3D Printed Guns (Documentary)

[dub]

Published on Mar 25, 2013

Cody R Wilson has figured out how to print a semi-automatic rifle from the comfort of his own home. Now he's putting all the information online so that others will join him.
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This is a story about the rapid evolution of a technology that has forced the American legal system to play catch up. Cody Wilson, a 24 year old University of Texas Law student, is an advocate for the open source production of firearms using 3D printing technology. This makes him a highly controversial figure on both sides of the gun control issue. MOTHERBOARD sat down with Cody in Austin, Texas to talk about the constitution, the legal system, and to watch him make and test-fire a 3D-printed gun.

[R]

3d printing of metals and metal composites is not yet a household procedure, and you need a lot of preparation work to make the 3d maps of a part as complex as the . nes needed for an assault weapon, and you still need machine shop tools and experience to assemble the components.  I personally would be wary of firing one for lack of safety testing and controls.

That being said, however, outlawing guns is sort of a moot point isn't it?  Ceertainly criminals can afford the technologies here, not your everyday Janes and Joes.

[FSU]

Actually a lot of the components they're building the with these 3d machines are plastic based..Stuff like plastic molding lower recievers and magazines. It's actually pretty simple consumer based technology now. Companies like Nokio have already released schematics for people so they can basically download and input into the software and it'll do everything for em, just hit go... You can buy a small consumer one for $1200. They talked all about this early at the vegas tech expo..

Get a civil ar16 and modify and make a lower receiver and however big a mag you want and go to town.

“There are no restrictions on an individual manufacturing a firearm for personal use,” a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) spokesperson said. “However, if the individual is engaged in business as a firearms manufacturer, that person must obtain a manufacturing license.”