3D Printing of Guns at Home Making Gun Grabbers Nervous

http://thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/14393-3d-printing-of-guns-at-home-making-gun-grabbers-nervous ^ | Feb 1, 2013 | Bob Adelmann

[EXCH54FE]

When the New York Times wrote of the improved technology of 3D printing this writer responded with a frivolous blog about it, scoring the concerns of anti-gun people about how the technology will allow everyone who wants one to have a gun without government oversight or knowledge. One of those in the anti-gun camp is Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, who said that 3D printing is “going to be a big concern. We don’t know how that’s going to come about and don’t know what technology.”

That technology is evolving before his very eyes. The RepRap Project aims to produce free and open source software for 3D printers, including software that allows the printer to produce its own parts. Two years ago RepRap allowed printers to create tiny plastic parts for small motors as well as circuit boards for computers. Today it allows hobbyists to build household items like fully-functional clocks, flashlights, iPad cases, watchbands … and receivers for rifles.

And it is this virtual explosion in technology that is making other gun controllers increasingly nervous, including Mark Gibbs, a contributor at Forbes, who wrote,

I’m in favor of tighter gun control and a ban on weapons that are unnecessarily powerful but I’m afraid that technology will soon make any legislation that limits the availability of any kinds of guns ineffective.

With the decrease in prices for 3D printers, and the improvement in the software to drive them, the capability to print weapons at home is coming into the reach of the average citizen. Gibbs warned,

Using either free or low cost computer aided drafting software you can create digital 3D models of pretty much anything you can think of and, with hardly any fuss, your 3D printer will render them as physical objects.

[longtermmemmory]

if a 3d printer prints a pen, will the left freak out about the 1st amendment being used?

[sergeantdave]

“I can assure you that, should you replicate a gun in one of these new “printers” and attempted to load and fire it, you would require a trip to the hospital or morgue. “

You’re being too simplistic and not following the 3D printer technology. Lower receivers and magazines can be seen operating on YouTube. If you don’t want to believe it, get left behind in the dust.

There are millions of freelancers perfecting 3D technology.

[NVDave]

I’ve got more machines than that, formal schooling in gunsmithing and engineering, and I’m quite optimistic on 3D printing’s future in gun parts.

People used to pooh-pooh MIM parks. Most all major companies use MIM in the lockwork today.

People used to pooh-pooh composites. I was one who did. The Glock changed my mind. I’ve seen, handled and fired Cav Arms lowers (complete with buttstock) that are durable as a rock. The lower of an AR obviously can be made with composites. There’s at least three companies I know of making polymer lower receivers *today* - right now.

The rate of change in the additive machining technologies out there is astounding. It took us from about 1960 to the 1990’s to achieve easily deployable 5-axis CNC machining. That’s 30+ years.

We’ve gone from mere dreaming to actual usable parts coming out of additive machines (especially in medical devices, where the market can pay for the amortized cost of the “real” machines - none of which are being used in guns yet) in about 15 years, and the technology works and works well. As I keep up on machining stuff, I’m astounded at the rate of change in both CNC machining and additive machining. EIther way anyone wants to look at it, the ability to manufacture what’s required to make a firearm in quantity is coming down - rapidly.

[JRandomFreeper]

I've got more machines than I admitted to. ;)

However.. after about 1973? I quit trying to keep up with every technology change in every field. It's impossible. The rate of change outstripped my ability to absorb it.

And I was also very interested in human reproductive biology... It happens to young men.

But I did learn to never say never. I can't keep up with the technology in every case, but do skip over the high points as trends emerge.

My personal opinion (which is worth what you paid for it) is that 3-D manufacturing, whether additive, subractive, or some combination, is going to change the world before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

/johnny

[NVDave]

I completely agree with you.

The additive machining technology is a revolution coming down the road, straight at US manufacturing. It is a way for smart companies to lower costs substantially by reducing wasted material - which, thanks to that idiot Bernanke and his merry devaluation elves in the big banks, is becoming more expensive in worthless US dollars all the time.

The secondary effect of additive machining is that it will increase the number of used CNC machines on the market in about 10 years. Already, you can go buy some various makes of “real” CNC mills for relatively little money, if you’re willing to do some work on them yourself (eg, Fadal’s VMC’s) and you don’t need the latest and greatest technology.

The real nut of the issue is that no one “needs” a EDM machine (or even a broach) to make an AR lower out of a slab of aluminum. Just split the problem in half - section the receiver down the long axis, then put it together with cap screws, alignment pins and high-tech glue. Whammo, you have a AR lower without anything more than a 3-axis machine - and truth be told, you could probably crank them out on a retrofitted Bridgie with 2.5 axis control.