make a firearm can (and are) made with normal, everyday manufacturing tools and skills. I once watch a documentary about the Israel's arms production in which it highlighted their clandestine and illegal arms and ammunition production post war to 1947. Quite literally, they produced arms and ammo in little factories hidden underground a Kibbutzes (sic). The point is, 3D printers will be just one other widely available and used manufacturing tool in the not too distant future.
I've done a fair amount of playing with 3D printing, both <$2000 consumer machines and $25k+ enterprise level machines. Basically, on your average consumer machine (because if you can afford a pro machine you can afford a basic compact CNC mill) I would not. The problem is it can only lay material one direction at a given time. So to build strength it needs to lay it in the other direction. This means very thin parts often wind up weak in one direction. The other issue is getting consistent dimensions, someone I know was making a simple square object and often times it would very slightly uneven or otherwise malformed depending on how clean the build plate was.
Aside from the barrel/chamber needing to be steel, my big issue would be getting parts that are a consistent size and fit together. It's also hard to say what will drive tech in consumer printers; catering specifically to desktop users and their needs, or focusing on making enterprise style equipment smaller + cheaper and bringing that equipment to home users. If it winds up being the latter the tech runs the risk of stagnating if something like DLMS takes over for prototyping. It's been about 18 months since I heavily researched the equipment itself but I recall the big focus was getting prices down and packaging smaller. Eitherway I don't think I'd want to use a 3D printed gun made on a home printer right now... too concerned with the lack of consistency.
One part of a gun that I suspect an engineer with no specialist gun making skills or knowledge may have problems producing, with everyday manufacturing equipment, is a rifled barrel.
A rifled barrel isn't really that hard to produce given readily available lathes, milling machines and the needed tooling especially if it is less than 12 inches long.
That said, there is this:
DIY submachine guns are popping up across the West Bank
Has anyone ever managed to produce the rifling on the inside of a barrel with just "run of the mill" engineering tools/equipment? I don't see how you could perform the task of riffling a barrel without either obtaining the correct rifling tools/equipment or somehow making your own such special equipment to do this.
Where there's a will, there's way. :thup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
Homemade barrel rifling machine - YouTube
Meh, 3D guns. Why bother when if need be a single shot shotgun can be made out of a few pieces of pipe, a nail, and a rubber band. I'd have more faith in one too.
When bikers where real bikers turning the left handlebar into a .410 shotgun was a thing. I know old school cops knew not approach a biker from the left, only on the right.
Mate, there is a saying, 'If it can be made in a First World factory, it can be reproduced in a Third World workshop', and with or without tooling. Admittedly, the Third World workshop model may suffer significantly in quality. Given that Enfield et al were producing Baker Rifles Two centuries ago, and Khyber Pass 'craftsmen' are still cranking out all manner of rifled weapons it is doable. As for how to do it, two seconds plus the time it took me to type "rifling a barrel by hand" and hitting the enter key produced a 5,280,000 results on Bing including how to, DIY videos.