Scary stuff: 3d printed guns.

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
21
You could print the parts, I imagine. Then you'd have to put it together. Like the guns, there would be no guarantee the plastic used for printing would be able to handle the stress of printing. Probably not, would be my guess.

22
By the way, for those who think that this new technology will lead to a flood of untraceable guns, because they have no serial number, I ask you to consider the following point.

On the AR15, the lower receiver is the only component that is required to have a serial number, and is only considered a firearm component if it's more than 80% complete. Otherwise it's just a chunk of metal. You can buy them, unserialized all day long for about 75 bucks. All you need to complete it is a drill press.

All of the other components, including the barrel, can be bought on Amazon. grand total, about $800.00

23
So, what you're saying here is that this story is really just artificial panic created by the media? My God, the irony...

24
I don't think you can compare. A very small proportion of these pistols are made from plastic (composite). Slides, barrels, trigger mechanisms, springs, magazines etc are all metal. I think the '3D' pistol would be of limited use to criminals, due to the cost and limited use. (Single shot) It's not like you could even smuggle into an airport as you still need the amunition, which I believe is not yet plastic!

25
I agree with you in principle. I just get tired of people automatically going into America bashing mode when they don't have their facts straight.

26
Is the guy behind this latest printable gun the same kid that has been on the news for trying to make a printable AR15? If so then there is a strong American context as his stated aims have a lot to do with second amendment etc. as they say, "only in America".

He looks quite young. I don't think that what he's doing is very mature. The irony is that the people who'll try to stop it in US will probably be the gun manufacturers. NRA will likely have difficulty picking sides in this one.

This is just the start. 3d printing and materials will get better and these guns will become ap problem. 3d printed cartridge cases and bullets next I guess.

27
So, ONE person does this and it becomes an AMERICAN thing?

That's about as silly as saying that Osama Bin Laden was indicative of all Saudi Arabians. Just because someone twists a rationale associated with a larger group, doesn't imply that this person is representative of the larger group...

IMO, the gun manufacturers will invest in the technology, if it matures to the point where it produces high-quality pieces for less cost than current processes. If it becomes the de facto manufacturing choice, the decision is simple for the NRA.

Maybe, but not soon. And it'll be longer still before the general population is capable of "printing" guns in their homes. IMO, like I pointed out earlier, this is the media pushing our buttons prematurely.

28
On CSI New York on TSR the other night they made one....

29
And in Dr. Who they time travel.

Both shows are equally realistic.

Tom

30
Well Jay Leno is making car parts for cars that no longer are being produced. It's a real technology.

31
You all forget that there is a real application for such a weapon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FP-45_Liberator

That and the successor, the deer gun, only had one purpose, acquire a better gun!

32
This is probably the best piece that I've read about the printed gun.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05...lastic_3d_gun/

Basically it's a 1 shot gun after which you throw away the barrel. No rifling so zero accuracy. Also any flaws in the gun, given that firing a bullet produces about 1000 bar in the chamber, you're likely to be looking at a stump where your hand used to be.

Not. A Problem. Apart from media panic.

33
as suspected the topic decended into a load of balls...

this story has more credibility

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03...azed_dolphins/

34
Turns out we were all completely wrong about the potential life changing importance of this technology!

I just watched a recorded episode of Big Bang Theory where Raj & Howard bought a second hand 3D printer so that they could make action figures of themselves.

It didn't work out though, Bernadette couldn't see the value of spending $5K to make action figures , so she told Howard that his options were to either sell his half to Raj or if he didn't, he would have to use it to print out a set of lady parts to sleep with.

....Still not sure he that he made the right decision.