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Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

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Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#31

Post by ryanmarsh »

Guess what, if you go in your garage and make a can with even one baffle inside and a hole in each end big enough for a bullet you’ve built a silencer (however shitty). If you don’t have a class III license you just broke the law. Furthermore, I’m pretty sure 3D printing an impractical but illegal silencer is within the reach of most makers.

Technology is going to continue to make breaking all manner of laws easier for stupid people. I’m not sure what, if anything should be done about this (generally speaking).

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#32

Post by sparky_ »

MisterTea wrote: post #24
sparky_ wrote: post #14

Realistically, how effective would a 3D printed firearm be? I was under the impression that PLA/ABS plastics are simply not that strong of a material.

It could be a good intimidation tool for stick ups. All it takes is one shot so most people will be scared enough to comply as they would when faced with any other gun or weapon. On the flip side, the barrel doesn't last fore more than one or two shots if you're lucky. You can't reload fast and have a single shot. I can see it being a useful tool for an assassination. But that single shot better count otherwise you'r…

That's actually a fair point, I hadn't considered this angle. Although I suppose it's not a new danger per se, I'm sure people have robbed convenience stores using Airsoft guns and similar.

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#33

Post by ryanmarsh »

drasticmeasures wrote: post #29

Right now, people are commenting this will enable 3D-printed plastics , but there are mildly expensive (about $1000-$3000) 3D metal printers, and with a bit of metal-working and gun-smithing skill it should be possible to mass manufacture good-enough, metal guns from those files. So, this lowers a bit the money and skill needed for it, but it's not braindead easy or dirt cheap yet. A decently organized gang will prin…

In the US it’s so ridiculously easy to obtain a firearm I don’t know why anyone would bother. A home made (3D printed) firearm is just as likely to kill its operator as anyone else.

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#34

Post by toomanybeersies »

dkoubsky wrote: post #3

I don't see why a CAD file would be any different than normal instructions for building firearms. For example, building a 12 gauge shotgun from 1" and 3/4" steel pipe is cheaper, easier, and probably safer/more effective than the plastic gun from the article. It seems to me the 3D printing part of this made the article popular for clickbait and thus it garnered more attention than the traditional approaches to homema…

You can even legally buy copies of the U.S. Army Improvised Munitions Handbook [1], which includes instructions on creating improvised firearms and other weaponry.

The moral panic about 3d printed weapons is complete nonsense. It's been trivial to make firearms out of hardware store and few practical skills. Back in high school we even made little black powder cannons in the metal shop, raiding fireworks for their powder and fuse and using ball bearings as the shot.

You don't even need steel pipe to make a shotgun, they're low enough pressure that for some types of shot you can even use copper pipe.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Field-Manual-Survival-Evasion-Recover...

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#35

Post by drasticmeasures »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #33
drasticmeasures wrote: post #29

Right now, people are commenting this will enable 3D-printed plastics , but there are mildly expensive (about $1000-$3000) 3D metal printers, and with a bit of metal-working and gun-smithing skill it should be possible to mass manufacture good-enough, metal guns from those files. So, this lowers a bit the money and skill needed for it, but it's not braindead easy or dirt cheap yet. A decently organized gang will prin…

In the US it’s so ridiculously easy to obtain a firearm I don’t know why anyone would bother. A home made (3D printed) firearm is just as likely to kill its operator as anyone else.

It's on the Internet, so this goes beyond the US. I'm thinking gun-controlled areas or conflict areas.

I'm also thinking how this potentially shuts down for the FBI entrapping wannabe-insurrectionaries by posing as weapons dealers.

Or how non-American gangs will have vast quantities of guns at their disposal, and how that will necessarily change police policy.

And how determined and savvy, but dangerous, individuals will more easily (this is the key thing here: more easily, lower barrier of acquisition) get their hands on guns in gun-controlled areas and go on rampages.

This will make gun control much more difficult.

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#37

Post by ryanmarsh »

drasticmeasures wrote: post #35
ryanmarsh wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US it’s so ridiculously easy to obtain a firearm I don’t know why anyone would bother. A home made (3D printed) firearm is just as likely to kill its operator as anyone else.

It's on the Internet, so this goes beyond the US. I'm thinking gun-controlled areas or conflict areas. I'm also thinking how this potentially shuts down for the FBI entrapping wannabe-insurrectionaries by posing as weapons dealers. Or how non-American gangs will have vast quantities of guns at their disposal, and how that will necessarily change police policy. And how determined and savvy, but dangerous, individuals…

In conflict areas, of which I’m familiar, AK47’s are often easier to obtain than fresh produce.

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#38

Post by toomanybeersies »

There's an entire industry in the Khyber Pass region in Afghanistan and Pakistan dedicated to making firearms with nothing more than simple hand tools and scrap steel [1]. Firearms are trivial to produce. It's producing ammunition that's the hard part. Specifically, producing propellant for your bullets.

The panic about 3d printed guns is baseless. Any panic about terrorists being able to use something to commit heinous acts is generally baseless panic. As we've seen, all they need is a car or a knife and they can go on a rampage. The only reason we don't have more terrorist attacks isn't because of increased gun control or aviation security or restricted access to fertiliser. The only reason we don't have more terrorist attacks is because there simply aren't many people in the western world who hate it enough to commit terrorist attacks.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pass_copy

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#39

Post by throwawayi8 »

MisterTea wrote: post #24
sparky_ wrote: post #14

Realistically, how effective would a 3D printed firearm be? I was under the impression that PLA/ABS plastics are simply not that strong of a material.

It could be a good intimidation tool for stick ups. All it takes is one shot so most people will be scared enough to comply as they would when faced with any other gun or weapon. On the flip side, the barrel doesn't last fore more than one or two shots if you're lucky. You can't reload fast and have a single shot. I can see it being a useful tool for an assassination. But that single shot better count otherwise you'r…

I think you’ve been able to do this with toy guns for a while now..

Re: Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

#40

Post by drasticmeasures »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #37
drasticmeasures wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's on the Internet, so this goes beyond the US. I'm thinking gun-controlled areas or conflict areas. I'm also thinking how this potentially shuts down for the FBI entrapping wannabe-insurrectionaries by posing as weapons dealers. Or how non-American gangs will have vast quantities of guns at their disposal, and how that will necessarily change police policy. And how determined and savvy, but dangerous, individuals…

In conflict areas, of which I’m familiar, AK47’s are often easier to obtain than fresh produce.

And in gun-controlled areas? They would have to control the printers and the digital blueprints as well.
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