Guns. 3D printing.

[Nova.]

"This is a story about the rapid evolution of a technology that has forced the American legal system to play catch up. Cody Wilson, a 24 year old University of Texas Law student, is an advocate for the open source production of firearms using 3D printing technology. This makes him a highly controversial figure on both sides of the gun control issue."

[Usarka]

Chris Rock was right. We need some bullet control.

[pete376403]

plastic hanguns loaded with plastic case, ceramic tipped ammo aren't going to show up much in metal detectors. Can't see the airlines being too happy about that.

Anyone with the money can buy a 3D printer, how long before patterns are downloadable from the internet and create an untraceable, disposable gun?

A bit like a Clint Eastwood movie a while ago, "In the line of fire" had a bad guy using a plastic gun to attempt to assasinate the president.

[Nova.]

plastic hanguns loaded with plastic case, ceramic tipped ammo aren't going to show up much in metal detectors. Can't see the airlines being too happy about that.

Anyone with the money can buy a 3D printer, how long before patterns are downloadable from the internet and create an untraceable, disposable gun?

A bit like a Clint Eastwood movie a while ago, "In the line of fire" had a bad guy using a plastic gun to attempt to assasinate the president.

everything this guys makes, he uploads open-source, meaning anyone can download it.

[\m/]

Have to admit, it's quite impressive from a design/engineering point of view. Wonder what he could do with a CNC machine?

[Tigadee]

You can 3D print using metal powders which will form metal objects such as the lower receiver as an example. So being able to 3D print your own firearm is not impossible nor is it far away.

The scary thing about all this is that any psycho can do it. No license process needed to own a firearm[s]. Soon every friendly neighbourhood crazy will have guns... Copyright is the least of the problems when something like this becomes reality!

[Akzle]

plastic hanguns loaded with plastic case, ceramic tipped ammo aren't going to show up much in metal detectors. Can't see the airlines being too happy about that.

Anyone with the money can buy a 3D printer, how long before patterns are downloadable from the internet and create an untraceable, disposable gun?

patterns are already readily available, infact i think you can even buy pressed-metal kits to build yourself an ak47.
airports no longer use "metal detectors" (excepting the ones you walk through? i haven't been in a while...) they use scanning technology. x ray like, that will show up anything hard, and object recognition for things that look like barrels, bullets etc, and facial recognition, to check out your facebook, err, CIB profile.

You can 3D print using metal powders which will form metal objects such as the lower receiver as an example. So being able to 3D print your own firearm is not impossible nor is it far away.

The scary thing about all this is that any psycho can do it. No license process needed to own a firearm[s]. Soon every friendly neighbourhood crazy will have guns... Copyright is the least of the problems when something like this becomes reality!

it's really not difficult to get guns now, y'know..

and why would you want a metal lower? polymer that shit.

[davereid]

You can 3D print using metal powders which will form metal objects such as the lower receiver as an example. So being able to 3D print your own firearm is not impossible nor is it far away.

The scary thing about all this is that any psycho can do it. No license process needed to own a firearm[s]. Soon every friendly neighbourhood crazy will have guns... Copyright is the least of the problems when something like this becomes reality!

Phillip Luty published designs many years ago for a range of pistols and submachine guns that could be made at home with handtools from BSP pipes. http://thehomegunsmith.com/

The sten gun was commonly made in the occupied countries, in small home workshops, with different people making different components.

I remember a story about the technicians from Radio Corporation, who were waiting on parts to make the ZC1 radios in WW2.

We couldn't get many parts so they were hand made in little factories around Wellington and Kapiti - hand made resistors and capacitors sealed with wax. While they were waiting, they made sten guns, using worn out 303 rirle barrels which they re-manufactured.

I think they made quite a few thousand, and as they were built by copying a MKI and a MKII sten, they were unique, as they got the best features of both.

[carburator]

Have to admit, it's quite impressive from a design/engineering point of view. Wonder what he could do with a CNC machine?

with a cnc mill. probably nothing it does not take skill to press print, however to machine alloy and tooling setups do take skill.
metal 3d printing has been in military use for years ( guess where the civilian stuff came from )

as for arms manufacturing in nz.. there are rules in place, certainly if your manufacturing for resale..

and this is not the us where you can buy a upper kit online without a liscence.. nor ammuniton
uppers and lowers for the ar15 platform are controlled and serialed in nz..

the sten and the mac10 ( uzi ) are common low parts blowback style of weapons how take mr home made..
he does'nt show a completed WORKING gun, why? because its not as easy as it looks nor if you screw it up
you going to have open chamber ativations... you won't lose a hand straight away but certainly a eye..

[davereid]

the sten and the mac10 ( uzi ) are common low parts blowback style of weapons how take mr home made..
he does'nt show a completed WORKING gun, why? because its not as easy as it looks nor if you screw it up
you going to have open chamber ativations... you won't lose a hand straight away but certainly a eye..

Its much easier for criminals to get stolen or smuggled firearms than it is to manufacture. And legit folk can legally buy firearms.

So there is no reason that anyone would bother making firearms.

But the Sten gun is well within the manufacturing reach of the small workshop. It was designed for simplicity and ease of low tech manufacture.

If Grandad could build them with a lathe and a hammer at NZ Radio Corp. in 1943, any modern engineering shop would have no trouble.

[pete376403]

all the rules in the world don't matter to people who ignore them. Likewise long term (or even medium term) reliability doesnt matter if you only need two or three shots to achieve your objective.

[pete376403]

airports no longer use "metal detectors" (excepting the ones you walk through? i haven't been in a while...) they use scanning technology. x ray like, that will show up anything hard, and object recognition for things that look like barrels, bullets etc, and facial recognition, to check out your facebook, err, CIB profile.

You still walk through metal detectors, so a plastic gun isn't going to be detected. Perfect for a plane hijacker.

[Big Dave]

You still walk through metal detectors, so a plastic gun isn't going to be detected. Perfect for a plane hijacker.

Body scanners are becoming more prevalent. 1 in 3 gates over here and the number is rising.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I've been following that debate for a little while. Its very interesting but what is being done is not super difficult. The American firearms law states that the legal definition of a firearm is the lower receiver. This means that anything else that isn't a lower receiver is not a firearm, and thus not subject to restriction or regulation. And in Murica it has always been legal to make a gun for your own use.

So the only really novel thing here is that any numpty with a 3D printer and an internet connection can print a lower receiver. That same dude five years ago could have CNC'ed the same thing (and been more reliable). Ten years ago he would have used a bridgeport and and engineering workshop and made it by hand. Not much has really changed.

There was an issue with the first one they 3D printed, in that it cracked after six rounds. They've re-engineered it and the latest iteration handled (from memory) more than a hundred.

[Akzle]

the sten and the mac10 ( uzi ) are common low parts blowback style of weapons how take mr home made..

mac10 ≠ uzi.

mac10 = ingram engineering product in .45
uzi = jew made, sorry, israeli made, american funded machine pistol in 9mm.

both do, howe'er fire from an open bolt. so too do many .22 rifles that are available in NZ. i'll leave you to extrapolate that.

check out the sa BXP mac10 copy. they're neat.

i've lost my pic...