Guardian
Coming soon: The world’s first printable gun?
“We’re ready,” said Cody Wilson, a spokesman for Defense Distributed, the company that hopes to manufacture the “Wiki Weapon”. “We’re sitting on the logistics, time, resources and money. We’re just waiting on a little piece of paper.”
That little piece of paper is a federal firearms license , the permit that is needed to legally make and manufacture firearms in the United States. Barring an unexpected issue, Wilson expects the license will be granted within the next two or three weeks. Initially, the group planned to create prototypes without a license, but after the media discovered the Wiki Weapon, the group has been under increased scrutiny and several problems have threatened to derail the project.
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Anything of this nature should be as discoverable as possible until you’re totally ready to rock and roll. Because if some mouthbreather from the media can find your DIY guns project, you can bet George Washington’s wig the Feddies can too.
MelonCollie on November 26, 2012 at 8:17 PM
^ as UNdiscoverable as possible…
MelonCollie on November 26, 2012 at 8:17 PM
Power to the people.
HitNRun on November 26, 2012 at 8:19 PM
Not possible to date. The hardened metal parts needed for firing pins and other internal workings just can’t be made by plastic printers. Also, neither can the ammo. Further, I doubt any such plastic firearm could fire more than a few rounds before the heat from the explosion of the ammo would warp the thing to uselessness.
Warner Todd Huston on November 26, 2012 at 8:24 PM
Dude made a working AK out of a shovel
tom daschle concerned on November 26, 2012 at 8:26 PM
“Printing” is kind of a poor term in thic case, as almost any material, not just plastic’s can be used. Steel including stainless and high carbon necessary for things like the reciever et. al. can also be “printed.” It’s just a little more cumbersome/involved than printing with plastic components.
I for one think this is the coolest damn thing ever and can’t wait for the gun banner’s heads to frickin’ explode!
darkannulus on November 26, 2012 at 8:30 PM
Maybe all you need is one shot.
Sooner or later the machines and the plans for these things are going to available everywhere and people will be “printing” guns in their basement.
Bishop on November 26, 2012 at 8:34 PM
People have been playing around with carbon composite gun designs for a while now. Very expensive, fragile, and there’s still some metal involved, but theoretically there’s no reason why this couldn’t work…
I’d call the first prototype the Mk1. Mod. BLOOMBERG.
CorporatePiggy on November 26, 2012 at 8:37 PM
But printing the ammo? Otherwise a firearm is just a club….
ProfShadow on November 26, 2012 at 8:37 PM
Could you print the empty shells for a printed pump-action?
MelonCollie on November 26, 2012 at 8:39 PM
After reading the comments section in the Guardian article it is easy to see how the British so willingly allow their liberties to be eroded away year after year. No wonder Mark Steyn moved to the U.S.A.
RAN58 on November 26, 2012 at 8:44 PM
I went and looked, brother, you ain’t kiddin’. What a bunch of whiny milksops!
MelonCollie on November 26, 2012 at 8:47 PM
They have yet to make the connection between banning ‘dangerous weapons’ with their skyrocketing violent crime rate.
And by dangerous weapons I mean everything all the way down to a kubotan.
CorporatePiggy on November 26, 2012 at 8:48 PM
As if ink doesn’t already cost enough.
Ronnie on November 26, 2012 at 9:28 PM
Metal printing requires vacuum chambers and particle beams, doesn’t it?
Count to 10 on November 26, 2012 at 9:41 PM
A few things need to be pointed out:
1) The part in question is the lower receiver for an AR-15 rifle. This is the part that has the serial number and comes with all the various regulations about manufacture and sale. All the other parts of the AR-15–upper receiver, barrel, stock, hand guard, magazines, pistol grip, bolt, etc are not subject to any regulation, although the whole rifle is subject to limitations on barrel length.
2) The lower receiver doesn’t need to be made of steel or aluminum. In fact, a sizable percentage of such parts are, in fact, made of composite materials, including plastic. It’s not a heavily stressed part (the bolt and barrel bear the brunt of the stresses).
3) Even metal parts can be “printed”, although such a process is far more expensive and typically involves laser sintering. Sintering is where you start with a thin layer of powdered metal and use a laser to melt the parts where you want it solid. Then you spread another thin layer of powder, melt it where you want it, and repeat until you build up a full part.
4) 3D printers which print in ABS plastic are getting cheaper by the month. I saw one the other day that sells for under $500. Now ABS isn’t the best choice for such projects, but it’s close.
5) 3D printers aren’t the only way to fabricate parts. You can also build yourself a CNC machine for under $500 (or buy one for well under $1000), and carve yourself a lower receiver (or anything else) out of billet aluminum.
In short, as the internet democratized the spread of information, we are now witnessing the democratization of manufacturing.
Mohonri on November 26, 2012 at 10:02 PM
@Count to 10 – You’re thinking about metal deposition of the type used in semiconductor manufacturing.
I mentioned laser sintering in my last post. This article has a great explanation and video:
http://road.cc/content/feature/63359-exclusive-printing-titanium-bicycle-parts%E2%80%A6-heres-how-eads-and-charge-do-it
Mohonri on November 26, 2012 at 10:06 PM
Folks may be surprised to learn that it is perfectly legal to build a firearm, so long as:
1) You are legally entitled to possess a firearm.
2) The firearm is not restricted manufacture under the NFA.
You cannot, however, sell or transfer possession of the firearm.
There are available on the market “80%” machined receivers, that is, receivers that require final machining. No federal firearms forms or background checks are required to purchase these. I venture to guess 80% AR receivers are most popular. Then you can purchase a “parts kit” which includes every part except the receiver, and assemble a rifle. Or a handgun.
The receiver is the part which the BATFE considers to be the firearm, every other part is just a part. As Mohonri notes above, in many modern designs the receiver does not contain the pressure of the fired cartridge. The pressure is contained by the barrel and the bolt.
Here is a link to a story about a machine shop that assists in the making of a receiver:
People line up to make their own firearm
novaculus on November 26, 2012 at 10:52 PM