Posted on 01/11/2013 7:40:27 AM PST by marktwain
Major improvements have been made in 3D printed AR15 rifles. The part of the rifle that is defined as a gun by federal law is the only part printed. The rest of the parts are commonly available on the free market.
People have made guns at home since guns were invented in the 1500’s or before. However, the ability to print out your own AR15 lower receiver at home, without having to use steel files, a grinder, or other home workshop tools, has caught the attention of the public in this digital age.
Defense Distributed is the organization that aims to make the promise of the Second Amendment a practical reality for everyman at the touch of a button. No longer will criminals in and out of government be able to be reasonably certain that their victims are unarmed.
The first AR15 lower printed by Defense Distributed was matched to a barrel chambered for the 5.7x28 cartridge, a pistol/rifle round less powerful than the more common .223. It failed after six rounds.
All of their design work and testing is now being done for and with the .223 cartridge. Several different printers and technologies have been tested. Stress analysis with sophisticated engineering design tools has been used to reduce the number of prototypes required. The lowers will now work reliably for 40-60 shots before failing. The highest round count so far has been over 80.
The failures occur at the rear take down pins, through to the hand grip.
Defense Distributed believes that their latest improvement will be reliable for 100 rounds. They expect to release the build files to the public in the next few weeks.
They will dedicate it to Joe Biden and company.
Dean Weingarten
Molon Labe.
They will dedicate it to Joe Biden and company.
Lol! I'm surprised the feds haven't already raided this group on trumped up charges (drugs/kiddy porn) to make an example for any with similar ideas.
Fer crying out loud I would think grade schoolers know how to work that problem. Print in an area that receives a stamped steel plate with just a rivet or something.
While making an AR lower is a slap in the face to the feds making 20 million one shot disposable Next Generation Liberty pistols may be strategically better.
I’m curious as to whether they’re trying to use the same receiver wall thickness as the original aluminum version. The polymer lowers that I’ve seen for sale are all considerably thicker (longer hammer and trigger pins are not needed, but longer push-pins are).
They are actively working that issue. They are also working to have printed standard capacity magazines. They say that the magazines are very easy to do. I posted a story on the files available for an AR 15 magazine, and Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed says that people have successfully printed AK magazines without a problem.
More later when I have enough for a story.
That was my thought as well, I am very enthusiastic about the 3D process, to the point I may sell one of my gun safe queens to buy an entry level printer, as a machinist and fabrictor who has worked in a fiberglass putrusion and plastic extrusion plant as a die maker I can see ways to change the application.
For the high stress area it may require an insert of aluminum or an engineered plastic like delrin with thicker ribs and longer pins.
As the 1776 revolutionaries said “No King but Jesus!”
Why don’t they just make the exterior thicker? Make indents where the selector goes and longer pins.
I believed that this interim report would be of interest, as the old media is ignoring them.
There is about a 1.5 million magazine back order going on across America, what if a million people just buy a 3D printer and each make at least a dozen for themselves, and a couple more for their friends.
Mags are not the problem but they make the progressives feel all warm and fuzzy when they believe a ban against them is the solution. Frankly I’m surprised Obama hasn’t made any effort to attack the ownership and usage of 3D printers to make mags.
It would be like banning bathtubs during the prohibition when they were used to make gin.
20 million liberty 10-100 round pistols would be better yet.
Seeing where it’s breaking, it seems like a little fiberglass fiber sheeting and epoxy placed in a strategic location before firing might significantly extend the life.
What if some of those magazines end up in congressional staff’s back yards.. I suppose they would get the “Gregory” treatment.
Not enough ammo to feed a million pray and sprayers.
The shelves are bare right now, all Obama has to do is to shut down the ammo shipping. Smart people will not waste ammo at the range.
I would think 20 million Liberty pistols will be more effective than 20 million AR lowers. people think the Second revolution war will be like the first where both sides line off against each other.
No it will be fought in dark rooms, bars, back alleys.
And better yet the Liberty Pistol also has some form of a short suppressor as well, would not be hard at all with a subsonic .22. I can make one from a block of nylon, essentially a zip gun.
No it will be fought in dark rooms, bars, back alleys.
got to go where the rats, snakes and cockroaches are to get their attention
Make as many as you want for yourself, but the minute you transfer one to a friend, you become a firearms manufacturer subject to all their laws.
The Liberty One-Shot Pen might also make a great project.
Although I think this is cool as heck, the AR/M16 is a relatively weak receiver design to begin with. The area where they are experiencing failures sometimes fails on aluminum receivers, too. They need to think outside the box and produce a new, stronger receiver design that will accept an AR upper, mag and fire control group.
Often such a solution will just move the point of failure to a different location after a slightly longer time span.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.