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I see two possible problems with a 100% plastic gun. The barrel not being strong enough to withstand the pressure & temperature is already mentioned elsewhere i

• greyfade 14y ago
  You 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.