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To: Still Thinking

No, but there ARE Carbon Fiber barrels for AR-15s out there.

While printers cannot AS YET extrude carbon fiber, I suspect they WILL be able to within a year or two.

Back ends, I suspect, will have to wait for home laser-sintering or E-beam sintering printers. . . but I expect those to be available in hobbyist designs within 5 years. . .


6 posted on 12/25/2012 7:42:15 PM PST by Salgak (Acme Lasers presents: The Energizer Border. I **DARE** you to cross it. . . .)
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To: Salgak

That was kind of what I was thinking (in re the sintering at least). 3D will work for the parts that have to be metal when 3D can (cheaply) do metal. So status quo ante from a detectability standpoint. The change is in far more widespread access to the tech, not any impact on detectability.


7 posted on 12/25/2012 7:49:35 PM PST by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: Salgak

Carbon fiber barrels are thin steel barrels wrapped with carbon fiber. You will never be able to print them.


8 posted on 12/25/2012 8:02:29 PM PST by Dogbert41 (What now?)
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To: Salgak

Carbon fiber wrapped barrels still have a steel bore.


9 posted on 12/25/2012 8:10:08 PM PST by dmcnash (y)
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To: Salgak

It would not take much in the way of engineering know-how to fabricate a barrel out of steel bar-stock available at any machine ship.

A metal lathe, a drill press, a clamp and a micrometer are all easy to operate.

Being able to use a 3D printer to get the more involved bits would save some time.

The real issue as I see it is propellant. Making smokeless powder might be harder than making the weapon


32 posted on 12/25/2012 9:49:01 PM PST by Fai Mao
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