'Wiki Weapon Project' Aims To Create A Gun Anyone Can 3D-Print At Home

'Wiki Weapon Project' Aims To Create A Gun Anyone Can 3D-Print At Home

www.forbes.com

If all goes according to plan, the thousands of owners of those cheap 3D printers, which extrude thin threads of melted plastic into layers that add up to precisely-shaped three-dimensional objects, will be able to turn the project’s CAD designs into an operational gun capable of firing a standard .22 caliber bullet, all in the privacy of their own garage.

(visit the link for the full news article)



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Man Makes Guns with a 3D Printer

All it will take is one person to do something stupid with this idea and the "powers that be" will blow it all out of proportion and make 3D printers a national security risk. Ordinary people will end up losing the ability to fabricate objects of their own design, in their own home. Any future censorship or restrictions on this technology will be a very slippery slope indeed.

www.forbes.com (visit the link for the full news article)

Man I hope the potential use for this technology will not wind up excluding the average Joe. I don't think they will restrict the tech, but might apply new laws about generating weapons. This tech is here to stay and will wind up benefitting humankind more than hurting it. Like the advent of the interwebz, this is too big to shut down.
I like the idea of printing houses more than guns. I wonder if they will outlaw that?

Peace,
spec

Imagine if your government decided it was going to oppress you.

But the people all had a machine in their homes that could create a firearm in a matter of a few hours. this drastically changes the equation when it comes to that sort of decision making process.

A populace with access to personal manufacturing, is a very powerful thing. Not only for weapons either.

This is where the technology is going. In 20 years everybody will have 3D printing, the uses of such a thing are pretty unlimited.

I may not agree with gun ownership, I'm not American and it was never something I was brought up to believe in. I do respect your rights and I do respect the power of a well armed populace in the face of a tyrannical government however.

This technology puts power in the hands of the individual and should be encouraged, even if the ways in which we move forward with these concepts aren't the ones I personally agree with.

~Tenth

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Imagine if your government decided it was going to oppress you.

But the people all had a machine in their homes that could create a firearm in a matter of a few hours. this drastically changes the equation when it comes to that sort of decision making process.

A populace with access to personal manufacturing, is a very powerful thing. Not only for weapons either.

This is where the technology is going. In 20 years everybody will have 3D printing, the uses of such a thing are pretty unlimited.

I may not agree with gun ownership, I'm not American and it was never something I was brought up to believe in. I do respect your rights and I do respect the power of a well armed populace in the face of a tyrannical government however.

This technology puts power in the hands of the individual and should be encouraged, even if the ways in which we move forward with these concepts aren't the ones I personally agree with.

~Tenth

edit on 8/23/2012 by tothetenthpower because: (no reason given)

You can print a billion guns it will mean nothing. You need bullets and they can not print gun powder and primers.


This is what they will eventually end up controlling. And it will be about safety lead is very toxic. I wonder how expensive bullets will become in the future.

reply to post by meticulous


It's not just guns... 3D printing is the future. I'll look for the videos but I have seen scientist discussing it.

Eventually we will all have a machine in our homes about the size of a fridge. We will type in the product code and bam theirs our product.

These machines will print at the molecular level, meaning, we aren't talking about "printing" crap chinese toys... You will be able to print a sandwich, new shoes, or a tv (if there still around) and everything in between...

Ah what the future holds.

reply to post by SubTruth


It's actually not hard to make .22 caliber rounds.

Casings can be printed though, and the materials required to put in them are available and inexpensive for the most part. At least as far as I understand it.

~Tenth

reply to post by IsThisThingBugged

You mean like a replicator from ST? I hope, like in the series, that this tech will ultimately enable everyone to provide for themselves and a major new paradigm will arise, shifting our aspirations to bigger and better things instead of slaves to economic servitude. Something tells me that even when they develop atomic/molecular engineering, tptb will make for a slow introduction to civilization. I hope the advent will be unstoppable, but I bet it will be a slow transition process.

If I remember a post here on ATS correctly.

It's currently not illegal to manufacture your own firearms.... just illegal to sell them.

There is something utterly disingenuous and misleading about this article (not the OP) and those that have preceded it.

First of all, no way are you going to be able to manufacture a barrel and chamber that can withstand the sustained explosions of automatic fire. The lower receiver with all its moving pats does not constitute a weapon; and unless you all know of a malleable plastic that can endure automatic fire and the high temperatures that accompany them, as well as a printer that melts this notional super plastic,. it wont work.

In other words, you need to have a weapon already to be able to replace the lower receiver with your own parts.

Another poster has already pointed out the gunpowder/ammunition flaw in this as well.

This entire line of fear-mongering is for the majority of their audiences who know nothing of firearms. Let alone the plastics used for 3-D printing. It is fodder to legitimize fear of personal weapons.

People can make their own weapons, and have had that capability for ages.

I'd prefer a sandwich over a gun.
Can anybody replicate a 3D sandwich for me?

I find sandwiches more appealing than guns, so shoot me!

How about creating something that progresses us forward for a change?

why always the guns/nasty uses for the devices? surely we can do more good than just inventing a cheaper way to kill each other, so lets look at what we could use such a device for such as making spare parts for broken machinery so they don't get thrown away etc

just think of the good a few of these machines could do in the right hands producing basic stuff that people NEED to live and improve their lifes like pipe work to carry water to thirsty people and poop away

reply to post by Maxmars


You don't think that with high precision laser cutting and advanced computing they won't eventually be able to print fully workable and high quality firearms?

Isn't that how gun manufacturing is done now, just on a larger scale?

I'm honestly ignorant on the issue of gun creating etc, so forgive me If I'm way off the ball, but it seems to me that if people have already had the means to do so, with the added advantage of technology, that availability would simply continue to grow.

~Tenth

Originally posted by grey580
If I remember a post here on ATS correctly.

It's currently not illegal to manufacture your own firearms.... just illegal to sell them.

Correct, you may build your own firearms, Google 90 percent ar-15, or ak-47.
These are lowers that are milled and almost finished but only up to a certain percentage, before they cannot be legally sold.
If one could just print up a ar 15 lower on their printer and just do a minimal of finish work, this would be great!
I'd believe you could go more powerful than just a 22 cal. as I have seen polymer lowers for the AR-15 already in the 5.56 platform.
(Edit)
*****I forgot to add that you may not produce any weapon that is illegal to your state,Etc.
For instance in Kalifornia if I were to make a weapon it would have to be in line with the draconian laws here, and full auto anywhere in the US would be illegal as they can no longer be manufactured for consumers.*****

More toward the OP,
This kind of tech could be earthshattering.
Imagine you need a tool like a wrench or socket or some plastic part for your car, you could simply print what you need and if it breaks a few years down the road, no biggie!
This kind of tech in every home in the world could do for the little guy what only big corp has been able to do effectively.
Imagine, printing out your plates, silverware, cups, toilet parts, wall shelves, you are only limited by your imagination to what you could build.
Nearly free labor for the common man!
I hope this tech stays open source.

reply to post by Maxmars

I don't know Maxmars, with today's polymers, synthetic nanomaterials(nano-metal,carbon nano-tubes carbon fiber and such, it may be more practical than one thinks.
ETA: After reading the article more thoroughly, I see what you mean about disingenuous.

reply to post by meticulous


The thing will have absolutely abysmal barrel life.

I could see such a weapon becoming popular with the criminal element due to the difficulty in using ballistic forensics, but that problem largely already exists with the illegal arms trade to begin with.

Honestly, while it's an interesting engineering challenge (the way I look at it) - I would certainly prefer to utilize a properly licensed and registered 6.8mm ACR with the navy trigger group.

Sure - my name would appear on a list. I know how the community works that would be sent to, hypothetically, collect my firearm. There's a reason I don't fear them ever being capable of doing that (presuming they were willing - a very big presumption).

I doesn't afraid of men in uniforms asking for my weapons. They can file all such requests to the end of said weapon.

That, and I plan on becoming quite proficient in the use of thrown pointy objects (such as shuriken) that I will legally carry in my state. Since a handgun is made useless by many rules of property owners (businesses), and I really don't like them, thrown blades or just dense disks capable of breaking bone are more practical, anyway.

The firearm is just for engaging you where I feel more comfortable doing so. Getting to my front door does not mean you've got me at a disadvantage. Unless you're planning on breaching and storming - but the only way that's going to work is if I'm one of the first houses on your list - and I'm willing to take that gamble.

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
reply to post by Maxmars

 

I don't know Maxmars, with today's polymers, synthetic nanomaterials(nano-metal,carbon nano-tubes carbon fiber and such, it may be more practical than one thinks.

edit on 23-8-2012 by speculativeoptimist because: (no reason given)

I mostly agree with you about the tech, BUT...
I would never trust anything but steel for a barrel and bolt, and alloys for the other upper parts.
I had a hard enough time accepting polymer frames when I saw my first HK, then Glock did it and then the world is making them!!!..??Tech is scary.

(Edit)
Speaking more to the OP, you do not have to build an extravagant weapon system, you could get away with a simple 2 or 4 shot derringer.
This would allow the criminal element the advantage of having a useable nearly free gun and if you need to get rid of it, carry a can of berrymans b-12 with you.
Instand disposal!!

why even bother printing such a useless item as a gun...They have armor that'll stop most of what is shot at it so a plastic 22 is like a wrist rocket but even more useless when the ammo runs out.

People should try printing ExoSuits or something cool like that.

Could a 3d printer print a 3d printer?? now that would be awesome!! i'd print em for all my friends so we can mass produce stuff thats useful like bows and fishing poles. An i don't mean for war, (TPTB already cornered the market on that I'm sure) I mean for basic survival for if TSHTF