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Post by Foggy on Aug 22, 2018 20:36:24 GMT -6
I had a big discussion with a few guys after golf today. They were pretty afraid of 3D printed plastic guns and what would become of us.
I told them that I spend all my life making material things from metals, plastic and other materials....and much of my time was spent in making gun related parts....including reloading tools and doing reloading and manufacturing of gun related stuff......and that I had a pretty fair undrstanding of physics......and I thought that plastic printed guns may kill the operator rather than the proposed victim. In short.....they thought I was nuts.
Well....I went to reading a bit on the interwebs on this topic.....and I am happy to report that I think we are just fine for the time being. Can you make evil stuff....sure. But 3D printing of firearms in todays tech is a non-starter....IMO.
Anyone with better info not his topic? speak up!
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Post by biglakebass on Aug 22, 2018 20:40:05 GMT -6
There has been a lot on the news about that. One of the news stations did a test on them. The pieces of shit blow up in your hand.
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Post by Catscratch on Aug 22, 2018 20:50:32 GMT -6
I was a machinist for a while. I made a .50 bmg that I still have and shoot. I program and operate a 3d printer somewhat often. Wouldn't trust a printed gun as much as I trust Hilary and slick Willy. So no, not worth worrying about in my opinion.
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Post by Reagan on Aug 23, 2018 2:46:43 GMT -6
3D printing is already happening with better materials than plastic. I sold a special tool to make a GE aerospace part 3 weeks ago. It was printed cobalt chrome.
I am not the least bit concerned about a printed gun. It’s nothing but media hype. A person can buy a cheap CNC mill and make gun parts without a printer. The tough thing to make is a barrel. I can walk into 20 plants to today making some sort of gun part. Only 1 is making barrels.
It is a hell of a lot easier to buy a gun at a store or from an individual than to actually produce a working gun. If we are not already overwhelmed by crazy Machinest making illegal guns, it won’t happen with printers.
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Post by Catscratch on Aug 23, 2018 5:54:52 GMT -6
I guess I should ask what they are afraid of. The only thing that makes since in my mind would be the fear of being able to pass a metal detector and get a gun onto a plane or into a federal building. In this case it would be a truly plastic gun and not something I would be particularity afraid of becoming a reality. I question their reliability and accuracy beyond a shot or two, and their range beyond a few yds. Otherwise (even printing with better materials like Reagan mentioned) a person might as well just buy a real gun.
Are your golf friends the type who believe in James Bond type gadgets? Rifles that can be snapped together out of a briefcase and have first shot accuracy out to a mile? Suppressors that actually make full power ammo silent? Plastic masks that can make a person look exactly like someone else? Voice modifiers? etc...
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Post by Foggy on Aug 23, 2018 6:48:00 GMT -6
^. Thanks for the opinions. I'm on the same page with most of the above info. I think there is lots of hysteria over this situation.....and dont feel there is much fire under that smoke.
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Post by benmnwi on Aug 23, 2018 12:57:15 GMT -6
I think a plastic knife would be a more effective weapon than a solid plastic gun. You can 3D print a plastic part that looks like a gun, but it can't take the pressures unless you reinforced the plastic gun with some metal. Which would kind of defeat the purpose of a plastic gun.
3D printed plastic parts are very weak because of their layering process. I'm guessing you can tell who owns a plastic gun because they have a stump where their hand used to be.
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Post by kabic on Aug 23, 2018 14:06:01 GMT -6
There is a cool video on you tube where a guy rifles his own barrel. If you want to see some cool homemade firearms take a look at the weaponsguild message board in the junkyard builds section.
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Post by Foggy on Aug 23, 2018 15:51:33 GMT -6
There is a cool video on you tube where a guy rifles his own barrel. If you want to see some cool homemade firearms take a look at the weaponsguild message board in the junkyard builds section. I made about 250 rifle barrels out of Aluminum at one time.....in order to sell my bullet seating depth gauges. I would take about a six inch x 1" diameter aluminum rod....and drill it on the lathe and ream the hole to proper "lands" diameter for a 308 bullet. Then I would chamber the aluminum blank in 308 Winchester with a chamber reamer.....after hogging the excess metal out with an end mill. Then I used a carbide button die and a large hydraulic press to push the button die thru the aluminum "barrel" .....and used STP lube to form the rifling. Then used a milling machine and a side cutting end mill too section about 1/3 the diameter of the chamber and throat so that folks could see what was happening when I used my tools to "find" the rifling. If they bought enough tools.....I gave them a demo bbl along with the purchase. Later.....after these tools were well written about in all the gun rags......I didn't need to prove how this worked anymore.....and stopped making aluminum barrels. I suppose I spent over 200 hours (?) making short aluminum barrels to give away.....but it worked.  . I still have a few....and show some friends how the tools work from time to time. Most folks dont have a clue what the chamber in a bbl looks like.....much less any ideas about bullet jump to the rifling....etc. |
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Post by jbird on Sept 14, 2018 14:34:22 GMT -6
We use 3D printed tools here at work all the time in our prototype shop. For the most part, even the metal parts will not stand up to the pressures needed to make a viable firearm. You can get some products to tolerate compression loads (we make some external bending tools with the stuff) to do some neat things, but an explosive force is a huge issue..... For the most part I think this is more of the left agenda in the media and the anti-gun folks trying more, additional scare tactics. Most folks are not going to by expensive printers to make these things. It's easier to buy a gun off the street out of the back of a van.....AND you don't have to worry about the damn thing blowing up and tearing your hand off!
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. I still have a few....and show some friends how the tools work from time to time. Most folks dont have a clue what the chamber in a bbl looks like.....much less any ideas about bullet jump to the rifling....etc. 