3D printed firearms are the ultimate expression of personal rights in this country. We cannot ban 3D printers. And we cannot ban their blueprints. Computer code is protected as free speech.
I am not at all concerned about the possible consequences of a prohibited person obtaining a 3D printed gun. I am far more worried about living in a society where people willingly trade liberty and free speech away so the government can empower them with a false sense of security.
My main concern with a 3D printed gun would be it blowing up in my hand.
That’s certainly a risk with a technology still in its infancy.
The technology is there for commercial applications but home users don’t have a $200K HP 4200 in their den. And good luck finding a service bureau that will print it.
I look forward to the Fail videos where Captain Freedom stands up for Freedom and tries to shoot a round through his Creality built zip gun and instantly acquired the nickname “Stumpy”.
This is a very good thing.
Sure, now, not for much longer.
Reading press releases again? Lol
Why even bother with a crappy 3D print that may or may not explode on its first shot? For a couple grand you can kit build a 3 axis bench top mill that will cut steel and make something usable.
This’ll last as long until a cop gets shot by one by a person of color who’s somehow affiliated with BLM.
“Ghost guns”
BOO!
This decision was for their broken image, so that they don’t come across as just woke. It didn’t work.
Metal 3d printing is an actual thing.
Lol oh really?
Yes, really.
What processes do you prefer? Binder jetting has come a long way but still have too high a percentage of failed builds but you have a lot more material choices, so powder bed fusion is still the most usable IMO. SLM is looking pretty interesting.
Oh wait. The tolerances are so loose you either won’t be able to fit ammo inside or it will rattle around. Bummer.
It’s still a CNC world and will be for parts like for guns. Guess what you’re missing in all of this?
Precision. ±.005” over the first part inch with an addition ±0.003” for every additional inch is the tolerance range you can expect with metal additive. Literally every day I see parts that were made with a CNC and someone wants to print them and they are either way more expensive or to make them actually usually they need cleaned up on a CNC.
Trying to replicate what was done with machine tools in an additive process never works out. Where it excels is in complex geometry or geometry that isn’t traditionally manufacturable. Thank mesh structures, lattices, voids.
Tell me more about the world of additive manufacturing. Along with CNC, injection molding and casting its what I do for a living, not reading some hype online.
I didn’t say the tech was capable of doing it right now.
I’ll bet. lol
Isn’t it still legal to make and own a homemade gun? 
And probably never, if you are talking about the ability to 3D print something as common as a gun barrel.
I just looked since I didn’t know, the bore on a gun barrel is typically toleranced at ±0.0003”. That’s not going to happen or anywhere close with additive. That’s not a particularly easy tolerance to hold with CNC.
Take the width of a human hair., now, divide that hair width by 10. That’s 0.0003”.
You’re not 3D printing a barrel…ever. Receivers, stocks, perhaps even triggers can be printed. But unless your going to print a lathe and a mill, you’re not going to build a viable gun solely with a 3D printer. Atleast not one that doesn’t have just as much chance at killing the user as it does the target.
