A Bullet That Could Make 3-D Printed Guns Practical Weapons(wired.com)
wired.com
A Bullet That Could Make 3-D Printed Guns Practical Weapons
http://www.wired.com/2014/11/atlas-314-3-d-printed-guns-bullets
11 comments
Did you know that when they erected a suicide barrier at a bridge in Washington, suicides in the state dropped? People lacking the means didn't just turn to other methods. They quit altogether. Why do we pretend that the ease of doing something has no effect on the likelihood of it being carried out?
Over the past 20 years gun regulations have been eased and the number of weapons sold has skyrocketed. However in that time the violent crime has gone down.
The number of weapons sold has skyrocketed, but the percent of households owning guns has fallen by about a third, from 45% to 30% over the last twenty years. (The per capita firearm homicides seem to have fallen by about half.)
There are three times as many deaths by suicide from firearms than violent crimes. Those rates have remained fairly steady over the past 20 years.
Also, while there have been more guns sold, household ownership has been decreasing - it's largely individual collectors that drive up sales.
Also, while there have been more guns sold, household ownership has been decreasing - it's largely individual collectors that drive up sales.
Correlation != causation
I'm not saying that. I'm saying that the common thought would be that more guns = more crime. But according to the latest FBI study thats not the case. The cause of the dropping crime is due to many factors, but it definitely has not gone up even though there is greater access to firearms.
It's an interesting data point.
That suicide prevention barrier on the George Washington Bridge was completed in 2011. Suicides had been gradually falling for ~25 years at that point, and hit a low in 2005/2006, and have increased since then even with the suicide barrier. There doesn't appear to be any evidence that I can find that it reduced the overall suicide rate.
In fact, the rate appears to have climbed since the barrier went up:
http://www.intheforefront.org/media/stats
That suicide prevention barrier on the George Washington Bridge was completed in 2011. Suicides had been gradually falling for ~25 years at that point, and hit a low in 2005/2006, and have increased since then even with the suicide barrier. There doesn't appear to be any evidence that I can find that it reduced the overall suicide rate.
In fact, the rate appears to have climbed since the barrier went up:
http://www.intheforefront.org/media/stats
> In fact, the rate appears to have climbed since the barrier went up
Very informative comment. Perhaps an unfortunate choice of words; barrier, climb, suicide.
Very informative comment. Perhaps an unfortunate choice of words; barrier, climb, suicide.
Did you know that the number of active pirates is proportional to the average global temperature?
Well, there are open source solutions for 3D printing. Its not like they can keep some lone wolf or gang from making their own 3D printer.
http://www.appropedia.org/Open-source_metal_3-D_printer
http://www.appropedia.org/Open-source_metal_3-D_printer
The bullet is still metal though, and not 3D printed, all they have to do is regulate the bullet instead of the gun.
There was a period of time in the last decade (due to war and politics I presume) where getting primers was somewhat difficult. I can get lead and cast bullets at home from tire balancing and fishing weights.
Maybe the NRA will ride to the rescue?
> they're probably going to do it
you probably forgot the "not" there?
you probably forgot the "not" there?
I like the lateral thinking on display here. From what I've seen the most successful adopters of the new wave of fabrication technologies are adept at solving problems by looking at them in a way that is "upside-down and backwards" compared to how most people would.
The fact that these bullet casings are milled out of steel rods isn't that big of a deal, if you have the right CNC mill you could automate that too.
Despite the antics of defense distributed I don't think printed guns are that big of a deal in and of themselves, but the idea that someone could be creating untraceable weapons is the worrisome part.
It wouldn't surprise me if the moral panic over custom fabricated guns were used to build support for DRM requirements on mainstream printers. But the push for controlling fabrication technologies is going to come from established economic interests wanting to keep extracting rents from the rest of us, regardless of the fact that the realities that created their business models have changed in fundamental ways.
And just wait until molecular fabrication technologies become cheap enough that average people can generate any molecule they choose just by picking it from a catalog. That's when the sewage overflow will really intersect with the turboprop intake.
The fact that these bullet casings are milled out of steel rods isn't that big of a deal, if you have the right CNC mill you could automate that too.
Despite the antics of defense distributed I don't think printed guns are that big of a deal in and of themselves, but the idea that someone could be creating untraceable weapons is the worrisome part.
It wouldn't surprise me if the moral panic over custom fabricated guns were used to build support for DRM requirements on mainstream printers. But the push for controlling fabrication technologies is going to come from established economic interests wanting to keep extracting rents from the rest of us, regardless of the fact that the realities that created their business models have changed in fundamental ways.
And just wait until molecular fabrication technologies become cheap enough that average people can generate any molecule they choose just by picking it from a catalog. That's when the sewage overflow will really intersect with the turboprop intake.
Anybody that is concerned by printed or "untraceable" firearms should go on YouTube and look up the videos of shotguns that teenagers in the Appalachians have been making out of plumbing parts from hardware stores for decades.
Give me $50 and access to a Home Depot I can legally make a shotgun in an afternoon. That includes labor costs, though I keep the gun. Transferring it would be illegal.
Since I'm bored: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OoBwLVXpFc Obviously anybody with any sense would just go to Walmart and buy a proper shotgun. But obviously anybody with any sense wouldn't use a 3d printed plastic gun either.
Give me $50 and access to a Home Depot I can legally make a shotgun in an afternoon. That includes labor costs, though I keep the gun. Transferring it would be illegal.
Since I'm bored: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OoBwLVXpFc Obviously anybody with any sense would just go to Walmart and buy a proper shotgun. But obviously anybody with any sense wouldn't use a 3d printed plastic gun either.
So he machines a "barrel" into the round (presumably with a lathe or mill) and it takes an hour for each round. So why not just machine a little metal barrel for your plastic gun? Or just take your same machine tool and make a metal gun? That would be because people have been doing that for 200 years. You have to say the magic words "3d printed gun!!!!" to get a magazine article about yourself.
I can't source this atm, but I believe the forces exerted by firing a bullet badly damage the structural integrity of the plastic without any absorbing "barrel."
Current 3d printed plastic can't hold that caliber of explosion, hence the need for a swappable -padding- that absorbs the damage to protect the gun.
This solution is obviously better than destroying your gun with every bullet, but it doesn't really solve the practicality problem.
Current 3d printed plastic can't hold that caliber of explosion, hence the need for a swappable -padding- that absorbs the damage to protect the gun.
This solution is obviously better than destroying your gun with every bullet, but it doesn't really solve the practicality problem.
His "thing" is using emerging technology (3d printing) to get people to realize the current state of things (it being trivial to manufacture your own firearm).
Many people believe that it is currently difficult to make a gun, and will not believe you when told otherwise. However when you give them an excuse to be wrong without being ignorant (emerging technology), then they listen. 3d printers allow people to acknowledge that it is easy to make a gun, without forcing them to admit that it always been for the past century.
Many people believe that it is currently difficult to make a gun, and will not believe you when told otherwise. However when you give them an excuse to be wrong without being ignorant (emerging technology), then they listen. 3d printers allow people to acknowledge that it is easy to make a gun, without forcing them to admit that it always been for the past century.
This I consider to be a Bad Thing. The reason being that by allowing them this comfortable linus-blanket of ignorance, we give them an opportunity to vilify and regulate 3d printers despite the 3d printer being no more important to the construction of the workings of the firearm than hammers, screwdrivers or bits of wood. The 3d printer is part of this deadly firearm the same way "Lucky Charms" are part of this nutritious breakfast.
I do NOT want to be anywhere near the "war on 3d printing", "permits" and inspections for 3d printer owners, county "stickers" for my stepper motors or anything even remotely along those lines.
I do NOT want to be anywhere near the "war on 3d printing", "permits" and inspections for 3d printer owners, county "stickers" for my stepper motors or anything even remotely along those lines.
I just realized that the guy the article is about does not seem to actually be affiliated with Defense Distributed. What I said applies to Cody Wilson/Defense Distrubuted, not necessarily the guy the article is actually about.
Anyway, Cody Wilson is first and foremost a gun guy, not a 3d printing guy. 3d printing may very well be a casualty of his political activism, but his priorities are such that this possibility likely seems worth it to him.
Anyway, Cody Wilson is first and foremost a gun guy, not a 3d printing guy. 3d printing may very well be a casualty of his political activism, but his priorities are such that this possibility likely seems worth it to him.
Part of me is somewhat worried. Part of me recognizes that a 3D printed firearm is hardly very practical, consider it's easy enough to get a real firearm, even for convicted criminals. (I'm speaking of the US here.)
What keeps people in the US from going on shooting rampages is not the difficulty of getting guns. It's the fact that most people don't want to go on shooting rampages. And while I'd much prefer it if guns were banned in this country, in the end, I'm not planning to lose any sleep over it. I'm far more likely to die in a car accident, even without adjusting for risk factors like where I live or my lack of involvement in criminal activity. So if I want to worry about something, I'll focus on driving more carefully.
Anyway, there's precious little you can do to stop 3D printed firearms from eventually being available. Betting against progress is rarely safe, especially in this domain where it's pretty obvious how things are going to go.
What keeps people in the US from going on shooting rampages is not the difficulty of getting guns. It's the fact that most people don't want to go on shooting rampages. And while I'd much prefer it if guns were banned in this country, in the end, I'm not planning to lose any sleep over it. I'm far more likely to die in a car accident, even without adjusting for risk factors like where I live or my lack of involvement in criminal activity. So if I want to worry about something, I'll focus on driving more carefully.
Anyway, there's precious little you can do to stop 3D printed firearms from eventually being available. Betting against progress is rarely safe, especially in this domain where it's pretty obvious how things are going to go.
I wholeheartedly agree. Very worrying times when mentally unstable people can start printing guns and bullets at home. Vice has a documentary on 3D guns if you haven't seen it already.
Its not really at home but the black market, like the guy at the bar that sells drugs and knows a guy who prints guns. Or that shady cell phone shop if you know what to ask for. It becomes much, much easier to become an unlicensed gun dealer with 3D printed firearms. DVD burners resulted in a lot of black market dealers as opposed to simply people making the copies themselves at home.
I just don't understand the appeal. As far as firearms go, the last thing I want is one that can not be relied upon. I get that solving technical challenges is fun but in this case, to what end? To make practical home-built firearms? Boys in Afghanistan are making practical ak-47's with little more than a file, scrap and tenacity. If you want to build a firearm (semi-auto) at home in the US it isn't even illegal.
If you want to build a firearm (semi-auto) at home in the US it isn't even illegal.
Incorrect. The only limitation is you can't make an NFA weapon (automatic, etc) or build it out of more than 10 imported parts.
"Firearms may be lawfully made by persons who do not hold a manufacturer’s license under the GCA provided they are not for sale or distribution and the maker is not prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms. "[1]
[1]http://www.atf.gov/files/firearms/industry/0501-firearms-top...
Incorrect. The only limitation is you can't make an NFA weapon (automatic, etc) or build it out of more than 10 imported parts.
"Firearms may be lawfully made by persons who do not hold a manufacturer’s license under the GCA provided they are not for sale or distribution and the maker is not prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms. "[1]
[1]http://www.atf.gov/files/firearms/industry/0501-firearms-top...
So you are disputing that it's not illegal? Or something?
I think they likely misparsed the parent comment. :)
Haha... yup, misread the parent!
Can I ask what the problem would be then? If it's already easy to get, and the thing stopping people going on rampages is themselves, then sureley there is no difference from how it currently is?
In a way, with this, each bullet is like a miniature percussion cap musket.
Ammunition robustness isn't only important for plastic guns: witness the explosion of an 1895 Lee Navy, where the use of relatively thin .30-40 brass (since original 6 mm ammo is not available) is suspected to be the culprit [1]
[1]: http://www.forgottenweapons.com/winchester-lee-navy-safety/
Ammunition robustness isn't only important for plastic guns: witness the explosion of an 1895 Lee Navy, where the use of relatively thin .30-40 brass (since original 6 mm ammo is not available) is suspected to be the culprit [1]
[1]: http://www.forgottenweapons.com/winchester-lee-navy-safety/
If you are going for the "shell as a barrel" solution you might as well maximize the utility and make it either silenced (captive piston) ammo: http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1812
Or make it electronically fired multishot using a superposed load like the Metalstorm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Storm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superposed_load
That being said, while metal home use printers won't be feasible anytime soon, FDM plastics are getting much, much stronger (Ulthem etc) and being released to prosumer market at an impressive rate. Having a barrel stand up to a dozen shots or so will not be a problem for long.
Or make it electronically fired multishot using a superposed load like the Metalstorm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Storm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superposed_load
That being said, while metal home use printers won't be feasible anytime soon, FDM plastics are getting much, much stronger (Ulthem etc) and being released to prosumer market at an impressive rate. Having a barrel stand up to a dozen shots or so will not be a problem for long.
Well that is a non-novel solution :-) Basically the cartridge is the barrel. A much more novel solution would be a barrel that was a rail gun, then just recharge it to refire. Of course we can't really store enough energy in a capacitor or battery that we can in gun powder yet. .22 caliber CO2 fired guns would be more dangerous (they could have longer plastic barrels and be more accurate.) But all of this simply strokes the survivalist bent that folks have to somehow come out on top when the world comes crashing to an end.
I am much less worried about a nerd trying to mug me with a plastic gun than I am with the wrong person getting hold of a UAV with a shotgun [1].
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYz_D89BLUg
I am much less worried about a nerd trying to mug me with a plastic gun than I am with the wrong person getting hold of a UAV with a shotgun [1].
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYz_D89BLUg
I see a lot of fear in the comments; the worry is that 3D printing will be regulated.
I find it terrible that pragmatism will be skimmed over by the very liberals I associate with who will use "new 3d printed bullets" as political ammunition.
I find it terrible that pragmatism will be skimmed over by the very liberals I associate with who will use "new 3d printed bullets" as political ammunition.
It's almost as if modern nanny statism and traditional authoritarian statism are just two sides of the same coin... or two manifestations of the same personality disorder.
I think it is aligned to Metal Storm tech: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Storm
At least I can see how they intersect - in both cases barrel is a round.
At least I can see how they intersect - in both cases barrel is a round.
A gun with a 2 inch-long barrel is going to be pretty useless at not much more than a dozen feet. Good for mugging somebody I guess, but not self-defense or fighting the next revolution. And you can mug somebody with a knife.
That's now. The 3D printing landscape will look very different in a few years time.
The rest of the gun doesn't matter. A two inch barrel leaves almost no space for the propellant to expand before it escapes containment (and all its remaining energy is wasted), and no chance for any useful rifling.
I agree the lack of rifling doesn't help, but what's wrong with a 2" barrel? There are snub-nosed revolvers with barrels just as short.
It's not just a 2 inch barrel though, it just starts with that, then has a plastic barrel.
Use metal for the start of the bullet where the stress is highest, then switch to plastic for the rest of it.
Use metal for the start of the bullet where the stress is highest, then switch to plastic for the rest of it.
why would this design be limited to 2 inches? it's a prototype.
you could easily design a 4 inch version with rifle grooves on the inside of the casing. it's just another 2 inches!
you could easily design a 4 inch version with rifle grooves on the inside of the casing. it's just another 2 inches!
Gosh, thanks, guys! More paranoid backlash and stupid regulations are just what the 3D printing industry needed!
What worries me is that this will be used to regulate 3D printing. As somebody with a 3D printer, and as somebody who is excited about the potential of 3D printers, this terrifies me. It's exactly things like this that could be used to incite mass hysteria and banning of 3D printing, especially since 3D printing doesn't yet have wide consumer adoption or appeal.