Thread: 3D printers, some thoughts...

*3D printers* and the evil future, it will happen.

The future for weapons lays at the feet of people with 3D printers, with them readily available they are going to experiment, a lot. So what is coming with it all?
I think apart from people that actually like hunting and guns this is going to take a massive directional change, in ten years time who would know what will be out there. Self propelled bullets? Bullets at all? Paintball style gas guns with exploding missiles?
Armies that turn up with a bunch of printers, designs preloaded and sort it out on the day what is required to do the job?
A 3D printer, a little bit of design knowledge and a grasp of chemistry. What will that combination lead to.

An ultralight 7 mm08 at 2.5 pounds, with a cupholder.

anything beats paying 600 for a stripped lower
id much rather just pay the cost of the polymer

all this will do is cause the authorities to start insisting on serial numbers for the parts you can not print...

US has some strange views of what constitutes a firearm (the lower receiver debate)

in other parts of the world, a firearm is considered a sum of the parts, and each has a serial number. for instance in SA, a pistol license records the serial number on the following parts (if not matching) : barrel, slide, receiver.

Originally Posted by ebf

all this will do is cause the authorities to start insisting on serial numbers for the parts you can not print...

US has some strange views of what constitutes a firearm (the lower receiver debate)

in other parts of the world, a firearm is considered a sum of the parts, and each has a serial number. for instance in SA, a pistol license records the serial number on the following parts (if not matching) : barrel, slide, receiver.

In NZ it's the receiver, in cases where there are 2 halves to that, it's the serialed part.

Makes sense, mostly everything else is just wear parts, furniture and accessories.

Same in Australia except their dumb registration system makes it harder to change calibre etc.

excuse the website but i found this several weeks ago about the subject,, its a short doco from one of the guys who is doing this in the states, he raises some interesting points

Documentary Of The Day: '3D Printed Guns' - Do You Think This Should be Available On The Internet? | Shock Mansion

3d printing is cool and has a lot of potential but also a long way to come

they need some other kind of polymer that lasts longer than 400 shots. then we are away laughing

Originally Posted by Bill999

they need some other kind of polymer that lasts longer than 400 shots. then we are away laughing

That 400 shots is the low stressed stuff as well. Until we see a bolt head and barrel (chamber) capable of surviving even a handfull of rounds its more of a danger to the firer than any target. Given engineering/metal limits personally I cant see it ever being a goer. I mean the barrel is a forged piece of high quality steel capable of holding 40,000~60,000 PSI for 10,000+ rounds I can so see that being printed....not.

Lets look at the practicality of alternatives, how hard and expensive is it to get drawings for a sten gun and by a second hand lathe on trademe? dead easy and about $1k....any decent tradesman like a car mechanic or better should be capable of making stens.

regards

Very early days with this, do you really think it will take long for compounds to improve?

I'm talking more big picture here, but once some people get a hold of the technology I reckon you are going to see some strange shit when it comes to weapons, and what constitutes a weapon.

seeing as the ak can be made out of flat steel folded into shape I dont see this becoming a problem.
An Ak-47 made out of a shovel : theCHIVE

I can make a 12ga out of a few pieces of pipe that can slide into each other with and end cap from the plumbers store and a coin and nail as a fireing pin

I even got all the parts when I was in my teens till my dad confiscated it

the information is out there. the be all and end all is that you still need a FAL to buy bullets, and most people dont have the drive or know how to make firearms when you are still able to get them easily legally.

But you don't need the fal to buy components (or has that finally changed) What I'm trying to get across is people thinking outside the square, who needs bullets as we know them if you design them out of the picture.

How many chemistry majors are here? Basic components to make an explosive substance? I bet you could create something with what's in the kitchen right now that would go bang.

who needs chemestry when you have the internet at your fingertips.

what are you worrying about? it would be quicker for someone to go get a FAL and gun legallly than it would to build a entire rifle

or just rob a house/buy a stolen gun/pay someone to buy them a gun - if he wanted one and wasnt alloud it legally.

Is it because it is an ar15 that you are scared?

Cast bullets, machine up a gun with mill etc (How do people think they're made in a factory? It's not actually that complicated), cases on a lathe, powder from basic chemistry, only hard thing is primers really if you were sufficiently motivated


I'm way too lazy, I'll just buy mine.

petrol goes bang pretty effectively. it has very little use as a propellant tho.

law dosent prevent crime, it just defines crime.

if you are prepaired to make an ar15 and posess a firearm without a licence then you are a crim.