Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Whoa! Way Cool!

Received via Facebook is this natural follow-up to something I posted a while back:



Interesting milestone in open-source 3D printing over at Thingiverse: User crank has published a freely-downloadable magazine for the ubiquitous AR-15 rifle. As
downloaded, crank’s magazine only holds five rounds, but a person with basic 3D
modelling skills could modify it with little difficulty to produce a “high-capacity” magazine.

Now, with a 3D printer you can crank out all the AR-15 magazines you could ever want! This has so many applications, from Zombie hunting to Zombie killing to just general preparedness for the Zombocalypse... Naturally, printing out any magazine with a capacity of > 10 rounds would automatically make me a felon, so I'll just be printing 10-rounders for now...


The link has plans for a fully printable AR-15 lower, which really starts to raise some interesting questions. As discussed previously, one does not need a license to manufacture firearms for one's own consumption; assuming that one is not a prohibited person, this means that anyone with access to a 3D printer and stock will someday be able to crank out a firearm using nothing more than their computer and printer.

Imagine the horror in Brady Campaign headquarters! Ban printers! It's for the children! Once wind of this gets out to the mainstream media, expect there to be a super-extra-large helping of





Ban printers for the children!


That is all.

8 comments:

Rev. Paul said...

Ayn Rand was right when she predicted (based on history) that everything would eventually be deemed a criminal act. She could have gone on to point out that the only logical response to that, is to go ahead & do whatever you want. If it's ALL wrong, then what difference does it make what you do?

Irish said...

Now we are going to have to register our 3D printers with ATF?

Bubblehead Les. said...

Of course, those of us who live in Free States can just forego the Expense of 3-D Printers and just buy the magazines and lowers. Let's do the Math: $15 a piece for 30 round mags x 20 = $300, plus $100 for Stripped Lower, vs how much for a 3-D printer and Materials? Maybe for the Resistance, but for the Zombie Apocalypse? Just take them off the corpses of the Dead Mall Ninjas.

LC Scotty said...

I know Sebastian at SIH was working on a similar project that was kicked off in response to HB308-McCarthy's mag ban bill.

Sigivald said...

Hell, anyone with a garage, some simple tools, and mechanical skills can make a gun right now.

Just not one as nice as an AR.

(Though of course, while an AR lower is legally "the gun" for regulatory purposes, you do kinda need some parts that can't be printed in plastic to make an actually functional firearm ...)

The hilarious-ish thing is that it's far easier to make an open-bolt fixed-firing-pin submachinegun (felony violation of the NFA) than a nice legal semi-auto or bolt gun.

Spike said...

As I was saying on Facebook: There is an outfit that lets you print into stainless steel currently.

Give them 5 years and you will be able to print an entire gun. Just break off a few springs, punch in a few pins, and you can go off shooting.


Its just a thing. But then again, to the anti's, even a thought is dangerous.

Laura said...

i had a conversation with a buddy of mine shortly after i posted it yesterday...he's honestly afraid of what people might do with this knowledge.

i'm disappointed. i thought i learned'im right. guess he and i will have to hit the range for some "reeducation" time.

Ed said...

"Naturally, printing out any magazine with a capacity of > 10 rounds would automatically make me a felon, so I'll just be printing 10-rounders for now..."

So, besides infringing on 2nd Amendment rights, Massachusetts is also against 1st Amendment "freedom of the press"?

Go express yourself.