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3D Printed Guns, What's Your View?

3K views 33 replies 18 participants last post by  DPVY 
#1 ·
I see that a lot of progress is being made on using 3D printing to replicate magazines, lowers, uppers, and many other gun parts. Naturally, fear is spreading in the anti-gun communities; e.g. this Wired article: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/3d-printed-guns-blueprints

What is your take on 3D printed guns? Are they the key to preserving the right to bear arms both here in the USA and overseas, or are they a potential menace? Do you think that 3D printed firearms will ever reach a level of maturity that they are a practical alternative to present day gun manufacturing methods?
 
#8 ·
Am I missing something about 3D printed guns ? Everything I’ve read about them points to them being unreliable and probably more dangerous to the shooter than anyone else.
 
#10 ·
I don’t disagree but I’m just curious as to why it’s raised so much concern with the anti-gunners when it’s not really a viable option. I would think they would raise more hell about 80% guns but I hardly ever hear anything about them.
 
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#11 ·
Right now I think a gun 3D printed in particular is pretty much a demonstration of possibility. But they certainly are not reliable or long term alternatives.
When you can print in steel and make a gun that will run for 1000s of rounds than maybe we will be there. When you can download a program and push a button and make ALL the parts needed like springs and other things than we will be there.
I don’t think it’s too far off in the future.
 
#22 ·
Right now I think a gun 3D printed in particular is pretty much a demonstration of possibility. But they certainly are not reliable or long term alternatives.
When you can print in steel and make a gun that will run for 1000s of rounds than maybe we will be there. When you can download a program and push a button and make ALL the parts needed like springs and other things than we will be there.
I don’t think it’s too far off in the future.
You can 3D print using metals, but not using the low cost, consumer/enthusiast type 3D printers that are currently on the market. Here are a couple of examples:

https://gpiprototype.com/metal-3d-printing

https://3dprint.com/119590/3d-printing-perfect-spring/

Like personal computers, I think this tech is only going to get cheaper and more powerful.
 
#12 ·
Well I’m pretty sure that at some point technology will be be able to produce nuclear weapons made of plastic too but it’s not a great idea. There’s really no way to stop it but I really don’t think that with all the other options available that it’s prudent. You can buy the materials to produce these weapons for next to nothing. I think if I was making millions selling dope, I could equip my folks with plastic guns. Not traceable but still deadly.


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#15 ·
And a reliable gun too ! Single shot only but still reliable.
 
#16 ·
Keep in mind that the only thing that needs to be 3D printed is the lower and perhaps magazine body -- which can now be done using a $200 consumer grade 3D printer. Everything else needed to build a Glock clone can be ordered online without an FFL transfer or background check.

As @Kip says, it's where this is is going to lead that has some people in fear. There was a day, not long ago, when the idea of a polymer framed pistol seemed silly. Now it's the norm. I don't think it's crazy to think that 3D printing tech is going to eventually be as good as polymer frames we currently have.
 
#21 ·
All the above . Ripe for abuse . It's already giving anti-gunners something to scream about , just like " ghost guns " . I see them being able to produce lowers for composite guns , but from what I've seen they're too slow to be viable for mass production . Since they're not able to produce metal barrels , wouldn't the gun produced by a 3 D printer be a one shot .
 
#28 ·
It’s called the Bill of Rights not the Bill of Feelings or Bill of Fears. A great many people through the ages, risked their life to defend it...should we not be expected to do the same? The founding fathers were pretty clear in 2A.

Oh and one more thing. Anyone tells you 2A was for hunting only ...read the federalist papers. Pretty clear what the guns are for.
 
#32 · (Edited)
My personal opinion - we have a mental health problem that is bound up with the gun issue hand in hand. As long as we have unbalanced people running around who are willing to die while shooting up a school or garlic festival, gun ownership is going to be under pressure. The problem is that there is no apparent solution to the mental health problem. We do not know how these people are generated or where they come from. Most of them are not even so nutty that 100 years ago they would have been institutionalized - they just get p.o.-ed at work and decide to shoot the place up. So the implication for us is that we are going to have to accept reasonable limitations on guns, and try to hold the line there, until someone figures this mental health thing out. The courts are going to make us because constitutional rights are subject to a reasonableness test - not even rights to free speech are unfettered.
 
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