Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

webpronews.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 158 posts

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#21

Post by drone »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #14

Doesn't pass the sniff test. Chamber pressure in a .22 cal pistol is on the order of 20,000 PSI [1] The tensile strength of thermoplastic at standard temperatures is 1/2 that [2] and it goes down as the temperature goes up (its a thermo plastic for a reason). Firing a .22 caliber round using gunpowder would destroy the barrel on the first firing. Now I could believe you built the receiver and triggering mechanism on…

He did not "print a rifle", he printed what is known as a "stripped lower receiver," which is only a shell that holds the trigger assembly, magazine, grip, and provides a mount point for the buffer tube and two pin mounts for the upper receiver. The upper receiver and buffer tube/buffer spring are the objects which have the force primarily exerted on them.

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#22

Post by aidenn0 »

simcop2387 wrote: post #9
sp332 wrote: post #3

Man, they didn't show you that in Star Trek... edit: to be specific, they glossed over it instead of confronting a scenario where an enemy hijacked a replicator to make whatever physical or chemical weapons they wanted at a moment's notice.

Actually it was touched on in a number of episodes (which i don't feel like digging up) but in more than once instance they mentioned that the replicators had safety systems that prevented unauthorized creation of at least some dangerous materials, (from what i recall, poisons were mentioned in one, weapons themselves i'm not sure).

TOS they made flintlock rifles in "Balance of Power"

TNG "Samaritain Snare" Geordi is kidnapped by technically unsophisticated, but cunning people that use replicators to reproduce high-tech (including a phasor)

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#23

Post by kwantam »

duaneb wrote: post #18
jakeonthemove wrote: post #4

Well, it's definitely possible to print a silencer, a pistol shouldn't be that much harder. I'm afraid that this would make the governments impose stricter laws on 3D printers, which is not a good thing...

I'd be more scared if they could successfully manufacture lethal ammunition.

(I don't know if this is sarcasm, but I'm answering with the assumption it's not.)

Manufacturing ammunition is simple and requires components and equipment that can be purchased for relatively little money and with (almost) no restrictions.

Buying gunpowder, primers, bullets, and casings is very possible via the internet (though gunpowder and primers are subject to hazardous shipping restrictions). After that, you could in principle make ammo using a 2x4 and a hammer if you really wanted to. A single-stage reloading press and the accoutrements can be obtained for under $200 trivially, and if you want to step up to relatively fast manufacture (hundreds of rounds per hour) you're still only talking a $500ish investment.

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#24

Post by aidenn0 »

duaneb wrote: post #18
jakeonthemove wrote: post #4

Well, it's definitely possible to print a silencer, a pistol shouldn't be that much harder. I'm afraid that this would make the governments impose stricter laws on 3D printers, which is not a good thing...

I'd be more scared if they could successfully manufacture lethal ammunition.

Then you don't understand the current market. Most ammunition is amazingly easy to come by and the trade of it is fairly unregulated.

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#25

Post by ChuckMcM »

kwantam wrote: post #16
ChuckMcM wrote: post #14

Doesn't pass the sniff test. Chamber pressure in a .22 cal pistol is on the order of 20,000 PSI [1] The tensile strength of thermoplastic at standard temperatures is 1/2 that [2] and it goes down as the temperature goes up (its a thermo plastic for a reason). Firing a .22 caliber round using gunpowder would destroy the barrel on the first firing. Now I could believe you built the receiver and triggering mechanism on…

The part that's 3d printed is the lower receiver. In an AR-15 style design, the lower receiver doesn't handle any pressure at all, it just houses the magazine and hammer/trigger/sear/safety, and connects to the upper receiver/barrel assembly and the buttstock/buffer tube assembly. People have made lower receivers out of aluminum basically forever. Aluminum could maybe be made to handle .22lr type pressures, but certa…

Well there was this story (http://boingboing.net/2011/09/20/3d-printed-ar-15-parts-chal...) on BoingBoing in September of last year that was later determined to be a hoax according to the Makerbot folks at the Makerfaire this year.

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#26

Post by ef4 »

Any competent machinist can make functional semiautomatic weapons. This is just the next step in making it even easier.

If the United States ever got serious about banning firearms, a massive homebrew industry would grow up overnight. Gunpowder is not fundamentally harder to make than methamphetamine.

People who quite rightly see our drug laws as pointless and ineffective somehow often miss that a gun ban would be no more effective in the United States. If you want there to be less drugs or guns, you have to attack the demand side, not the supply side. Suppressing supply while keeping demand steady just ensures higher margins for the suppliers.

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#27

Post by angrow »

pyre wrote: post #19
simcop2387 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually it was touched on in a number of episodes (which i don't feel like digging up) but in more than once instance they mentioned that the replicators had safety systems that prevented unauthorized creation of at least some dangerous materials, (from what i recall, poisons were mentioned in one, weapons themselves i'm not sure).

True, but what could be poisonous to one species, could be nutritious to another. The idea that 'poisons' are easily identifiable is pure fantasy.

Everyone on the Enterprise can breath the same air and eaet the same food.

And if something is poison to even just a few of your crew, you forbid it and tell everyone else to eat almonds instead of peanuts. :nerdingout:

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#28

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

jakeonthemove wrote: post #4

Well, it's definitely possible to print a silencer, a pistol shouldn't be that much harder. I'm afraid that this would make the governments impose stricter laws on 3D printers, which is not a good thing...

Sigh.

I have downloaded complete plans that were created in 1972 to make an entire .22 caliber single shot pistol by hand using a hacksaw, file and drill press. By my estimation, it can be done in one long day of work by a semi-skilled person. An even simpler pistol can be built in an hour or two. It's just not hard to make a basic gun: when I was 11 years old I used to make toy "guns" from old hollow keys, crushed match heads and nails. They worked, but only had about a 10-foot or so range.

Granted, I planned to build the pistol using a (manual) milling machine, not by hand, but is the government going to outlaw saws and files now?

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#29

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

ef4 wrote: post #26

Any competent machinist can make functional semiautomatic weapons. This is just the next step in making it even easier. If the United States ever got serious about banning firearms, a massive homebrew industry would grow up overnight. Gunpowder is not fundamentally harder to make than methamphetamine. People who quite rightly see our drug laws as pointless and ineffective somehow often miss that a gun ban would be no…

Exactly. See my post about making guns by hand. As a 12 year old boy I was making gunpowder from drugstore items and launching rockets made from rolled-up newspaper.

This stuff ain't hard to do!!

Re: Gunsmith Uses 3D Printer To Make A Rifle

#30

Post by jack-r-abbit »

ef4 wrote: post #26

Any competent machinist can make functional semiautomatic weapons. This is just the next step in making it even easier. If the United States ever got serious about banning firearms, a massive homebrew industry would grow up overnight. Gunpowder is not fundamentally harder to make than methamphetamine. People who quite rightly see our drug laws as pointless and ineffective somehow often miss that a gun ban would be no…

and higher margins means more incentive for people to get into the business.
Post reply on HN