If those micro-welds are small enough then it is going to be indistinguishable from cast metals.... but what'd be more interesting is if these printers get to multi-material/near-nanotech levels: at that point we can start making firearms with multi-layered chambers (stronger), barrel-integrated silencers (like the De Lisle carbine), and perhaps glassy-carbon chamber/rifling coating (which should make cleaning uber-simple, the carbon residue from firing won't stick to such parts, IIUC).
I'm neither a metallurgist or materials engineer so, I can't disprove that statement. If you are correct, that's pretty cool but I'll wait to see someone run 50K rounds through a printed gun under a variety of conditions before I'd feel confident firing one.
but what'd be more interesting is if these printers get to multi-material/near-nanotech levels: at that point we can start making firearms with multi-layered chambers (stronger), barrel-integrated silencers (like the De Lisle carbine), and perhaps glassy-carbon
Many possibilities. Will be interesting to see which direction the technology goes.