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World's first 3D printed gun test fired

m.bbc.co.uk

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Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#31

Post by cturner »

_delirium wrote: post #30
cturner wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now if you can 3d-print a reliable rifle like an AK-47, that could get interesting. The team that made this gun are already doing the most difficult bit from the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle that has been used in several massacres in the west (including the one that sparked heavy gun regulation in Australia in the 90s). That's why I thought this was news. First they made the lower-receiver of a powerful gun. Now the…

the most difficult bit from the AR-15 As far as I understand it, the lower receiver on an AR-15 is actually a pretty trivial housing component, subject to almost no operational pressures, but interesting legally because it's where the gun's serial number happens to be stamped. (But I should note I don't really know much about AR-15s, just stuff I've read.)

Ah - thanks. Seems I've made a bad assumption that was key to my position. I understood the significance of the stamp but had also thought it was among the most vulnerable spots for operational shock. I'll go back and re-read on this.

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#32

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

emarion wrote: post #27

You can't 3D print the bullets. Thus I'd speculate that this development does not significantly impact the effectiveness of gun control laws nor does it accomplish the goals of the creator.

I hope so. I live in a country where I do not have to carry a gun, the vast majority of people do not carry guns, police officers rarely carry guns, it is very unlikely you'll be killed with a gun, and I'd like it to stay that way.

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#34

Post by evan_ »

oneandoneis2 wrote: post #20
dsrguru wrote: post #10

Countries whose primary gun control measures are currently at the point of sale will have to decide pretty soon if they're going to ban personal 3D printers or resign themselves to the fact that as in the US, the average petty criminal will have access to guns.

Not true. Even here in the UK I can walk into an antique shop and buy a gun that can be put back into service in minutes. Guns aren't, and never have been, the thing that you need to regulate to keep down gun crime. Bullets are. If you have a gun, you have a gun for life. But if you don't have a never-ending supply of bullets, you might as well have a paperweight. Bullets are harder to get and harder to make than gun…

you're gonna have to ban lead and saltpeter and basic tools then, too.

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#35

Post by D_Alex »

oneandoneis2 wrote: post #20
dsrguru wrote: post #10

Countries whose primary gun control measures are currently at the point of sale will have to decide pretty soon if they're going to ban personal 3D printers or resign themselves to the fact that as in the US, the average petty criminal will have access to guns.

Not true. Even here in the UK I can walk into an antique shop and buy a gun that can be put back into service in minutes. Guns aren't, and never have been, the thing that you need to regulate to keep down gun crime. Bullets are. If you have a gun, you have a gun for life. But if you don't have a never-ending supply of bullets, you might as well have a paperweight. Bullets are harder to get and harder to make than gun…

Bullets are very easy. All you need is a mold, some lead and a fire.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bullet+mold&rls=com.micr...

You might have meant "cartridges". But they are not hard either, or even necessary. Black powder is pretty easy too. Primers are a bit harder (still easier than a gun, just need to know how), but you can make rifles that fire without primers (google "matchlock" or "flintlock").

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#36

Post by rorrr2 »

emarion wrote: post #27

You can't 3D print the bullets. Thus I'd speculate that this development does not significantly impact the effectiveness of gun control laws nor does it accomplish the goals of the creator.

Bullets aren't really controlled. You can buy them online or at Walmart, legally.

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#37

Post by mrspeaker »

jacquesm wrote: post #17
ghshephard wrote: post #8

I always wonder why these articles don't mention that the ability to personally make a gun with a CNC machine has existed for quite a few years. There isn't a lot of new ground being broken in terms of "Freedom to create firearms in your home" with 3D printing.

You don't even need a CNC machine. Just old fashioned tools will do just fine. Guns predate CNC tools by a comfortable margin in time.

Kind of reminds me of the arguments about ajax around 2004 when the term was popularised: everyone (me included) went "This is stupid, we've had 'ajax' for ever: years ago I was doing long polling with iframes, this is no different it's just a bit more convenient".

Convenience turns out to be a pretty big contributing factor in how many people do something!

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#38

Post by temphn »

cturner wrote: post #31
_delirium wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the most difficult bit from the AR-15 As far as I understand it, the lower receiver on an AR-15 is actually a pretty trivial housing component, subject to almost no operational pressures, but interesting legally because it's where the gun's serial number happens to be stamped. (But I should note I don't really know much about AR-15s, just stuff I've read.)

Ah - thanks. Seems I've made a bad assumption that was key to my position. I understood the significance of the stamp but had also thought it was among the most vulnerable spots for operational shock. I'll go back and re-read on this.

cturner, you're actually right overall here. The DD team has succeeded in 3D printing a rifle barrel that works for 10 shots. See the Forbes article linked at the very top of the thread.

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#39

Post by lifeisstillgood »

cturner wrote: post #16
ghshephard wrote: post #8

I always wonder why these articles don't mention that the ability to personally make a gun with a CNC machine has existed for quite a few years. There isn't a lot of new ground being broken in terms of "Freedom to create firearms in your home" with 3D printing.

I think it's a big story. 3d printing opens many possibilities that CNC doesn't offer. A CNC requires specialised skill. Downloading and printing 3d doesn't. Building guns with a CNC requires a lot of labour. Whereas you can imagine having a lab full of 3d printers being operated by a single pensioner. 3d printers look like they'll be generic and mass-produced. If so, in ten years there will be 3d printers everywhere…

> eople sitting in refugee camps on the edge of hotzones won't have have difficulty getting access to them.

I am sorry but really - people in a refugee camp, with no sanitation, insufficient food and clean water, and yet working 3D printers with plentiful supplies of plastic dust?

Refugee camps are by defintion, walkable from the worlds worst trouble spots, Access to weapons in the worlds worst trouble spots is not hard (http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-43343/police-recover-...).

3d printing of guns is a "first world problem" and will remain so forever. By the time a refugee camp has turned into a place that worries about 3d printing of anything, it has become a suburban utopia and the soccer mums can deal with the 3d printing labs.

Re: World's first 3D printed gun test fired

#40

Post by roel_v »

oneandoneis2 wrote: post #20
dsrguru wrote: post #10

Countries whose primary gun control measures are currently at the point of sale will have to decide pretty soon if they're going to ban personal 3D printers or resign themselves to the fact that as in the US, the average petty criminal will have access to guns.

Not true. Even here in the UK I can walk into an antique shop and buy a gun that can be put back into service in minutes. Guns aren't, and never have been, the thing that you need to regulate to keep down gun crime. Bullets are. If you have a gun, you have a gun for life. But if you don't have a never-ending supply of bullets, you might as well have a paperweight. Bullets are harder to get and harder to make than gun…

You're going to rob a store with a flintlock pistol? With a 3d printed gun you can.

Furthermore, bullets are much harder to regulate than guns. Plenty of people have access to bullets and can make 50 of them disappear, claiming they shot them.

"But if you don't have a never-ending supply of bullets,"

Why a never-ending supply? You only need 5 bullets at most for each robbery or murder you commit. A box of 50 can last a criminal career.

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