New type of bullet won’t shatter 3D printed guns

The problem with 3D printed guns, especially of the plastic kind, and regular ammunition is that regular bullets have thin brass casings. During the bullet's explosion, the metal gets deformed and the force is transferred to the gun's barrel, which, as you might have guessed, won't survive the force too long. Some guns can only fire one shot, others just over a dozen. 25 year-old amateur gunsmith Michael Crumling solved this problem by using a thicker steel shell with the lead bullet inserted inside so deep that the shell is able to contain the force of the explosion instead of transferring it to the gun. This design could very well pave the way for the advancement of 3D printed guns and maybe even semi-automatic 3D printed guns.

his design isn’t easily replicated because the rounds must be individually machined for now, it may represent another step towards durable, practical, printed guns—even semi-automatic ones.

The Bullet That Could Make 3-D Printed Guns Practical Deadly Weapons



Nice i want a box or two and a 3d printer now, unfortunately the article is mostly fear-mongering towards 3d printed firearms.



Now only needs a 3d printed revolver design and a mass production method of the bullet. Back in the day do it yourself was a big deal, everyone tried the most to do all themselves, fix the car, the tv all, nowadays all is disposable, 3d printers will bring back the good old days



If i understand correctly the bullet acts as a disposable barrel not really 3d printed stuff ain't it?

a reply to: Indigent

What he is proposing makes sense from a design standpoint. The reason bullets are so lethal is their velocity, which is produced by large chamber pressure, the chamber being part of the receiver containing the round. If made of thick steel and the bullet sunk deep in the case that could alleviate the effects of high chamber pressure on the receiver portion.


Good idea.

sorry but i kinda feel there is a reason to fear monger.
in america at least you can admit you have a gun problem or be in denial.
when it comes to guns, my attitude is "better have it and not need it than need it and not have it"
but in the states, it's a borderline fetish.
So what's going to happen when 3d printers are more affordable? you can already get a decent one for around 1000 euro, then what?
The problem is not the printing, but the intended use, and frankly when it comes to a country where there is a school shooting ever other month, or girls get shot in the face for asking for help after a car accident i can't trust it with device straight out of the Acme Corporation.

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse

Ban all the guns in the world, someone will get a knife and start to slash a bunch of people, people is the problem

All fine and dandy in the USA but many other country's don't want firearms printed by anyone.
Including my own...we just don't need them.

a reply to: Indigent

Its not even that... i mean knives, although you have a good point as an addition to the following: Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns.

People in prison have made guns out of the small amount of materials they had access to. What do you think people will be able to build (and have) outside a prison? Will we outlaw plumbing pipes because they could be used to make the barrel of a gun? Or ban all the materials that can be used to make a gunpowder? No more 4th of july fireworks? You can never fully get rid of guns except in a futuristic totalitarian society (basically an open air prison) where they can track everyone's movements and they can tell if someone is trying to make a gun. Most home made guns are only one shot guns, but what if someone makes 10 of them? they can go on a spree with that.

Basicaly, what it would take to get rid of all guns is just not worth it. I've found its better to allow guns so that if someone does decide to go nuts, some good guys will be nearby to take them out before the deathtoll reaches double digits. Criminals prefer soft targets. Eventually it will reach a point where they will realize that they are no longer safe to carry out their sprees. Cause what if some guy has a gun nearby? They will no longer be able to attain their "glory" and noteriety they need so badly to be remembered and become "legendary". A spree of less than 5 or 10 people will not be in the news as long as a 30 something death toll would. It will no longer be worth it for them to try.

Sure, murders of passion or profit will still happen, as they always have since cain and able... but the spree killings will be greatly minimized with an increase in armed and properly trained citizens. Hey, I don't want to have to live in a world where i might have to shoot somebody. But that's the reality of the world we live in. It's also the law of nature. You have to fight to survive sometimes. If we all lose that willingness to fight and protect what is right, then evil wins. All it takes for evil to win is for good men (people) to Do Nothing. An intelligent man said that.

99.99% of the time, you will not need to fight, the way we have our society set up. But when that storm comes, you need to be able to say "do your worst, because i will do mine".

a reply to: Indigent

Smart way to think, there will always be that "one off". I think this topic always brings up gun control, why does it matter if people are making these things using a 3d printer? There are craftsman out there right now who can and do make thier own guns, cross bows, bows, you can buy a kit or build them from scratch and you can't track them. I suppose there could be some dark ulterior motive in some circles but for the average Joe/Jane, I'd like to think they are trying to do this just so they can say "I did it".

a reply to: Indigent

gah now i feel stupid for not thinking of this.

2ND...damn

originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
sorry but i kinda feel there is a reason to fear monger.
in america at least you can admit you have a gun problem or be in denial.
when it comes to guns, my attitude is "better have it and not need it than need it and not have it"
but in the states, it's a borderline fetish.
So what's going to happen when 3d printers are more affordable? you can already get a decent one for around 1000 euro, then what?
The problem is not the printing, but the intended use, and frankly when it comes to a country where there is a school shooting ever other month, or girls get shot in the face for asking for help after a car accident i can't trust it with device straight out of the Acme Corporation.

Criminals won't go through the trouble of buying a 3D printer and learning how to make a gun, they'll buy one of the millions of guns already being sold "on the street."

That's why further gun laws will never work in the US... criminals already have access to all they'll ever need.

blinks - unless the casing is the entire barrel length - thats never going to work