Free guns for everyone! Texas startup plans to distribute blueprints for 3-D printable firearms

Russia Today ^ | 26 November, 2012 | NA

[marktwain]

Defense Distributed spokesman Cody Wilson tells the UK’s Guardian that his company has the “logistics, time, resources and money” to start freely distributing blueprints that will let any hobbyist with a 3-D home printer make their own gun, and now it’s just up to Uncle Sam to sign off on a federal firearms license. Wilson doesn’t think there will be any problem, though, and says his company plans to be approved and begin building prototypes in the coming weeks.

“We're just waiting on a little piece of paper,” Wilson says, which could be all the federal government needs to give them in order for Defense Distributed to start sending out schematics.

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Earlier this year, another hobbyist from the US designed a 3-D printer-made gun that could fire multiple rounds, but that model relied on a few extra parts from firearm shops in order to work. One gun in the works from Defense Distributed will be entirely made using an at-home printer and another will use electronics to fire bullets, but otherwise those two products will be able to be pieced together with nothing more than a fully-loaded printer.

[longtermmemmory]

is there a law against building your own automobile? no, registration is a operating on the road issue.

there is no law against building your own computer.

making your own sword.

making your own wine not for resale.

this should be no different.

[norwaypinesavage]

"It must be pretty expensive to make a reliable weapon."

What??? You wouldn't trust a gun made from sand and glue?

[jim_trent]

I thought CavArms was put out of business by the BATF a while back for dabbling in 80% polymer receivers. I remember looking at one at a gun show and it would have taken about a half hour with a drill press to complete (essentially just enlarging existing undersized holes). After all, it does not take hardly any time to injection mould a plastic part.

[Charles Martel]

I know that CavArms was forced by BATFE to change the receiver design slightly - something about the way the serial number was affixed. I'm not sure what eventually forced them out of that particular business, but they sold the receiver design to GWACS Armory.

I don't recall them dabbling in 80% recievers, as their design is molded in halves that are friction-welded together. With the quality of adhesives out there these days, that might be a better plan than "printing" these things. Mold them in halves, then slap 'em together with JB Weld. It need not look pretty to work well.

[jim_trent]

I remember looking at a table full of the 80% receivers (with attached stock and handgrip) several years ago. It was tempting, but I could not get past the polymer. That’s just me.

I don’t know all the details about their dealings with the BATF, but I thought they agreed to get out of the business to keep from getting further railroaded. Just affixing the serial number plate seems to be a very small problem that would not keep someone from continuing to produce the product.

I read what I could about their troubles with the BATF, but I think that both sides were deliberately keeping the details quiet. No doubt the BATF did that to deliberately put the scare in other 80% receiver suppliers. They closed down a bunch of them about that time (including those selling aluminum ones that needed a lot more work). In most cases, no one went to jail, but they had to spend a lot of money to keep from ending up there and quickly got out of the business. I think that was the real intent of the BATF — putting them out of business, whether guilty of something or not.

[Still Thinking]

Defense Distributed spokesman Cody Wilson tells the UK’s Guardian that his company has the “logistics, time, resources and money” to start freely distributing blueprints that will let any hobbyist with a 3-D home printer make their own gun, and now it’s just up to Uncle Sam to sign off on a federal firearms license.

Uh, I'm lost. Exactly who is it that the author thinks needs a FFL? You don't need one to disseminate gun blueprints and you don't need one to manufacture guns for your own use (which would seem to be the intent here). So who exactly is it that needs the FFL?

[Eye of Unk]

Won’t be too far off we will see real replicators such as from Star Trek. Imagine inserting a custom 1911 pistol in one and punching up a couple dozen before breakfast?

And I bet the TSA has had a LOT of interesting back room discussions about this. Pistols that won’t detect like a pistol. Kinda like a Glock 7?

[Still Thinking]

Read that drugs could also printed...scary thought if possible

It's not alchemy. The things don't print gold bars using sand as feedstock. Yes, if you had Vicodin powder you could probably print a Vicodin pill, but if you had Vicodin power, why would you need a Vicodin pill?

[cycjec]

Missed this when it first was posted. Low-tech may indeed
be more feasible for many. In any case, those much more
knowledgable than I have said: guns are easy. ammunition
is hard.

[SledgeCS]

Only the AR-15 lower has a serial number on it and that is what needs to be registered. You can currently buy non-serialized AR-15 lowers, which are perfectly legal. They are referred to as “unfinished ar 15 lowers”, a google search on phrase will return a lot of hits. They can legally be sold without a serial number because you need to finish the lower yourself. You can do so with a drill press and the jig the companies also sell.