Posted on 12/28/2012 10:51:03 AM PST by marktwain
The Wiki Weapon project is an initiative undertaken by Defense Distributed, a non-profit headed by University of Texas law student Cody Wilson aimed at generating a freely-distributed, open source design for a 3-D printed firearm--an idea that has come under serious fire from proponents of increased gun control in the U.S., particularly in light of last week’s tragic shooting of 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The idea behind the project--embraced by some, absolutely detested by others--is that technology will soon make regulating firearms virtually impossible. That is a very polarizing idea. But to say the very least Wiki Weapons is also a technologically intriguing project, one that forces us to examine some very relevant--some might say ominous--questions about new technological capabilities and where they are taking us, as well as what happens when technology gets way out in front of the law. We spoke with Wilson briefly this week hoping to address some of these questions. Below is an edited transcript of that conversation.
Popular Science: It would be pointless for us to ignore the context in which we’re speaking today, given the tragedy that unfolded in Connecticut last week. Defense Distributed has committed to creating a shareable, freely-distributed design for a working 3-D printed firearm--a way for anyone with a 3-D printer to quickly produce a working gun. Does an incident like this one in any way alter your conviction that this is the right thing to do?
Cody Wilson: No, not at all. If it did change what we thought you’d be right to recognize that we’re not serious. I don’t want to be confrontational about it, but I will say it this way: understanding that rights and civil liberties are something that we protect is also understanding that they have consequences
(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...
3-D printer ping
Cody: The fastest object printer in the West!
This is a technology still in its infancy.
The entire world will be changed by this tech. Today it is crude 3-D printing. Soon it will be an order of magnitude more advanced and will become a desktop assembler.
Small assemblers in the home will create tools, food, utensils, electronic devices, clothing, shoes..etc
Large assemblers will create cars, planes, bicycles..etc
Enormous mobile assemblers will create houses.
Biological assemblers will create hearts, kidneys, hands, feet, fingers, skin...etc
It’s coming... it will change the world.
Its advance is exponential..NOT linear.
from what i’ve seen, the materials don’t look like they’d be able to handle the pressures created by firing a cartridge. might be a one shot zip-gun at best.
There is a company in Sweden doing 3D printing with titanium. I’d consider investing in the firm, but no nothing about the downside of investing in foreign stocks.
That level of technology already exists but is not available at the price of the "hobby" printers due to the costs associated with the higher power lasers. Professional grade printers also have the ability to print larger parts because they have a larger scanable volume.
Regards,
GtG
PS The government answer to the printable gun will be to remove ammunition from the civilian market. Casting lead bullets is no problem. Making cartridge cases without a deep draw press, not so easy. Making smokeless powder and primers (or even percussion caps), big problem. Go back to flintlocks, I don't think so...BLOAT
“3-D printing” is just a fancy way of making plastic objects using computer-controlled methods.
For making parts of guns, it might be possible to make the plastic parts this way. However, parts such as the chamber and barrel better be out of metal — and those parts can be made in a small, traditional machine shop. A lathe and a milling machine would do all that is necessary except perhaps the rifling, but the latter was accomplished long ago with simple hand tools.
A cross-bow is rather easy to make with ordinary hand tools.
In summary, all the talk of 3-D printing does not really add much to the story of guns. That might change if someone made a 3-D printer for metal objects, but then you are near to a computer-operated milling machine.
“3-D printing” is just a fancy way of making plastic objects using computer-controlled methods.
For making parts of guns, it might be possible to make the plastic parts this way. However, parts such as the chamber and barrel better be out of metal — and those parts can be made in a small, traditional machine shop. A lathe and a milling machine would do all that is necessary except perhaps the rifling, but the latter was accomplished long ago with simple hand tools.
A cross-bow is rather easy to make with ordinary hand tools.
In summary, all the talk of 3-D printing does not really add much to the story of guns. That might change if someone made a 3-D printer for metal objects, but then you are near to a computer-operated milling machine.
I’m working on it...
The only thing that stops more Americans from building guns is the law -- those capable are mostly law-abiding and those who are criminal mostly aren't capable, or interested as things are now.
It should be added that, if the libs insist on turning gun enthusiasts into criminals, a lot more guns will surely be made illegally, including full-automatics.
please add me rto the ping list
Done.
thanx!
And so goes more of our manufacturing base.
Looks like they’ve invented the ‘Replicator’ from Star Trek. I wonder if in a few evolutions if we don’t start losing the use of our hands, with the exception of typing, although the youth pretty much only uses thumbs anyway for texting and gaming.. :-(
Will there be a way to create new butts for old guys so their pants don’t fall down all the time? ;-)
Yes, the genie is out of the bottle. The ability of small groups and individuals to wield greater force than ever before will change the world. It will probably mean the death of the large nation state, as we see small bands of people defeating, or at least undermining, the former world powers such as the Soviet Union and the US. We could see old forms of government return, such as the nation state.
We may be in for chaotic times. This was predicted to a certain extent in the book, The Sovereign Individual by Davidson and Rees-Mogg.
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