DIY Firearms

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

I think this was around here a while ago, but now it's becoming more of a reality I'm keen to get more thoughts.

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/03/3d-printers-are-great-for-hobbyists-but-they-can-also-be-a-problem/

(Ahh the high brow journalism of Kotaku)


So I came across this today (I'm sure a few of you have at least heard of this) using 3D printing technology Texan Cody R Wilson has shown it's not only plausible, but actually possible to create firearms with a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file and a printer. Ok, so he's only printing the 'Lower Reciever' and magazines, but the 'Lower' is the most important part of a gun, housing the operating parts including the trigger group and mag slot. Under American law, this is part that is actually considered a weapon and firearm. As he states in the video, (in the US) you can actually buy the rest of a gun (Stock, barrel, sight, etc.) freely and easily - without any form of license.

Anyway I'd be interested what the Escapist thinks of this new technology; Wilson actually described himself as a 'crypto-anarchist' and says he doesn't want to just spurt off the 2nd Amendment.

EDIT: For those who are unsure, these printers print in plastic, I believe there are variety of different plastics that can be used, but plastic nonetheless. The fact that the plastic is not made to withstand the recoil of a semi-automatic firearm is one of the problems they are currently facing.

 

[SSJBlastoise]

While I'm not exactly sure on how the 3D printer works or what materials are used by it but it does seem a bit worrying if it is that easy to make it. I was about to say that access to a 3D printer would be hard but I just looked it up and it seems easy enough to buy one (if you have a spare $1600 lying around). I'm sure there could be a way to eventually track designs being printed because it seems like you could really create just about any mechanical device you want.

I'm not sure why he would also want to help make it easier for people to get guns though. Fair enough if you managed to make one by yourself but to make it available to anyone with access to a 3D printer just seems a bit stupid.

Off-topic: Wilson isn't really helping get rid of these stereotypes is he? A Texan that loves his guns? Who'd have guessed?

 

[Thaluikhain]

Do those guns actually work, though? As I understand it, currently there are serious issues.

However, these will almost certainly be improved in the future.

I'm not sure if this is that big of an issue, though. Yes, anyone with a 3D printer can make something very illegal, but then fabricating firearms isn't impossible without them. More or less anyone could if they wanted to, and if they wanted to have something very illegal sitting around at home. Almost everyone recognises this as rather unwise and doesn't, though.

 

[madwarper]

Do those guns actually work, though? As I understand it, currently there are serious issues.

However, these will almost certainly be improved in the future.

There were issues, they have been worked out.

I saw a report on it (it was either on BBC or France24) showing that the first prototype disintegrated after a few bullets was fired.
But, the latest version could withstand the firing of all the ammunition they had on hand.

Spoiler: 3D Printed Guns (Documentary)

OT: While homebrew firearms are concerning, I find the possibility of homebrew explosives to be more concerning.
Not to reduce human tragedy to statistics, but only 28 people died in Sandy Hook, while 168 people died at Oklahoma City and how many more people would have died in Aurora if the police had rushed into Holmes' apartment?

 

[an annoyed writer]

I am on the fence on the issue. On one hand, you've got an increased possibility of getting guns into the hands of psychos. On the other, you've got this unprecedented tool for innovation in weapons tech, something that could be of assistance to our law enforcement agencies and military, as well as our economy. It'd be stupid to limit 3D printer purchases, and equally stupid to ban guns outright, since any smart psycho is going to acquire weapons in one way or another no matter what the letter of the law is. I think that the best thing we can do is to try and reduce the amount of unstable people in general, and try and help them so we can try and prevent the inevitable.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

That's not that big an issue.

I mean, you can already completely free and legally buy what is known as an 80% Lower, which for those who don't know, as a rifle lower that has been 80% milled out. This does not legally constitute a firearm and can be sold to absolutely anyone. You can also buy what is known as an 80% lower jig, which is a template for milling out the remaining piece of the 80% lower to create a complete lower. You can take these pieces to many metal and machine shops and they can make you a complete lower for a rifle. Again, this is completely legal and can be done by absolutely anyone, with no background checks, and no paper trails. The lower is never serialized, and the only limit put on this lower is that it cannot be transferred to someone else in some states.

So why is this not a problem? I mean, anyone can get their hands on a complete working firearm, even felons who couldn't pass a background check. Well, because it's a pain in the ass. It's much easier to steal a gun, or get a gun on the back market than it is to build one yourself. The average criminal knows next to nothing about guns, other than the fact that they go 'bang.' They aren't going to go through the trouble of building their own gun from scratch when there are much easier things they can do to get a firearm.

Do it yourself firearms have been around for a long time, and they've never been a big problem. No reason to think that the advent of 3D printers will change that, at least not until 3D printers are common enough that most people will have them in their homes.

Just in case anyone is interested, here's a couple of links about 80% lowers and how exactly they work:

http://www.cncguns.com/projects/ar15lower80tutorial-1.html

 

[DefunctTheory]

As far as I know, it takes an industrial printer to make anything even remotely usable, in terms of a firearms.

Basically, to do this, you have to have one hell of an expensive printer. Expensive to the point were the black market, or even custom shops, are cheaper.

So this really isn't that big of a problem. And I don't see it changing any time soon.

I can see where this may go, though... barrels are going to start getting serial numbers, and be regulated somehow. You just can't make that out of plastic.

Fantastic.

Spoiler: 3D Printed Guns (Documentary)

This guy is a nut. And a dangerous one at that. When your gun jams and you want to investigate, you take the magazine out, boozo. You don't stick your nose in the extraction port and flag half the range.

EDIT: You also don't leave your guns laying all over the place.

 

[Sansha]

DIY firearms - no more efficient way to blow your own hands and face off.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Honestly all you need to build a fire arm is a metal tube the size of your bullets and a hammer, heck doesn't even haveto be metal.
And the likelihood of all your fingers and face staying intact in testing those things is about as high as it is with a 3D printed gun... not very high.

If you want to harm yourself we really can't stop you, and if you are so paranoid that ownership of a gun makes sense to you I sure hope you try.

 

[Quaxar]

I've seen that. Didn't know they could already be made to withstand that many rounds though.

And the left wing still claims that gun control can work. If a home made semi auto can fire over 600 rounds then I don't think there is even any need to ban them.

The same reason crystal meth bans are useless because it can be done at home too, eh? Or all those dangerously illegal car mods? Anthrax?

 

[fix-the-spade]

EDIT: For those who are unsure, these printers print in plastic, I believe there are variety of different plastics that can be used, but plastic nonetheless. The fact that the plastic is not made to withstand the recoil of a semi-automatic firearm is one of the problems they are currently facing.

Whilst the printers he's using only work on Nylon, the same principles can be applied to titanium and aluminium. The only real difference is the expense/quality of the printer/materials needed and a ti receiver could absolutely make a working gun, which is both cool and a little frightening.

 

[Rastien]

Home made fire arms!? ahhh dawinism you so crazy.

Seriously this is just asking for trouble imho