3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

[Nukes]

3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart
By Devin Coldewey
Reporter
NBC News
December 4, 2012
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/future...apart-1C7404226


Creating a printable gun is the project of Defense Distributed, which is
working on what it calls the WikiWeapon. But the effort isn't far enough
along to create a working firearm, so Defense Distributed used a design
created by another printed-gun creator who goes by the name HaveBlue.

HaveBlue claimed in July to have fired his printed gun hundreds of
times, which doesn't seem impossible given the quality of the printing.
The part printed by the group is called the lower receiver, which is
where a round is received from the magazine. Pictures show it to be very
well made, and it appears to fit exactly to the other parts in the gun
kit they used.

But the pressure of the recoil appears to have been too much for the
"buffer ring," which separates the stock from the upper receiver. After
firing just six shots, the gun split in two. It's a serious setback,
especially considering they were firing a lower-caliber cartridge than
the gun would normally shoot.

The legality of all this is unknown, not to say in dispute. It is legal
to create your own firearms, but not to distribute them — and in the
case of printed guns there's a bit of both going on. The ATF is looking
at the subject, but for now it's all something of a grey area.

The technical aspects of the part, the failure, and the team's plans to
improve it can be found at Defense Distributed's blog. You can watch the
video of the test below.
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/future...apart-1C7404226

 

[mexicanmatch]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Never thought it would last that many rounds. MM

 

[pdogsbeware]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Greeeaaat. Now we get hear all about how anybody can make a rifle with their home 3D printer, we're all doomed because of easily made guns in the hands of all those people now, blah blah blah. Just like Glocks were plastic guns, so airport metal detectors couldn't detect them...what an epidemic of terrorism that was!

 

[Anvil_X]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

huh, my buddy just bought something like that at a gun show in anchorage last week. hundred bucks for the lower, 700 for the whole shebang. I'll have to ask him if he's had any failures or whatnot..

 

[softcock]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

3-D Firearms Printing . Will be controlled the exact way It is with Commercial laser color printers do for Counterfeiting . The software will 'Rat You Out ' to BATF when it detects The Illegal manufacturing of Firearms .
.

 

[Maggot]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Print millions of them and sell them to the N Koreans, the Iranians, and the Cartels.

 

[JelloStorm]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: maggot</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Print millions of them and sell them to the N Koreans, the Iranians, and the Cartels. </div></div>

No, because those six rounds could kill a US Soldier or a Border Agent.

I vote this:

 

[shankster..]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Video of the testing to failure:


<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wuDCW_Rn5JI"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wuDCW_Rn5JI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>


http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/06/im-not-afraid-of-3d-printed-guns

 

[spartan67]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

I think we found the perfect project for the Counter Sniper Scope!

Fake parts, deserves fake optics!

 

[oldirtdog]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

I checked out their blog and the material they printed in was not optimal. There are better options out there in regards to material (ultem and ABS types) as well as processes (FDM printers where you can dictate material layer orientation). The can also inlay reinforcement during the build or design features that can be potted with epoxy to increase strength. If they do their homework, they should be able to get this to work.

 

[Maggot]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: spartan67</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think we found the perfect project for the Counter Sniper Scope!

Fake parts, deserves fake optics! </div></div>


Well thought out...I like this idea.

 

[Anvil_X]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: spartan67</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think we found the perfect project for the Counter Sniper Scope!

Fake parts, deserves fake optics! </div></div>

Dude! A thousand times yes.

In other news, chatted with my buddy about his plastic lower, Valley Arms up here in anchorage is selling polymer lowers for a little over 100 bucks. They're not this 3D bullcrap, I think they're injection molded or something. Still wouldn't want to bring one out wolf hunting in the cold, but its a cool idea.

 

[KYpatriot]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Keep at it. The easier and cheaper it is to produce functioning arms, the more trouble it will be to put government controls on them, and thus the greater chance our children have at future liberty.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Additive manufacturing, which is the basis of this, is progressing at geometric rates. That they made a gun that lasted six shots is a testament to how far this technology has come.

Give this five years and they will be printing guns that will last thousands of shots. Ten years and they will be doing guns out of metal that will be indistinguishable from production guns. Give it 20 years and you will be able to print your own minigun in the comfort of your own pod.

Three years ago, I saw this technology being used at the FBI Labs to make acrylic models and help with forensics (ie bones, skulls, etc.) Today, they have progressed from delicate plastic models to output that can fire a cartridge six times. And with a machine that Jay Leno can use in his garage to make (working) car parts. Today, about $600K buys you a machine that does metal additive manufacturing work. Two years and that will be $300K. For polymers... a fraction of that cost.

Give additive manufacturing technology a decade to mature and it will render any argument about gun control completely moot. You will be able to print anything from a Glock to a GAU-19a with a printer and the CTRL P command.

America... fu** yeah!!!

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[Anvil_X]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Sirhir, I like the way you think. Any reason to look to the future with gleeful anticipation is a damn good reason, and this is at or near the top of the list.

 

[Jayne]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

If moving parts and repeatability are hard, would it be feasible to make something like the COP derringer (4 shots out of 4 barrels)? Each barrel works once then you toss the gun. It would be presumably stupid cheap to make and with no traceability you just use it then toss it and print another after firing.

Not going political here, but at some point then gun control will have to become gunpowder control or primer control or some such as the rest will be printable.

 

[rocky_lange]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Well, gun powder control probably wont work either. I watched an American Airgunner (i think) show because they hunted and killed a deer with an airgun. If it can kill a deer, it can kill a human. Are you proposing an air ban as well?

Homemade plastic gun, carbon fiber airtank, homemade plastic bullets. Terrorists wet dream, police/security forces nightmare.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jQ-aWFYT_SU"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jQ-aWFYT_SU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>

Additive manufacturing demo. FYI, called this because 'old' manuacturing is subtractive. Subtract metal you don't want and you get a part. Additive manufacturing, you add material until you get the part you want.

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[50calibercruiser]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

I didn't realize how affordable these things were. The wheels are turning...

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6mil2vHtYeM"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6mil2vHtYeM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>

 

[Jayne]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: guntard007</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Are you proposing an air ban as well? </div></div>

Isn't that what CARB is for?

(that joke probably only works in CA).

I doubt anyone thinks a primer ban would work, I'm just saying it would be the next logical step once you can print a gun (for some definition of logic).


OK but enough of the nonsense, can you imagine how cool one of these things would be even if they were only semi-inexpensive... for example being able to order auto parts or whatever online and have them printed at your local shop ready for pickup by the time you got there??? Sorta like my wife printing photos at the drug store by uploading them to their web site. By the time we walk there, pics are ready. Beats the hell out of waiting for UPS/Fedex or driving around town trying to find that one mystery piece.

 

[KYpatriot]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

I have been fortunate to have access to and use some serious high technology, most of it taxpayer funded military hardware. Its not often I get too excited about the latest and greatest thing now, and I think the term "revolutionary" is way overused.

That being said, I am amazed, and "revolutionary" is probably appropriate here. This could change everything, and the homeowner could be eventually producing tools and machinery you would need a CNC machine for now.

Not only could it make gun control a thing of the past, it could make mass manufacturing and distribution a thing of the past. You'd no longer go buy a new tool, you download a file for it and crank it out of the printer.

Wondering if it is possible to use JB weld type resins to manufacture more metal like parts. If they can get these things to produce something even approaching the hardness/tensile strength of steel there is no doubt "revolutionary" would be the right term.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

KYpatriot: The answer is yes. They are already using this technology to make things like jet engine turbine compressor blades.

Basically, they print metal that has a slight lattice. Then they sinter the metal (heating the powder so it 'melts' together) and then injecting additional metal into the sintered part.

The machines to work metal are in the $600K+ range currently. Give that a few years and they'll be a fraction of that.

Additive manufacturing is the closest thing I have seen to science fiction in years... and like you, I've seen a lot of pretty wild taxpayer funded technology. This field is a game-changer.

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[Tactical_Tom]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

Your confusing Selective laser sintering (SLS) with Selective laser melting (SLM). The machines which can make turbine blades do not sinter the powder they melt it. All the good machines come from Europe and were funded by a EU and are either Electron beam melting (EBM)or Selective laser melting (SLM) machines. Surface finish is a lot like a cast part by I was reading a paper on selective laser remelting and it looks like it may be possible to improve the parts surface finish and uniformity to degree during the inspection process.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Re: 3-D printed gun fires 6 shots — then falls apart

TTom... Thanks for the clarification!

Cheers,

Sirhr