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CNC machines do take skill to operate, but the amount of skill required to make a single-shot gun out of metal by conventional means is really low. It's somethi

CNC machines do take skill to operate, but the amount of skill required to make a single-shot gun out of metal by conventional means is really low. It's something you can do with very rudimentary metalworking skills, using low-tech equipment. Now if you can 3d-print a reliable rifle like an AK-47, that could get interesting.

cturner 14y ago
Now if you can 3d-print a reliable rifle like an AK-47, that could get interesting. The team that made this gun are already doing the most difficult bit from the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle that has been used in several massacres in the west (including the one that sparked heavy gun regulation in Australia in the 90s). That's why I thought this was news. First they made the lower-receiver of a powerful gun. Now they've also succeeded in producing all the parts of a not-powerful gun. As I see it, they've got a piece of string over the chasm and will iterate from here to build a bridge. I expect the barrel will be difficult (need a big machine and the rifling is probably tricky as you get to the top). The gas-reloading mechanism will take some work. But the lower-receiver is where most of the pressures where you might have doubt that plastic would work, and that's the bit they've already done. And that's just reimplementing an existing gun with a design that was optimised for metalwork. After that we'll see a bunch of development in designs that are optimised for plastics and printing. That'll be your AK-47 equivalent.
- _delirium 14y ago
  the most difficult bit from the AR-15 As far as I understand it, the lower receiver on an AR-15 is actually a pretty trivial housing component, subject to almost no operational pressures, but interesting legally because it's where the gun's serial number happens to be stamped. (But I should note I don't really know much about AR-15s, just stuff I've read.)
  - cturner 14y ago
    Ah - thanks. Seems I've made a bad assumption that was key to my position. I understood the significance of the stamp but had also thought it was among the most vulnerable spots for operational shock. I'll go back and re-read on this.
    - temphn 14y ago
      cturner, you're actually right overall here. The DD team has succeeded in 3D printing a rifle barrel that works for 10 shots. See the Forbes article linked at the very top of the thread.
  - bluedino 14y ago
    It's simple as in there are no moving parts, but if it's not machined to the proper specifications the gun will be unreliable. The market failed for years trying to make the lower out of things such as carbon fiber instead of regular cast metal.
  - sk5t 14y ago
    Correct: the gas block, barrel, breech, etc., are all "upper" bits and take most of the physical stress. The lower includes the trigger assembly and magazine holder thingy, which are the serialized, "this is a gun" parts. Conceivably one could 3D-print the lower receiver, order the upper assembly, rotating bolt, recoil buffer, etc., through the mail with a prepaid card, and have an essentially untraceable rifle.
- damoncali 14y ago
  They actually made one of the easiest parts. Far more difficult, if not impossible today would be the barrel. A trigger that worked more than once would also be extremely challenging. Not to mention that it would melt in short order.

cturner 14y ago

Now if you can 3d-print a reliable rifle like an AK-47, that could get interesting. The team that made this gun are already doing the most difficult bit from the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle that has been used in several massacres in the west (including the one that sparked heavy gun regulation in Australia in the 90s). That's why I thought this was news. First they made the lower-receiver of a powerful gun. Now they've also succeeded in producing all the parts of a not-powerful gun. As I see it, they've got a piece of string over the chasm and will iterate from here to build a bridge. I expect the barrel will be difficult (need a big machine and the rifling is probably tricky as you get to the top). The gas-reloading mechanism will take some work. But the lower-receiver is where most of the pressures where you might have doubt that plastic would work, and that's the bit they've already done. And that's just reimplementing an existing gun with a design that was optimised for metalwork. After that we'll see a bunch of development in designs that are optimised for plastics and printing. That'll be your AK-47 equivalent.

_delirium 14y ago
the most difficult bit from the AR-15 As far as I understand it, the lower receiver on an AR-15 is actually a pretty trivial housing component, subject to almost no operational pressures, but interesting legally because it's where the gun's serial number happens to be stamped. (But I should note I don't really know much about AR-15s, just stuff I've read.)
- cturner 14y ago
  Ah - thanks. Seems I've made a bad assumption that was key to my position. I understood the significance of the stamp but had also thought it was among the most vulnerable spots for operational shock. I'll go back and re-read on this.
  - temphn 14y ago
    cturner, you're actually right overall here. The DD team has succeeded in 3D printing a rifle barrel that works for 10 shots. See the Forbes article linked at the very top of the thread.
- bluedino 14y ago
  It's simple as in there are no moving parts, but if it's not machined to the proper specifications the gun will be unreliable. The market failed for years trying to make the lower out of things such as carbon fiber instead of regular cast metal.
- sk5t 14y ago
  Correct: the gas block, barrel, breech, etc., are all "upper" bits and take most of the physical stress. The lower includes the trigger assembly and magazine holder thingy, which are the serialized, "this is a gun" parts. Conceivably one could 3D-print the lower receiver, order the upper assembly, rotating bolt, recoil buffer, etc., through the mail with a prepaid card, and have an essentially untraceable rifle.
damoncali 14y ago
They actually made one of the easiest parts. Far more difficult, if not impossible today would be the barrel. A trigger that worked more than once would also be extremely challenging. Not to mention that it would melt in short order.