Working Gun Made With 3D Printer

[mechadylan]

It'd also be way easy to dispose of in a pinch.

 

[Walker D]

No. It's still soft plastic. "Conductive" here means it conducts electricity, and there's no use for that in conventional guns. In theory, you could make custom bullets with electric ignition (instead of percussion caps) and replace the firing mechanism with a battery and a switch.

Yup.. that's what I was thinking, electric ignition ..since there are already all-plastic batteries (Organic batteries) ...there's no need for that much current either, since it's only for the ignition..

And it's probably not as soft as you think.. ..it's made of carbon fiber

 

[Veho]

And it's probably not as soft as you think.. ..it's made of carbon fiber

The carbon fibers are what makes it conductive, but the material is still mostly plastic. In order for the fibers to reinforce the construction, they need to be weaved in such a way so that they reinforce the stress lines, and they have to be taut. In that plastic, however, they are all over the place, and the way spool-fed 3D printers work, they would be jumbled up even further. You wouldn't have the "carbon fiber" effect.

 

[Walker D]

yeah ..maybe you're right.. ..but, I'm not a expert, and this is all hypothetical..

if someone finds a way to reinforce/cure this fiber, then maybe it could work ..who knows ...at least, this is as far as I can come up of a not-metallic/3d printable gun

 

[Veho]

if someone finds a way to reinforce/cure this fiber, then maybe it could work ..who knows ...at least, this is as far as I can came up of a not-metallic/3d printable gun

There are carbon fiber guns out there, but you can't print them (yet). The manufacture process is different. And the barrel interior is still metal. Even "real" carbon fiber has problems with that kind of heat and stress. But if you're making a one-shot it might work.

 

[mechadylan]

ITT: /k/

But seriously, getting this thing past a metal detector shouldn't be a huge concern; ANY firearm without a firing pin and round is pretty useless. Most places with metal detectors have multiple security measures; ain't no way this thing is getting past a "pat-down." If the concern is that it can be trafficked past a metal detector, that would be stupid to attempt seeing as how the whole point is that it can be printed from digital blueprints.

 

[Densetsu]

Oh the implications are even greater than that. Assuming that it has proper rifling in the barrel, it can probably be shot with reasonable accuracy within a certain range. If the rifling can be created by a 3D printer, what would stop someone from creating a barrel that would recreate ballistic fingerprints of another?

True, you could probably even mass-produce thousands of guns, all with identical rifling.

 

[mechadylan]

True, you could probably even mass-produce thousands of guns, all with identical rifling.

Assuming that there is rifling and that the 3D printing methods leave fewer imperfections in the process, this might be EXACTLY what happens. Kinda scary.

 

[Maxternal]

Assuming that there is rifling and that the 3D printing methods leave fewer imperfections in the process, this might be EXACTLY what happens. Kinda scary.

Well, looking at the picture of it

It looks like it had interchangeable barrels. This may be because they only have a limited number of uses each with the heat from the gun deforming it. Instead of identical rifling it might actually end up with a different rifling on each shot or, worse, no marks at all on the bullet.

 

[Rydian]

If the rifling can be created by a 3D printer, what would stop someone from creating a barrel that would recreate ballistic fingerprints of another?

Not having enough resolution in the printing process. The printing is also a physical process, so it's going to have the same sort of imperfections and slight differences that other manufacturing processes create.

Anyway, this whole 3D printing is pretty awesome. Of course, you would need some kind of material to print stuff..?

Yeah, generally some form of plastic or synthetic pellets of varying grain. Back during the first homemade ones, people used sugar just to show the proof of concept.
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/200...tion-diy-on-the-cheap-and-made-of-pure-sugar/

 

[mechadylan]

It looks like it had interchangeable barrels. This may be because they only have a limited number of uses each with the heat from the gun deforming it. Instead of identical rifling it might actually end up with a different rifling on each shot or, worse, no marks at all on the bullet.

I think you mean striation, but yeah, I hear what you're saying. Given the fact that it's plastic, accuracy should drop exponentially as danger increases exponentially as well. You wouldn't catch me firing one of these a third time or fourth time (second, maybe.)

Not having enough resolution in the printing process. The printing is also a physical process, so it's going to have the same sort of imperfections and slight differences that other manufacturing processes create.

Well yeah, and cost of course. But let's say in a few years.... I've already seen a rich nut pay for a trip into outer space in my lifetime; I wouldn't be surprised if I see a similar display of wealth by a tycoon with a hard-on for JFK memorabilia paying for a rifle that can create the same exact striation patterns as that of Oswald's.

 

[2ndApex]

It's ridiculously easier to buy a gun in the US right now than it is to buy and operate a 3D printer. And there's no point of sneaking a gun through a metal detector if you can't sneak bullets.

It has a lot more cool factor than any good or bad use ATM.