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First successful firing of a 3D-printed gun


questionmark

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3D printers offer the promise of a world in which anyone can manufacture anything but, as with all technology, there are upsides and downsides. Last week we learned that handcuffs could be unlocked with a 3D printed key; now "HaveBlue", a member of the AR15.com gun enthusiast forum, which is named after a common semi-automatic rifle, claims to have carried out the first successful test-firing of a 3D-printed gun.

HaveBlue did not print an entire gun but only a part called the lower receiver, which serves as a frame for the other components of the gun. This component is the only gun part regulated for sale under US law and as such must carry a serial number - unless it's made by a private individual for their personal use, so HaveBlue is not breaking any laws.

Making gun parts used to be impossible for most people, of course, but computer files for AR-15 components have been available online for some time. HaveBlue claims to have combined a 3D-printed receiver made from hard plastic with parts from an ordinary pistol and successfully fired more than 200 rounds. "To the best of my knowledge, this is the world's first 3D printed firearm to actually be tested, but I have a hard time believing that it really is the first," HaveBlue said.

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  • questionmark

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3d printer, awesome

Edited by Ever Learning
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Sweet, think of he possibilties.

Thanks for sharing.

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I'm not sure if I would trust printed gun parts or not. Probably not. I've had enough experience with 3D printed stuff that this would just make me leery.

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  • 2 months later...

In related news:

DIY gun project misfires as 3D printer is seized

Who would have thought it? Printing guns is frowned upon. Even in the US.

Cody Wilson, a law student at the University of Texas at Austin, found this out last week when Stratasys, the company that made the uPrint SE 3D printer he was leasing, got wind of his plans to design a 3D-printable handgun and took back their equipment.

"The company is less than thrilled with what we're doing. They're trying to prevent me from breaking any laws with their product," Wilson told New Scientist. With several friends, he has founded a group called Defense Distributed to promote ideas about universal gun ownership.

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I know this isn't how it works, but....

Printers make me think of paper... but it's 3-D so I imagine thousands of cut out bits of paper fused together into the shape of a 3-D gun... and knowing fire is involved when a gun is used, I imagine the first person to use the gun winding up with a handful of flames when the paper catches fire. :tsu:

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Are we trying to make things easier for terrorists. :gun:

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I know this isn't how it works, but....

Printers make me think of paper... but it's 3-D so I imagine thousands of cut out bits of paper fused together into the shape of a 3-D gun... and knowing fire is involved when a gun is used, I imagine the first person to use the gun winding up with a handful of flames when the paper catches fire. :tsu:

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