Gunsmithing Considering getting a 3D printer...

[BenY 2013]

Is there anything "gunsmithing" related that you guys could see this being useful for? Any gun related parts that I could make with it? I have already thought of doing a 1911 frame for a .22 build and various types of magazines. What else could I do with it?

Ben

 

[Killswitch Engage]

You can download files and be prepared to make the 21st century liberators....

 

[poison123]

Make sure you get one big enough to be capable of making what you want.

 

[Night Eagle]

you would be better off getting a 3d cnc machine and learning how to use it. the material that the 3d printers use to produce the 3d items, is not very stable.

 

[Deadshot2]

you would be better off getting a 3d cnc machine and learning how to use it. the material that the 3d printers use to produce the 3d items, is not very stable.

I agree. About the only thing I see that they might be good for is perhaps making grips. For the most part they're used for prototyping and making casting patterns.

 

[MarkCO]

you would be better off getting a 3d cnc machine and learning how to use it. the material that the 3d printers use to produce the 3d items, is not very stable.

The powder metallurgy ones, laser activated, etc. do make durable parts, but they cost more than a house and one part will cost more than a decent mill. I have made several 3D parts over the years, including slides, magazine parts, etc. Good for fittiment, some prototypes and such, but not for actual use. I have designed a few molded parts for guys that made 3D printed gun related accessories only to find they were junk.

 

[BenY 2013]

Thanks for the input guys, I wasn't going to spend a great deal on these, and was mainly planning on using it for prototyping anyhow.

Ben

 

[Surgikill]

Get a small cnc or make one and you can cnc delrin receives and such.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[Wintermute]

My opinion is pretty much echoed above with one exception. If you get a printer that has a high resolution, you can prototype components if you are thinking of coming up with your own product or something completely custom. This prototype work can be done with a high resolution 3d printer for much less than it would cost to do with a cnc mill and lathe (especially when you start getting into tooling for specialized operations).

Outside of that type of prototype work however, a cnc mill with the capability to at least expand to 4 axis is far more functional for making useable parts as opposed to just proof of concept prototypes to patent and send somewhere else to produce.

--Wintermute