HURRY UP!! Print your own handgun!

[Humble2drive]

Too late. The State Department already shut them down but not before 100,000 people downloaded the blue prints.

The problem according to State is that they are undetectable by xray because they are all plastic. Actually, they have a metal firing pin (a common nail) and the plan calls for a large metal part for the handle.

Lethal potential? Not so much. It has only been tested with .38 ammo and it only fires one shot. When they tried a more lethal 5.7 x 25 bullet it blew up.
In addition, it has a short barrel with a smooth bore which will have poor accuracy.
Not even sure if it has a sight. A bad guy would need to get close to the target and figure out how to get the ammo past the xray. If the one shot is wasted he would be a sitting duck. Might as well throw the gun at the target and run like hell.
A nylon fiber knife might be a better choice for a bad guy and they are already available. At least they would get a couple of stabs at it.
So,
What use is this gun?
Why is State in a tizzy?
Any opinions?

Blueprints for 3D-plastic gun downloaded 100,000 times in 2 days before the State Department orders the site to take down the weapon designs | Mail Online

 

[layoutshooter]

All it proves is that, as always, their laws will NEVER be able to stop people from doing, or having, what they want. It did not work for booze, it has not worked for drugs and it will never work for guns.

No need to even print them. There is ALREADY a thriving black market for guns where you can get ANYTHING that you want, even guns that are ALREADY illegal. The more guns they outlaw, the more restrictions they put on law abiding citizens the more that market will grow. The more it grows the greater the crime and corruption. Then they will they to pass even MORE laws to control that.

We continue to elect fools and continue to pay the price.

By the way, ever hear of a "Zip Gun"? Nothing new.

Improvised firearm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Dreamer]

Actually, one test got 6 shots before failure.


6 shots, close up.. with hard to detect gun.


yeh... dangerous.



Dale

 

[layoutshooter]

Why bother with his prints? Make a mold and use the 16# version of this 2 part foam. That stuff is VERY hard. It can be machined and even rifled. Make a bullet mold and you could "pour" bullets that a xray machine could not see. I have decoys made of this, they take direct hits from 12 gauge shotguns at 20 yard and show VERY little damage. You can beat them with a hammer and they do not dent. Touch stuff.

NO laws will solve the problems we have.

Urethane Foam , Expanding Marine Polyurethane Foam

 

[Humble2drive]

Actually, one test got 6 shots before failure.


6 shots, close up.. with hard to detect gun.


yeh... dangerous.



Dale

It holds one bullet. After firing the plastic must cool off and another bullet must be loaded. I wonder how patient the bystanders would be?
The obvious advantage is that you can sneak it through security. How do you sneak the 6 metal bullets in?
Of course a .38 bullet can be lethal if it strikes the right place. Even in self defense you would need to get close to the perp. But then, why would you be using a plastic gun for self defense?
Again, what is the use for this?

 

[layoutshooter]

You use plastic bullets in plastic cartridges. They already are on the market. ONLY the primer would show on an xray.

Composite firearms weigh less than metal, make less noise when carried than metal. They are easier, and less expensive to make. MANY firearms makers are now starting to make composites. They are easier to maintain. No rust.

I just bought the following, all composite, AR 15 lower receiver. MUCH less expensive, and lighter. Only the springs are metal.

New Frontier Armory LW-15 Complete AR15 Polymer Lower Reciever -Black

That particular "handgun" in the article was done more to prove a point than anything else. At least that is what I think.

 

[Humble2drive]

By the way, ever hear of a "Zip Gun"? Nothing new.

A zip gun has metal.
According to your article it can be disguised as many things (ex: cellphone) but it can be detected so that is why we put cell phones through the scanner. How does this relate?

 

[Humble2drive]

Urethane Foam , Expanding Marine Polyurethane Foam

Urethane foam breaks down at 275 degrees. Do you know how hot a bullet gets while it is being fired? That has been the problem with the "plastic" guns.

 

[layoutshooter]

A zip gun has metal.
According to your article it can be disguised as many things (ex: cellphone) but it can be detected so that is why we put cell phones through the scanner. How does this relate?

They can be, and have been, made entirely of wood.

The government is in a total "snit" about firearms. They are blowing EVERYTHING out of proportion that they can.

Most ammo, unless you buy or make you own plastic stuff will show. ALL primers will.

This "gun" in the article is no more, but much less, dangerous, than most others. The government don't like it because they cannot control it. That is all.

IF I were to make something like this I would base it on a .410 cartridge. No need to rifle it, use #4 buck shot, make it a two shot. VERY easy to do.

 

[Humble2drive]

You use plastic bullets in plastic cartridges. They already are on the market. ONLY the primer would show on an xray.

Composite firearms weigh less than metal, make less noise when carried than metal. They are easier, and less expensive to make. MANY firearms makers are now starting to make composites. They are easier to maintain. No rust.

I just bought the following, all composite, AR 15 lower receiver. MUCH less expensive, and lighter. Only the springs are metal.

Yes, my M&P15 is only 6.85 lbs without the magazine. I love the material for reasons you describe but it is funny that some relatives have asked if it is real because the composite looks like plastic. Irrelevant to the OP though.

That particular "handgun" in the article was done more to prove a point than anything else. At least that is what I think.

Yes, that is basically it because it is very impracticable. That said, 100,000 sales in 2 days shows a large demand.

 

[layoutshooter]

Urethane foam breaks down at 275 degrees. Do you know how hot a bullet gets while it is being fired? That has been the problem with the "plastic" guns.

Yes I do. You make the chamber and barrel out of carbon fiber. Just like some AR manufacturers are doing. They have solved that problem.

Carbon barrels and chambers have been around for a very long time.

You only have to keep the barrel below 330F which is where lead starts to melt.

One such company below

Christensen Arms | Carbon Fiber Firearms - Strong Enough to Rely On.Christensen Arms

 

[davekc]

The idiots and mentally ill have moved on. Apparently Wal-mart pressure cookers are all the rage now. Need to ban cooking devices.

 

[layoutshooter]

Yes, my M&P15 is only 6.85 lbs without the magazine. I love the material for reasons you describe but it is funny that some relatives have asked if it is real because the composite looks like plastic. Irrelevant to the OP though.


the M&P is a nice piece. I don't believe it is irrelevant. I believe that an entire AR can be built out of such material. There would then be much less to show on an xray, but something always will.

That is why I say this "noise" that the government is making is just to keep up the BS they have been spewing about guns and gun crime to further their agenda.

The 'gun' in question was either done to show them that they have no control, OR, the government "helped" put this out to help make their point. Either way, it's a dog and pony show only.

 

[letzrockexpress]

A 12" piece of 3/4" conduit, a c-clamp, a 20 gauge shotgun shell and a ball peen hammer work just fine. No need for an expensive printer. Besides, where would you get toner for such a thing...

 

[layoutshooter]

Lends an entire new meaning to the idea of a "toner cartridge". I wonder if they sell them a "Toners are Us"? Must be a real "high caliber" product! Bet you get a lot of "bang for you buck". I have to stop now, I am tired.

 

[BobWolf]

Nanny government media propaganda circus, plain and simple, so they can regulate more of our life.

Bob Wolf.

 

[Humble2drive]

Just a couple of updates:

The largest percentage of the blueprints were downloaded in Spain where gun control is very stringent. I guess a plastic one shot pop gun is better than nothing when your Government demands that you go unprotected.

A majority of the plans were believed to have been downloaded by techies and curiosity seekers who have little interest in actually making these guns.

In reality, now that 100,000 plans are out there, they can be passed around like a virus making the Government shut down mostly ineffective.

Many of the news stories mentioned that Staples will be selling 3d printers in the $1,200.00 range so printing this gun could be widespread and simple.
This is far from the truth because the Staples printers will not work with the type of plastics required to make this gun functional.
The actual gun that was tested successfully needed to be printed on a high end 3d printer that cost $8,000.00 used on E-Bay so very few people will have the ability or desire to actually make this gun.

 

[Turtle]

Just imagine the chaos that there would have been had guns had been around before metal detectors and X-ray machines were invented.

 

[cheri1122]

The idiots and mentally ill have moved on. Apparently Wal-mart pressure cookers are all the rage now. Need to ban cooking devices.

I will surrender my rice cooker when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

 

[layoutshooter]

Interesting related article.

3D Printing is Way Scarier Then Plastic Guns


Editor's Note: Today's feature is reproduced with permission from
3D Printing is Way Scarier Than Plastic Guns.

We might not agree with Shelly's characterization of printing guns as the "dark side of the technology" but we agree wholeheartedly with his description and assessment on the future of 3D printing.


Ever the publicity hound, Sen. Chuck Schumer, who obviously has no idea what additive manufacturing actually is, came out big and strong against "stomach-churning" 3D printed plastic guns last week.


"Everyone's seen the movie 'In The Line of Fire,' where one of the great bad guys, [played by] John Malkovich, labored at making a gun out of plastic and wood so it could get through metal detectors and he could assassinate the president..." Senator Schumer went on to say, "But that was only a movie, and just this week, it has become reality. We're facing a situation where anyone -- a felon, a terrorist -- can open a gun factory in their garage and the weapons they make will be undetectable. It's stomach-churning."


This naive, sensationalist rant so misunderstands the issue, I almost don't know where to start. He goes on to inform the public that because these guns are made of plastic, they are undetectable, so he must introduce legislation that will make it illegal to possess an undetectable or an untraceable weapon. This is like putting a "Band-Aid on a heart attack." Sen. Schumer simply doesn't understand what he is dealing with. In fact, most of us don't.


We (all of us) need to understand how different the actual world is from the world most of us think we're living in. Most people believe that tomorrow is going to be substantially identical to today. The sun will rise, you'll have breakfast, go to work, etc. But, those are the things we try to keep constant in our lives ... technological advances don't work that way.


Technology is evolving at an accelerating rate and we really have no chance of keeping up with it - not legally, not legislatively, not socially, not strategically, and not at all. The best we can do is position ourselves to quickly adapt to change - it is the only guaranteed part of our reality.

Back to 3D printing, aka additive manufacturing -- 3D printed plastic handguns are just one example of an unimaginably large number of weapons one could manufacture using a 3D printer. They are also an example (by manufacturing technique only) of the infinite number of constructive, uplifting, world-changing, life-affirming, life-saving items that one can manufacture using the exact same technology.



There are several variations of additive manufacturing technology. The 3D printer that has everyone's attention prints one layer of plastic at a time. The thickness of the each layer determines the printer's resolution. Thinner layers allow for more complicated and intricate output. Resolution of the printer is also a function of the materials being used to create the output. Some materials require thicker layers to print stable objects, other materials can be printed on nano-tech scales. The plastic guns in question are easy to print on inexpensive 3D printers because they are basically simple blocks of plastic with grooves and a few holes in them.


Now that you know what a 3D printer is, you must also understand that 3D printers are not limited to printing in plastic. There are 3D printers that print in wood (a mixture of wood particles and binding agent that dries as wood) ceramic, carbon fiber, bronze, iron, steel, cellulose, human tissue (certain body parts for human transplant are grown using 3D printed frameworks) ... there are limitations to the range of additive manufacturing materials, but the technology is evolving rapidly.


As for guns ... CAD/CAM files (the computer files that 3D printers transform into physical objects one layer at a time) for the .45 caliber M1911 or the 1911A-1 single-action, semi-automatic pistol have been online for years. In fact, you can find all kinds of CAD/CAM files for all kinds of gun parts, bomb parts, bazooka parts, rocket launcher parts and other deadly weapons online. These are computer files, like songs or movies or documents or images, they cannot be protected or digitally rights managed (DRM) any better than the entertainment industry has done with its intellectual property. A file is a file, if someone wants to copy it - it will be copied. You can't tell what the file contains unless you open it and, most importantly, there is no way to ban or prohibit the transfer of files. In this case, the genie is out of the bottle, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, the ship has sailed - the files are out there.


Plastic guns? Seriously. How about guns printed in steel, guns printed in carbon fiber, guns printed in, you name it - there's a 3D printer that can print in the medium. In a world of 3D printers, there is no such thing as gun control - people who are so inclined will print all the guns and ammo they need - untraceable, no serial numbers, no markings about point of origin, no trade marks, nothing!


That's the dark side of this technology. However, the benefits of 3D printing are overwhelmingly positive.

This is a picture of a 3D printed replacement part for a baby stroller. It was printed at a 3D printing bureau called Shapeways. You can think of Shapeways as a Kinkos for 3D printing. Shapeways prints in all kinds of materials, including stainless steel.


One of the employees of Shapeways needed a replacement part for his kid's stroller, so he emailed the manufacturer and they emailed him a CAD/CAM file for the part. He printed two of them in stainless steel - one for the stroller and one to display at the Maker Faire, where I took this picture.


This stainless steel part was annealed, deburred in a tub of ceramic balls and looks exactly like the spare part the manufacturer would have sent him. The difference is profound. The replacement part was printed on demand. The spare part would have to have been manufactured in advance, stored on a shelf, picked, packed and shipped. Rent would have been paid on the real estate the physical spare part occupied and it would have to be kept in stock during the entire useful life of the particular stroller design.


Go have a look at an average manufacturing facility and see how much real estate and other resources are used storing parts that may break sometime in the future. Now multiply this by everything ever made in a factory and you start to see the kind of economic impact 3D printing may have. How about 3D printers in sterile environments (like Hospitals) creating specialized instruments for surgery (robotic or other)? Let your imagination run wild - once you understand additive manufacturing, you will think of thousand of ways to use this technology - you will also realize how it is going to change supply chains and shipping and real estate and materials handling and on and on. 3D printing is changing the world.


Now Sen. Schumer, let's start over. This is not a technology to sensationalize. When high-speed laser printers became economical for people to have at home, they did not start printing counterfeit books - but the nature of printed material changed forever. That is exactly what is going to happen here. Some things will be 3D printed, others will not. Some things will be cheaper or better in 3D printed at home, others will be better 3D printed by companies like Shapeways, and still others will be printed in factories because it is more cost-effective to do so.


From now on, physical goods can easily be produced from the files that were created to design them - which give a whole to meaning to "Real 3D" and gives us a science fact version of Star Trek'sTranstater (sans Transporter and Warp Drive).


-- Shelly Palmer [email protected]