I have difficulty understanding how such printers figure in, as they mold objects that are made out of material that isn’t structurally robust. One might make a gun stock that way, but not the firing chamber, at least not one that is going to last very long. A complete gun would be out of the question.
As I pointed out to a fellow over at Hannity when he asked why would anyone want a 3D printed plastic gun if 3D printing isn’t good for mass production: it’s the same sort of people who will want a printed planetary gear or a printed model of an engine with moving parts (note: model of an engine, not model engine, there’s an important distinction I’m trying to maintain).
Consumer grade 3D printing has all sorts of issues, such as a tendency for the z-axis to be much less precise than the x or y ... but they are wonderful for non-mass production uses such as prototyping or various types of getting artsy.
What boggles the mind is all these people losing it because “now” people will be able to make cheap plastic guns at home and they’re completely unaware that the cheap plastic guns suck.
Which brings up another point I made in that same thread: if the woke progressives start anything I really hope they use plastic 3D printed guns.
Please, please, please let them be using 3D printed plastic guns.
... of course what I didn’t go on to say is all of us sloped beetle browed knuckle dragging Red State neanderthals will continue to use our lathes and mills and -— along with exploiting the Left’s inability to know which restroom to use by the strategic placement of binary signed port-a-potties to distract them before we send in the Redneck Pickup Truck cavalry into an unprotected flank of their “troops” -— we’ll do just fine.
First the original idea was a single shot throw away gun based on the WWII Liberator. However you can also make an AR upper from plastic that will shoot hundreds of rounds. All the other parts are not regulated, so basically it’s an untraceable gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF9kmPQCH98
Finally, you don’t have to print in plastic. Here’s a video of a fully functional 3D metal handgun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EXsAeJ7RsU