General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnd so it starts - This Is The World's First Entirely 3D-Printed Gun
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/05/03/this-is-the-worlds-first-entirely-3d-printed-gun-photos/
Early next week, Wilson, a 25-year University of Texas law student and founder of the non-profit group Defense Distributed, plans to release the 3D-printable CAD files for a gun he calls the Liberator, pictured in its initial form above. Hes agreed to let me document the process of the guns creation, so long as I dont publish details of its mechanics or its testing until its been proven to work reliably and the file has been uploaded to Defense Distributeds online collection of printable gun blueprints at Defcad.org.
In a related story - Staples released the notice today they would be the first large scale provider of 3D printers to the public, selling the Cube 3D printer (below).
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/05/03/staples-will-sell-printers/J9E0RkYNesZlAHmtL5In3H/story.html
onehandle
(51,122 posts)This is just more proof that substantial gun, clip, and ammo laws are inevitable.
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We now have 3-D printers that can manufacture firearms components in the basement, said Representative Steve Israel, Democrat of New York. Its just a matter of time before a 3-D printer will produce a weapon capable of firing bullets.
A 3-D printer builds an object layer by layer in three dimensions, usually in plastic. To effectively outlaw weapons made with them, Mr. Israel wants to extend an existing law, set to expire this year, that makes weapons that are undetectable by security scanners like a printed all-plastic gun illegal.
But there are also major technical obstacles to creating an entire gun on a 3-D printer, not the least of which is that a plastic gun would probably melt or explode upon firing a single bullet, making it about as likely to kill the gunman as the target.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/science/surprising-tools-of-modern-gunmaking-plastic-and-a-3-d-printer.html
TampaAnimusVortex
(785 posts)Technically, Defense Distributeds gun has one other non-printed component: the group added a six ounce chunk of steel into the body to make it detectable by metal detectors in order to comply with the Undetectable Firearms Act.
Add a block of metal and problem solved.
tridim
(45,358 posts)Obviously this is a massive loophole that needs to be filled immediately.
Congress might get around to it in 50 years or so.
HolyMoley
(240 posts)A metal detector will alert on the block of metal and invite a frisk, search, pat-down.
upsidedownforklift
(13 posts)I'm sure I could just print my way around any law if it were necessary.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)...before the also inevitable amendment to strike down the Second.
TampaAnimusVortex
(785 posts)is that regardless of any laws enacted, it would still be possible to produce these. They want to make guns as unregulatable as air itself.
loli phabay
(5,580 posts)TampaAnimusVortex
(785 posts)loli phabay
(5,580 posts)IDemo
(16,926 posts)I'd be interested if and when they reach the Win XP or greater stage and can handle metals, possibly print a complete functioning PCB (I know there are prototype lunges at such functionality, but nothing remotely close in the consumer space).
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)nt
Tikki
(14,556 posts)a grand appliance for home crafting and parents of school aged children for those 'school projects.'
We could sure use one now...We need a model of a Basking Shark and so off to the hunk of clay we go.
The Tikkis
MindPilot
(12,693 posts)and smart phones put a video camera in everyone's pocket.
3D printing will be a factory on the kitchen table.
They will advance to even more exotic plastics and metals. Home-made guns will be only one issue.
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Assassin's tool; get in close, one shot, throw away.
TampaAnimusVortex
(785 posts)The proposed intent was to drop these weapons at concentration camps where internees would pick up these weapons overcome Nazi Guards and hopefully liberate the camp.
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)I can see selling CAD drawings as a growing business.
librechik
(30,674 posts)then we're cookin....
TampaAnimusVortex
(785 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)baldguy
(36,649 posts)The people who design this & champion its distribution this are at the same level as producers of child porn, and should be treated as such by society.