'Download This Gun' — 3-D Printed Gun Reliable Up To 600 Rounds 582
An anonymous reader writes "We've talked previously about Texan gunsmith Cody Wilson's efforts to create 3-D-printable parts for firearms. He has a printed magazine that can withstand normal operation for quite a while. But he's also been working on building parts of the gun itself. An early version of a 3-D printed 'lower receiver' — the part of the gun holding the operating parts — failed after firing just 6 rounds. Now, a new video posted by Wilson's organization shows their design has improved enough to withstand over 600 rounds. Plus, their test only ended because they used up their ammunition; they say the receiver could have easily withstood a thousand rounds or more. Speaking to Ars, Wilson gave some insight into his reasoning behind this creation with regard to gun laws. 'I believe in evading and disintermediating the state. It seemed to be something we could build an organization around. Just like Bitcoin can circumvent financial mechanisms. ... The message is in what we're doing—the message is: download this gun.' A spokesperson for the ATF said that while operating a business as a firearm manufacturer requires a license, an individual manufacturing one for personal use is legal."
They are not evading any laws (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Oh good grief (Score:5, Informative)
According to the ATF, the lower of an AR is 'the gun'. Transfer of that part alone requires paper work; buying it requires a background check and can only be sold in a private transfer or by a licensed dealer. All the other parts of the AR platform are add ons, and require no paperwork before purchase. Yes, that includes the upper, the barrels, even the trigger assembly. So no, in the eyes of the government, this is a "3D printed gun".
It's also not that big of a deal. 3D mills have existed for a while, and any machine shop with one could turn out a milled aluminium lower in about the same amount of time. The ATF has rules on who can do that, and what you can do with it after it's made. They seem not to be too worried about polymer lowers.
This is *not* a "3D printed gun"!!! (Score:2, Informative)
To those who aren't AR-15 enthusiasts:
The only 3D printed part is what is referred to as the "lower reciever" (the part that appears white or clear in the pics/vid). While printing this part (which can last 600 rounds apparently) is an achievement, it probably isn't even among the top 10 parts which experience the most stress...come back and talk to me when they can print:
- The barrel ...etc.
- The chamber
- The upper reciever
- the bolt
- the bold carrier
- the gas tube
The confusion might be from the fact that (according to US law) the serial numbered "reciever" (what that part is varies from one weapon to another) is what the ATF considers to be "The gun" (everything is a part). For example, if I want to buy a serialed AR-15 lower reciever, I go to a firearms dealer, get a background check, etc...everything else that makes up the gun can be purchased online and mailed to my home no problemo.
Re:Just what we need right now... (Score:5, Informative)
From the point of view of most Europeans where guns are generally banned you all look crazy.
That's alright; to us, you look crazy for allowing guns to be banned.
At no time in our history would guns have helped us rise up against the government either.
Oh ho ho. That's a good one. Are you really that ignorant of your own history, or do you seriously need a list of examples where it actually happened? I'll give you the first one for free - France, 1789.
Re:Just what we need right now... (Score:1, Informative)
From the point of view of most Europeans where guns are generally banned you all look crazy. We don't have guns and yet somehow aren't being robbed, raped and murdered nearly as much as you guys. At no time in our history would guns have helped us rise up against the government either.
From our point of view you should be trying to figure out how to change your society so that you don't need guns, rather than trying to advocate more of them. You are treating the symptom, not the cause.
Posting as anonymous because I am just too lazy.
I am tired of this argument. I lived in EU, Poland. Poland has some of the strictest gun laws there are and, naturally, only Police, government and thugs have access to guns. Well, I lied. My dad was a hunter and he had access too, but the sheer amount of paperwork made the experience rather painful.
While the statistics may show that the crime rates are relatively low, a simple conversation with a citizen of Poland will tell you otherwise. Official crime is low, because a whole lot of crazy shit is not being reported so that numbers look good. The old fashioned, numbers do not lie, people do.
For the record, I do not completely disagree with your point. I am just annoyed every single time people say US and EU as if they were all one coherent, stand alone entity when they are obviously not; especially EU.
Which Europeans? (Score:3, Informative)
The UK has the most stringent gun laws in the EU (though Germany is close) and even there you may own rifles and shotguns. Belgians and the Czechs have very active firearm cultures that are not related to hunting. I know Switzerland is not a member, but they are in the region and they also have such a culture. The remaining states mostly have hunting related firearm cultures from what I have read.
Re:The way things have been going. (Score:4, Informative)
That reminds me of this episode of king of the hill where he said that the US government was putting too much pressure on the Russians because they didn't realize that the Russians were incompetent. I happened to read shortly afterwards about this:
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1994-25.html [darwinawards.com]
Nobody heard about it til way later.
Re:The World is not entirely filled with idiots (Score:5, Informative)
Re:DIY Fuel Air explosive (Score:5, Informative)
"If you don't like the "state" you live under then move or change it."
Unless the public have lethal force options there is zero reason for the State to respect their will. "Changing" the State was done by the American Revolution.
Sometimes the only way to remove human obstacles is to take their lives, and under some onerous situations that is reasonable and good.
If you will not kill to be free and free others, how dare you say you deserve freedom you won't fight for? Fighting for freedom includes embedding the practical capability for revolution in the hands of the public. The Second Amerndment codified that RIGHT. The People have Rights under the Constitution, hence the wording.
Re:The World is not entirely filled with idiots (Score:5, Informative)
You could implement a sophisticated qc scheme with a webcam and opencv. This technology is pretty new, but moving very, very fast.
Re:Just what we need right now... (Score:4, Informative)
I hear this argument a lot of but it doesn't make sense. You seem to be arguing that knives and swords would not be enough to protect you from enslavement, you need guns. Yet I expect you wouldn't want people owning hand grenades, mortars, rocket launchers, tactical nuclear shells etc. Are guns really the perfect balance of deadly enough but not too deadly to protect citizens, even when the government has much better ones and things like bullet-proof tanks to send at you? Do you really think you could take on the US government and win?
BTW, every time a tyrannical government has come to power in western Europe it was voted in by the people, so we have never needed to defend ourselves from our government.