[Joe Brower]

Yes, that's the actual title.

[Joe Brower]

The future takes many forms, some unexpected; I think this technology is one such. Resistance, as we see demonstrated here, takes many forms as well.

Right now these are curiousities; in time, they will be quite viable.

We live in interesting times.

[RoosterRedux]

This is a nice developing story, but in the meantime I think I'll stick with my baby Glock-n-30...

[Hardraade]

Pistols are fine, but there’s lots of other interesting stuff.

Let’s have a headreast-bomb spiked in the end and shaped to slide easily into a car headrest, with a radio detonator.

Cheap, tiny and elegant.

[varyouga]

Printable, disposable semi-auto pistols that can reliably shoot 10 times are coming within a year. It will cost a few bucks to make once one has the printer.

Come and take it...

[Billthedrill]

I want a 3D printed hand grenade. Well, a crate of them.

[RandallFlagg]

Sweet! I can now print up Deckard's gun!

[OldNewYork]

Pretty amazing.

[familyop]

More bait to entice politicians to outlaw firearms built by owners. Great firearms can be made by those competent in machining, etc. It’s legal to do so (for those who can legally possess a firearm) in at least most states (check your state statutes), but obviously, some are trying to convince their members of congress outlaw the activity.

Read the current laws and BATFE policy on the matter. I, for one, wouldn’t spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a “3D printer” for the purpose of making part of a firearm. There are much tougher and more useful machines for custom work by the hands of anyone who is technically skilled enough to do the work. Aside from that, for most people, buying is much more wise and lower in cost than making it yourself.

And aside from the topic at hand, casting, forging, machining, fabrication and other metals technologies are very interesting learning experiences and valuable for making many different kinds of useful things (from grain grinders to engine blocks, from shafts to gears).