Printed personal weapons

HalfBreed · #1 07-31-2018, 11:35 PM

I have a military background where guns are not man portable, so I choose weapon as it is man portable.

News is on about plastic weapon manufacture. Whom in their right mind would trust plastic as a ballistic containment device?

I've spent more time than most with many personal weapon systems and would never trust a piece of plastic to contain the explosive force of any level of ammunition.

Is this a real concern? It makes me think of Forrest Gump. Stupid is as stupid does.

I hope utube proves otherwise, but what do I know.

58thecat · #2 07-31-2018, 11:40 PM

Even weapons evolve....I remember the first crate of plastic rifles arrived at the regiment....my my how my trusted FN looked so much more of a weapon then the "toy" rifle before me.......

Trochu · #3 08-01-2018, 12:02 AM

Found this somewhat interesting. By the look of it, it's ugly and is very limited.

BBC

Only a matter of time before they become more wide spread.

Scott N · #4 08-01-2018, 04:14 AM

Maybe after a few people shoot a plastic printed gun and lose their fingers or eyesight, this week's latest fear mongering campaign will be put to rest.

fallen1817 · #5 08-01-2018, 07:13 AM

Radio this morning kept referring to them as "untraceable"...

All I could think was "You know what else is untraceable? Stolen firearms." Seems like a moot point.

As for trusting the plastic weapons, I think the people toting them around are only concerned about them appearing to be a functioning weapon, and using them for intimidation... That, or it would be a "one and done" shot, and that's all they need.

J

bat119 · #6 08-01-2018, 07:24 AM

I find the name of the Lego gun interesting
The name "Liberator" was borrowed from a single shot tin pistol air dropped over France for the resistance fighters to win freedom from Nazi oppression.

tikka250 · #7 08-01-2018, 07:55 AM

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.thef...-velocity/amp/

You think plastic guns is crazy now they are making plastic ammo!

ChickakooKookoo · #8 08-01-2018, 07:56 AM

PM has a good writeup on this...

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...-printed-guns/

josey · #9 08-01-2018, 08:03 AM

I don't think one of these suicide bombers/gunners care if they are safe weapons. They can get them on planes, in areas etc. and they can harm people. They will print as many and as fast as they can.

Grizzly Adams · #10 08-01-2018, 08:16 AM

. Whom in their right mind would trust plastic as a ballistic containment device?

Just the latest version of the Zip gun , of time immemorial, but it gets those who don't no any better up in a rage. Gather it's not cheap either and very time consuming.

Grizz

tri777 · #11 08-01-2018, 08:31 AM

Can we Bring back lawn darts from the 80's while were at it for the 4-9yr old age group..

ChickakooKookoo · #12 08-01-2018, 09:40 AM

Read the link I posted...

The blueprints are only for certain parts. You still require metal bolts, firing chamber, pin, etc.

CritterCommander · #13 08-01-2018, 10:23 AM

This shouldn't be any concern, the Feds are already working on a 3D printer registry!

Mrmagoo850 · #14 08-01-2018, 10:36 AM

Almost the same concept as glock. Didn't people panic when they first came out as it was polymer or something?

Grizzly Adams · #15 08-01-2018, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChickakooKookoo

Read the link I posted...

The blueprints are only for certain parts. You still require metal bolts, firing chamber, pin, etc.

The pictured ones seem to be all plastic. Throw the usual metal into the mix and it's a regular gun. You can buy polymer AR receivers as it is and anyone with a CNC machining facility shouldn't have any difficulty doing them in metal. Guns are just metal shaped to particular shapes. Block of metal, a file and enough time, you'll be in business, has been done.

Grizz

ChickakooKookoo · #16 08-01-2018, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

The pictured ones seem to be all plastic. Throw the usual metal into the mix and it's a regular gun. You can buy polymer AR receivers as it is and anyone with a CNC machining facility shouldn't have any difficulty doing them in metal. Guns are just metal shaped to particular shapes. Block of metal, a file and enough time, you'll be in business, has been done.

Grizz

Exactly. So basically everyone is panicking over something that has been around for quite a while.

Scott N · #17 08-01-2018, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChickakooKookoo

Exactly. So basically everyone is panicking over something that has been around for quite a while.

Not to mention that actual guns, illegal of course, will still be available on the black market for far less money than a 3d printer would cost.

Trochu · #18 08-01-2018, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott N

Not to mention that actual guns, illegal of course, will still be available on the black market for far less money than a 3d printer would cost.

I think it was the PM article that stated this would be the hardest method of actually getting a firearm.

brendan's dad · #19 08-01-2018, 02:38 PM

About 6 years I saw a 3D printed handgun which survived several firings before cracking. I am sure that 3D technology has improved significantly over the last few years in both technique and materials.

The significance is also that this court case allows for the open sharing of any and all firearms manufacturing plans and probably even the required programs for machining. So this does not just effect plastic guns.

CaberTosser · #20 08-01-2018, 02:55 PM

Much ado about nothing, just as there is currently not an epidemic with home-made 'zip guns' there would not be an epidemic of printed guns for a myriad of reasons. Firstly is that they'd work like crap. Most would explode on the first attempt to use them and if their makers do not test them with a string from behind a shield then I suspect a lot of them would inflict more damage to the user than to the target (not an entirely undesirable outcome, kind of a self-correcting action). Perhaps the only ones that would not completely suck would be a printed ar-15 or Glock lower, which could then be tricked out with parts readily available without requiring a PAL. Even those though would have a rather finite life span, being that one cannot 3D-print metal guide rails into them. That being said, most of those gangster morons would not have the cerebral wherewithal to be making them, those types just want to be middlemen taking a commission, work ethic and quality control is not in their DNA.

Machine tools are already available on the open market, sure they're pricey and need talent to operate, but their presence and easy availability has not made an epidemic of illegal firearms materialize. The same will be the case with 3D printing. People want at least enough quality in a firearm that their hands are not liquefied during use, 3d printing will not offer that.

It would be amusing to see criminals showing up in Emergency at hospitals where their gangland-tattooed knuckles are rearranged and/or partly missing.

These recent articles are simply designed to whip up anti-gun hysteria among the firearms-ignorant masses of voters.

bat119 · #21 08-01-2018, 03:06 PM

Agreed recent articles are nothing more than antigun propaganda
Zip guns have around for generations, the RCMP museum in Regina used to have a large display one I remember had a rock tied back with elastic bands to strike a 12 ga. shell in a pipe always wondered if it was test fired.

You don't need a printer almost anyone can make something out of nothing.

CaberTosser · #22 08-01-2018, 03:22 PM

Man, a staple gun pistol would practically have to be a contact weapon, given how crappy the trigger pull is

EZM · #23 08-01-2018, 03:50 PM

- These weapons are made wholly from polymers. There are no metal pieces. As a result they would not be detected by a metal detector. That seems to be the concern from some people. Unfortunately the cartridge IS metallic and, the brass and bullet, as a result, WOULD set of a metal detector ........ so, a plastic gun with no ammo is about as dangerous as an old lady's purse. "metal detecability" is a ridiculous uneducated and poorly thought out excuse.

- The plans for these weapons has been on the internet, and remains on the internet, and there has been over 1 million copies downloaded - not from the original site - but by file sharing. If something goes out once on the internet, it's there forever. Blocking ONE person or organization from posting these plans results in nothing. If this WAS a problem - it would have already surfaced sometime between now and 7 years ago when the plans first came out. There would be bad guys shooting people with these guns all over the place - instead of using real guns ......... er wait ........

- To that end - as far a criminals "on the street" making one of these illegal weapons and then using it - it's far easier and cheaper to get a reliable black market weapon. A nice steel gun can be bought on the street pretty cheap and they are pretty easy to find. Printing a gun is a way bigger pain in the @$$ and far more expensive. Not a practical solution for a bad guy. Even they dumb ones know that - something painfully obvious the FEAR media missed.

- As far as being an effective weapon ......... well ........ you are rolling the dice firing one of these every time you pull the single shot trigger here. far from accurate and perhaps equally dangerous to the shooter as they might be to the intended victim as far as reality goes. Maybe the bad guy could print up a dozen of these and use them on a drive by and hope one of them doesn't blow up while he's on his shooting spree of terror.

Perhaps a Ninja sword or cool nunchucks should incite more fear. At least they work ........... OK maybe the sword ......... nunchucks take some practice I guess.

mattthegorby · #24 08-01-2018, 03:53 PM

I don't think 3D printing of guns is a cause for panic, but I do feel it is an issue that is responsible to address now as it is in its infancy. Printers are getting cheaper every year and quality is going up. My kid was designing and printing stuff at summer camp.

I also think that 3D printing a gun is in practice different than building a zip gun. While the reality may be that both are sketchy and plans are easy to get, kids that are technologically literate will, I believe, be more confident to print what they believe is a tested plan and add some metal parts than they would to start cutting and piecing together bits of hardware and pipe.

I do agree that it is not at this point an attractive option for crime and the big risk is kids getting injured testing them.

CaberTosser · #25 08-01-2018, 04:07 PM

EZM nailed some great points. Lets face it, criminals prefer to either buy black market imports or to get black market guns stolen from break-in's. Setting up a 3D gun-printing factory to make substandard pistols makes no sense when the other sources have been fulfilling their needs and doing so with much better quality guns.

sns2 · #26 08-01-2018, 04:13 PM

I like Tikkas. What seems to be the problem

walking buffalo · #27 08-01-2018, 07:51 PM

Americans standing up for their First and Second amendment rights.

Release the squirrels!

fishtank · #28 08-01-2018, 11:33 PM

Ghost guns , untraceable and can be had with a computer and a 3D printer

so much for the banning of hand guns and taking it out on law abiding gun owners