This printing a gun crap is just ridiculous. Printing the plastic parts is not printing the gun. You could whittle the plastic bits from wood - who cares. Try printing the 4140 steel parts, you useless geeks. Have we reached a univeral retardedness or what?
I agree that the plastic printing stuff is limited in practicality (though it is perfect for testing new parts for fit before using the same data files to run the CNC machine tools). I do like the fact that these 3-D image files are flying around the internet. It helps the goal of the left - full disarmament of the people - slip further from their grasp.
I designed some involute spur gears a few years ago on a 3D CAD system and had some SLS rapid prototypes made. We used SLA (stereolithography) back in the 90s, but it was kind of brittle.
The SLS gears ran fine, but they were not near strong enough to transmit any real torque.
Until these 3D printers use engineered firearm polymers, the idea of making firearms this way is absurd. Then, there is the steel component issue you brought up. That makes the idea of 3D printing a gun with current technology practically useless.
There are machines that can print stainless, Inconel and Ti alloys with excellent material properties. Granted, these machines are waaay out of the individual’s price range, but still, the technology is there.