Worlds first 3D-printed plastic gun

[Ijaw]

The Liberator - world's first 3D-printed handgun has been successfully fired in Texas. Your thoughts?

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/3dgun.jpg

 

[pec5055]

For those who don't get the reference in the name "Liberator" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FP-45_Liberator

I assume it has about the same characteristics as far as range etc.

 

[Ellis1958]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/06/tech/innovation/3d-gun-video/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[Hitman]

Are the anti's shaking in their skin?

 

[JNieman]

This is why I've always been so adverse to the term "3D Printing" - because aside from some rudimentary machines vaguely using some similar parts, they do not resemble your standard printer in any way whatsoever.

It's implicating the technology of "3d printers" being a simple "PRES BUTAN, RECEIVER PART" situation which is extremely inappropriate. The maintenance and setup of these machines, even desktop models, rivals that of your typical tabletop mills, lathes, and other machines of the sort. It takes as much reading and learning to use these 'printers' as it would any mill or lathe. A drill press is easier to use than these machines and cheaper to acquire - yet you don't hear of anyone wanting to ban the use of drill presses for finishing 80% lowers.

"Passing this law would not only prevent people from making these parts, it would raise awareness on the issue," Schumer said Sunday during a news conference. "We're facing a situation where anyone -- a felon, a terrorist -- can open a gun factory in their garage."

And because of the connotations of "3D Printer" being equated to the difficulty of "laser printer" or "inkjet printer" idiots like him think there is something new going on here, whereas any of those people could have /always/ been doing the same thing with mills, lathes, drill presses, welders, all before now. For ****s sake, haji makes this **** in caves in Pakistan - what makes anyone think this **** couldn't be done here without 3D Printers already?

****ing idiots. Marketing is a double edged sword. "3D Printing" has been oversold, and overhyped, and idiots like Schumer buy it hook line and sinker, at least as much as it helps push his agenda.

 

[TheLawson]

I think every domestic terrorist and felon already uses a CNC mill to make their own guns and bypass the extremely strict and unbeatable system we have in place to prevent them from getting guns, so we should hurry up and ban this before it adds to the problem. It's too late to ban mills and lathes (too commonplace), but we can ban this new technology that has no legitimate uses before it gets off the ground!

 

[oleheat]

RT was talking about this a while back....

 

[whitsend]

3D printed gun, not just a lower.

 

[JNieman]

I think every domestic terrorist and felon already uses a CNC mill to make their own guns and bypass the extremely strict and unbeatable system we have in place to prevent them from getting guns, so we should hurry up and ban this before it adds to the problem. It's too late to ban mills and lathes (too commonplace), but we can ban this new technology that has no legitimate uses before it gets off the ground!

Additive manufacturing machines have been around since the 70s, and already commonplace in manufacturing.

 

[Robhic]

Isn't the production of any type lethal ordnance highly illegal on these machines to start off with?

 

[Vsotok10]

I guess this will displace Glock from the top of the plastic gun hill.

 

[JNieman]

Isn't the production of any type lethal ordnance highly illegal on these machines to start off with?

No clue what you're talking about. Never heard of such a thing before now. 3D Printing is used for all sorts of firearms industry products.

 

[oleheat]

And what do you know- Chuck Schumer is concerned.


I honestly believe he'd have been collaborating with the Nazis back in the day.....

 

[Ijaw]

Liberator?

 

[Akajun]

I really dont see what the big deal is. You could make the same pistol with a block of plastic and a dremel and would be a lot stronger. Its only a single shot pistol, now if it was a semi auto, revolver, or some other type of repeater I would be impressed.

 

[Hitman]

I prefer THIS liberator;
\

 

[JNieman]

I really dont see what the big deal is. You could make the same pistol with a block of plastic and a dremel and would be a lot stronger. Its only a single shot pistol, now if it was a semi auto, revolver, or some other type of repeater I would be impressed.

Please tell me how you could dremel out the springs, pins, internal components necessary to make a hammer-fired weapon.

You must be a ****ing wizard with a dremel.

 

[Robhic]

No clue what you're talking about. Never heard of such a thing before now. 3D Printing is used for all sorts of firearms industry products.

I thought I remembered reading a while back that producing guns or gun parts on a 3D printing device was against the law. Maybe it was for private citizens and not legitimate firearm companies?

 

[JNieman]

I thought I remembered reading a while back that producing guns or gun parts on a 3D printing device was against the law. Maybe it was for private citizens and not legitimate firearm companies?

Nope.

It's no more illegal than if I made a gun on a mill or lathe. It's just another machine.

ETA: What you MAY have read about is when Stratasys took back their machines from the guy who was LEASING them because they were unsure of the legality of him using Stratasys property to manufacture guns without a FFL. They were unsure and for their own liability, they terminated his lease of their machines. He then went on to get his FFL (and I believe a SOT for NFA items, though I'm unsure) to clear up any confusion, and has machines again. I'm unclear if the machines are newly leased, or if he raised money to buy some outright.

There's nothing illegal about anything he's done so far. Besides, it's not like he'd be getting away with anything, as public and syndicated as he's been.. the BATFukcs woulda been on his ass by now.

 

[Akajun]

Please tell me how you could dremel out the springs, pins, internal components necessary to make a hammer-fired weapon.

You must be a ****ing wizard with a dremel.

Dont be a smart ass, you get my point. Fact is that most of the pins can be bought at a hardware store, springs can be substituted with rubber bands, etc, you would have to change the design up some but a workable single shot pistol could be made out of a block of plastic using basic power tools and hand tools and commercialy available materials that would in fact be stronger than the 3d printed gun as its one formed piece of material and not layers of material sintered together. Not to mention that you can buy a Tormach machining center for 8 grand, take a couple of courses, and start machining whatever you want out of metal. 3d printers aint cheap and the materials they use aint either. WHile everyone oohs and aaahs about them, the fact is that the technology is still a long ways off from production quality, especially considering what can be made with conventional tools, even machine tools.