Posted on 04/18/2013 3:53:07 PM PDT by marktwain
Prompted by the horrific Sandy Hook shooting last December, lawmakers across the country are locked in debate over the future of gun control in America. While they fight in Washington over background checks, there has been a technological revolution brewing. In the face of increased gun control, several groups have taken the initiative to manufacture guns via 3D printers.
A homemade gun sounds revolutionary to most, but it’s perfectly legal so long as it meets federal and state restrictions on gun ownership. That said, $30 and a simple YouTube tutorial can land you a homemade ‘shotgun.’ For the more aesthetically minded, gun parts can be bought separately and modified at home to produce a fully functional AR-15. Homemade guns don’t require any sort of federal licensing or registration so long as you don’t plan to sell them.
The “Wiki Weapon” project began last June with the public reveal of Defense Distributed, the goal being to design gun parts that can be accessed and produced by anyone with a 3D printer. There are still several hurdles in the way of Defense Distributed’s goal, however. First and foremost is the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988, which bans the production and ownership of guns that can go unnoticed through metal detectors.
The law is set to expire this December unless lawmakers should choose to renew it, and with the current state of the gun control debate it doesn’t seem all too unlikely. The current cost of 3D printers is another concern with some of the cheapest models still pricing well over $900. Most concerning, however, is the overall quality of these guns. The materials used by 3D printers are hardly as durable as metallic parts already on the market.
(Excerpt) Read more at thelamron.com ...
I was wrong on that date. It was introduced in 1964. It was the little brother to the Ruger 44 Carbine that came out in 1959.
BigBlockk
Later.....
Here’s a guy who made a gun from a shovel: http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/build-yourself/179192-diy-shovel-ak-photo-tsunami-warning.html
No printer needed :)
Or a crook uses one to mug somebody and the somebody finds out and sues Kinko’s.
Whoever put me on this “3-D Printer Ping!” list, please take me off. I’ve had to use these stereolith systems for he past 15 years. Being on this list is too much like being at work. Please take me off your ping list.
Jack
Ar-15 and M-16 lowers are made from aluminum. Much easier to cast that steel.
You are soooooo outta here! (BTW youse guys hiring?)
LOL. Perhaps I was little harsh...
Yes, the early materials were somewhat to very expensive.
Yes, many of them are still difficult to recycle.
But today you can make serviceable filament from discarded soda bottles. There’s even a guy selling a bench-top shredder and extruder for that purpose.
Today the pallet of available materials is vast and the processes allow considerable variations in feedstock. One could tune their machine to make serviceable lost wax masters from ordinary paraffin or bee’s wax instead of the specialty waxes formulated for jewelery use.
Sintered powder machines can recycle all the unsintered material, with the only caveat being that the must be sieved to remove any damaged or stuck together grains. (and that you have to be careful to not mix differing formulations.
Like any other technology costs drop with experience and volume. You need to run as fast as you can just to stay caught up!
Right now? An opportunity to improve upon the existing technologies in both the RP and ordnance fields.
ping to post 42
Have you seen this? I would like to attend.
3D Printing Conference Hits the Big Apple
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2418001,00.asp
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