# 3D Printing > 3D Printing News, Interviews & Editorials Supplied by 3DPrint.com >  A 3D Printed Gun Silencer is Created

## Brian_Krassenstein

Texas firearms dealer West Fork Armory has 3D printed a suppressor, or silencer, basically a device to reduce the sound of a weapon being fired, from plastic material. They developers say printing the device took around 3 hours and 20 minutes and resulted in a "disposable" suppressor which won't require cleaning. Cleaning a silencer is difficult due to the design, and the many chambers  involved, and as the key components are plastic, they're also cheap to manufacture. West Fork Armory applied for a Special Occupational Tax Class license (SOT) before printing their suppressor in compliance with the laws restricting the manufacture of silencer or suppressor devices without one. You can read the whole story here: http://3dprint.com/52245/3d-printed-plastic-silencer/


Below is a photo of the 3D printed plastic silencer:

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## DBFIU

Year is 2020, assassinations are at an all time high.

I kid I kid...

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## curious aardvark

It is weird that the us has such stringent rules about moderators for guns. 
My dad has  a fully moderated shotgun - which would be illegal in a lot of us states, yet is extremely popular in the uk where it's 100% legal.

I mean in some states they practically give hand guns away in crackerjack packets. 

I guess a 3d printed moderator, is a bit more professional than a soda bottle - for the discerning professional killer.

  What possible use does an ordinary person have for a moderator for a hand gun ????

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## DBFIU

> It is weird that the us has such stringent rules about moderators for guns. 
> My dad has  a fully moderated shotgun - which would be illegal in a lot of us states, yet is extremely popular in the uk where it's 100% legal.
> 
> I mean in some states they practically give hand guns away in crackerjack packets. 
> 
> I guess a 3d printed moderator, is a bit more professional than a soda bottle - for the discerning professional killer.
> 
> I mean what possible use does an ordinary person have for a moderator for a hand gun ????


Hunting turkey? :P

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## Have Blue

> What possible use does an ordinary person have for a moderator for a hand gun ????


The same possible use that your dad has for his shotgun moderator, I'd suspect...  Saving his hearing, not bothering the neighbors, etc.  I'm quite amused by the fact that you tout your dad having one, yet immediately insinuate that their only practical use is for assassins...  I wonder what line of work the gentleman might be involved in?   :Smile: 


As to the subject of the article, SOTs have been using SLA printed silencers to test baffle designs for a very long time - this FDM printed version is nothing new, given that printed airgun silencers have been on Thingiverse for years.  However, the concept of a 'disposable' suppressor that doesn't require cleaning is pretty strange for the US - given that each suppressor requires payment of a $200 transfer/making tax, I don't expect anyone in the states to be buying/making 3D printed polymer suppressors.

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## DBFIU

> The same possible use that your dad has for his shotgun moderator, I'd suspect...  Saving his hearing, not bothering the neighbors, etc.  I'm quite amused by the fact that you tout your dad having one, yet immediately insinuate that their only practical use is for assassins...  I wonder what line of work the gentleman might be involved in?  
> 
> 
> As to the subject of the article, SOTs have been using SLA printed silencers to test baffle designs for a very long time - this FDM printed version is nothing new, given that printed airgun silencers have been on Thingiverse for years.  However, the concept of a 'disposable' suppressor that doesn't require cleaning is pretty strange for the US - given that each suppressor requires payment of a $200 transfer/making tax, I don't expect anyone in the states to be buying/making 3D printed polymer suppressors.


Seriously, you need a silencer on a gun as to not bother the neighbors? 

If you have to use your gun at 2 AM, chances are your neighbors are going to be bothered for a ton of other reasons besides just the gunshot. Cops, ambulances, crime scene people, dogs barking etc...

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## Have Blue

> Seriously, you need a silencer on a gun as to not bother the neighbors?


Yes, that's correct - if you hadn't noticed, guns are quite loud, and silencers cut down on the sound pressure level for both the shooter and the people around them.  That's why we have mufflers on cars, too.  I understand that in France silencer use is actually encouraged by the government to reduce noise pollution.

Regarding having to need to use a gun at 2AM, I assume you're speaking of a self-defense scenario, and in that case, I doubt there would be time to find/use a silencer.  I'm speaking of sport shooting applications here.

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