3 ms·
I'm curious if 3D printed guns will be easier to get through airport/other security. Could one be printed with minimal metal parts (save ammunition)?
by callmeed 14y ago
I'm curious if 3D printed guns will be easier to get through airport/other security. Could one be printed with minimal metal parts (save ammunition)?
- praptak 14y agoI see two possible problems with a 100% plastic gun. The barrel not being strong enough to withstand the pressure & temperature is already mentioned elsewhere in the comments. Another one is mass. A plastic gun will be very lightweight, so the only mass to absorb the recoil impact is your hand. This might hurt.
- greyfade 14y agoYou presume that relatively soft plastics are the only things you can print. Remember that there are strong ceramics and metal alloys that can be easily powder-printed or laser-sintered. There are also strong plastics and epoxies that can be produced through various curing processes that can be performed on the same level of detail as other printing techniques. And I can imagine a gun design where a disposable/replaceable receiver and/or barrel can be designed out of weak materials and mass-produced. You also presume that recoil impact will hurt your hand. There exist a number of gun designs that minimize recoil impact by increasing the motion of the gun or relocate/reorient the barrel to minimize the motion of the gun. See, for example, any women's purse pistol, palm pistols, or a Rhino revolver.
- MrMember 14y agoWith current technology a completely (or near completely) plastic or composite firearm isn't feasible. Even if you were able to get it to fire without blowing up in your hand it would only be good for a single shot.