3D Printing of Weapons - Can Anything be done?

[MercedesStolp]

In 2012, the U.S.-based group Defense Distributed disclosed plans to design a working plastic gun that could be downloaded and reproduced by anybody with a 3D printer. “Defense Distributed has also designed a 3D printable AR-15 type rifle lower receiver (capable of lasting more than 650 rounds) and a variety of magazines, including ones for AK-47. Soon after Defense Distributed succeeded in designing the first working blueprint to produce a plastic gun with a 3D printer in May 2013, the United States Department of State demanded that they remove the instructions from their website.

[Wolfie]

I know this is a very old post. But someone else necro'd it first

This is something that really really scares me about the future of 3D printing. People can pretty much print anything using 3D printers. That includes weapons. You name it.... Guns, Knives, Chinese Stars, etc... the list goes on. In my mind, I can't see anything at all that will prevent dangerous criminals from getting their hands on dangerous weapons. You could outlaw the posting of STL files for weapons, but that won't stop anyone. You can outlaw the printing of weapons, but again, people will have printers in their own homes, where it would be impossible to enforce such a law.

Are we just doomed as a society when it comes to this problem, or is there a way to protect ourselves in some way?

I am curious as to what you think needs to be done? And from what do you think you need to protect yourself?

Guns have been around since the 15th century, 600 years give or take. And for about 99.9% of that time, guns were freely made by individuals, private enterprises and gunsmiths for hire and were carried by individuals and criminals alike. It wasn't until recently that they were regulated at all in their number, type or ability to sell/ trade them. This is a recent problem caused by regulation of something. Generally, regulating something only hurts the legal owners and users of that item. Criminals are only delayed slightly in acquiring that item, whatever it may be. And by regulation, you decrease the legal used/ownership of that item and shift the ownership ratio in favor of the criminal element.

I would think that printable ammunition would come along around the same time as a printable pear, it is not an easy thing to do, a lot of chemistry.

I think the IDEA of printable guns is a curious one, one that has repercussions in a persons rights. I honestly believe in a law abiding persons right to own a gun, no matter whether it is printed, or manufactured. That will not stop the various governments from regulating it though. Maybe regulate 3d printers ?

Printable ammo is already a reality and has been looooong before the first 3D printer happened and its very easy to do. In fact I have been printing it for quite some time. Its called reloading and it doesn't use or need a 3D printer. I buy powder. I buy bullets/lead. I collect used brass or buy new. Some people cast recycled lead into molds to form their own bullets, I don't. From those components, I make my own ammo. With my progressive press (which cost 1/2 what my 3D printer did), I can (and do) turn out more than 400 rounds per hour of 9mm handgun ammo. I can easily go through that in a weekend with my 14yr granddaughter, we both shoot in IDPA pistol competitions. With my turret press, I produce only about 150 per hour of pistol ammo but I mainly use that press for my precision long range ammo used for my Barrett MRAD at a rate of only 50 per hour (but its precision rounds, not mass produced). With my ammo and that rifle I can put 10 rounds into a saucer from a quarter mile away. Just in case you don't know what I any of that means, here is my granddaughter shooting at the range from 4 football (US football, not soccer) fields away and being accurate enough to hit a 50cent piece..


There is nothing shady here. Nothing illegal here. I am a legal gun owner. And for the time being, I have no plans to use my 3D printer to produce a gun. Rails, grips, camera mounts, maybe. Print gun itself, no real interest at this time and it was not a factor in getting into 3D printing. Is it an advantage? Sure it is. The fact I CAN do something gives me power that someone else can't take away. You can't take away knowledge. You can only take away things. And with knowledge, things can be re-acquired when needed.

History has told us that any time something is regulated, it becomes a commodity and a criminal element tends to crop up around producing and distributing that item. This can be said for tea, spices, precious metals, alcohol, tobacco, drugs....and guns. Regulate 3d printers? Seriously? They can be built and assembled by anyone with reasonable skills from parts that are untraceable and purchasable by any kid with money to buy them. Regulate them and they simply go underground and continue to be made and used.

Every government on the planet could make it illegal to print a gun. It won't stop it from happening. As I said above, you can take away things, you can't take away knowledge.

In 2012, the U.S.-based group Defense Distributed disclosed plans to design a working plastic gun that could be downloaded and reproduced by anybody with a 3D printer. “Defense Distributed has also designed a 3D printable AR-15 type rifle lower receiver (capable of lasting more than 650 rounds) and a variety of magazines, including ones for AK-47. Soon after Defense Distributed succeeded in designing the first working blueprint to produce a plastic gun with a 3D printer in May 2013, the United States Department of State demanded that they remove the instructions from their website.

And within hours of that edict by the USDoS, the files were available everywhere on the planet via underground sources (torrents for example). Another example that proves my point above. You can't take away knowledge.

My feelings here are that if someone is legally able to own a gun, 3D printing it shouldn't matter. If someone can't legally own a gun, then don't blame the 3D printer for him getting one. He (she) will acquire one somehow, likely through any means. Its time people placed the blame and the fault on the criminal, not the thing they used or abused. Do we blame the car because someone runs down a kid in the street? Do we blame the alcohol distiller? Do we blame the liqueur store? No, we blame the drunk driver. Why then do we blame the 3D printer for making a criminal a gun? Why do we blame the gun at all? Blame the criminal who used it.


I will be clear here (as if it wasn't already clear), I am a legal gun owner and supporter to the US 2nd Amendment as well as a life member of the NRA. I support LEGAL and RESPONSIBLE use of firearms. Criminal use, absolutely not. They should and need to be held accountable for their actions. I have not and do not plan to use my printer to produce a weapon. Just because you can do something, doesn't man you should.