3D Printing Anarchists... Slightly ahead of ripping off GW.

[Denzark]

Right, these chaps' use of 3D printing, ostensibly to p*ss off the US Gubmint, makes the 'GW-is-Satan' Club's plans for ripping off minis, look like putting a whoopee cushion on Teach's chair:

[url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10039822/First-3D-printed-gun-fired.html[/url]

[Mr Mystery]

Yes. Lets make guns available to all. What's that! They'll likely be untraceable? Well what could possibly go wrong??

Bloody nutters.

[Kyban]

It's probably best they start dealing with it now though, rather than when it becomes a real problem.

[Mr Mystery]

It's quite possible morons like this bloke will see restrictions put upon the ownership and access of 3D printers in certain countries.

I can see the UK doing this. Sure it won't keep them out the hands of criminals any more than any given ban, but it would prevent some otherwise rational person doin something stupid. Though granted, you'd still need the ammo, and one would guess due to necessary chemical reactions, they can't be printed off with any hope of success.

[Necron2.0]

Actually, this is nothing new. Back in the 50's and 60's, when guns were more readily available but street gangs weren't as flushed with cash (thank you "war on drugs"), zip guns were common, and that's all this is really. You could make a far more effective (and concealable) one with a simple stroll through a home improvement store:



Heck, I've made a weapon that could punch right through a quarter inch (roughly 6mm) of plywood with nothing more sophisticated than a coat hanger, some tape, a post card and a length of plastic pipe.

[Mr Mystery]

It does make it significantly easier though. Why bugger about trying to build one, and hoping it doesn't simply blow up your hand, when you can print one off, and jury rig the firing pin?

[Necron2.0]

Well, I look at it this way - if you print one off, you're still spending a boat-load of money, and if it's plastic you'll get maybe one shot off before the thing is useless. The barrel will melt, the plastic will fracture, and at some point the thing will simply blow up (assuming it doesn't explode on you right off the bat). Not only that, the thing is a freakin’ brick – not concealable at all, and probably not accurate. It’d probably be more lethal as a bludgeon than as a firearm.

If you’re an average citizen, you’d have no reason to own this, except maybe as a curiosity, and then (if you’re smart) you’d never ever actually attempt to use it. If you’re an average citizen and you’re not smart enough not to use it, then you’re probably not smart enough to have the money necessary to invest in this thing in the first place. If you’re a criminal, you’ll either buy/steal a real gun or else you’ll have someone make you a proper zip gun. If you work for “one of those” government agencies … chances are your guns already are untraceable. In any of these cases, the existence of the template has no impact on the public welfare.

And again, making a zip gun is bone-head simple. Dangerous as hell, yes, and not at all advisable, but simple.

[Nabterayl]

Along those lines, I think the thing to keep in mind is that this actual product is not particularly dangerous. It is further evidence that, at some point in the future, it may be possible for a person (i) with no particular gunsmithing expertise to produce a reliable, accurate firearm, and/or (ii) to produce a gun that would not be detected by firearms detectors as they exist in 2013.

So I guess ... I'm glad that people are paying attention to what 3-D printing can do, but neither of those things is of particular concern to me. Society still has time to adjust. Firearms detectors will get better.

[Kirsten]

the gun nuts are already mental enough as it is, those idiots will still want to buy the proper metal penis extenders, but it is going to be a real issue for people likely to commit mass shootings.

[Mr Mystery]

Along those lines, I think the thing to keep in mind is that this actual product is not particularly dangerous. It is further evidence that, at some point in the future, it may be possible for a person (i) with no particular gunsmithing expertise to produce a reliable, accurate firearm, and/or (ii) to produce a gun that would not be detected by firearms detectors as they exist in 2013.

So I guess ... I'm glad that people are paying attention to what 3-D printing can do, but neither of those things is of particular concern to me. Society still has time to adjust. Firearms detectors will get better.

You also forgot, 'put reliable firearms in the hands of complete nutters (any extremist you care to imagine, disaffected teens, bitter/jealous exes etc) with no real way of controlling it.

You watch. This will cause restrictions on the availability of 3D printers...