Out of curiosity, what’s everybody’s opinion on printed weapons? I personally detest the idea because it makes it too easy for some ignorant legislators to legislate 3d printers, but I’m curious about other arguments out there.
Sorry if this has been asked recently.
It’s a horrible discussion to even have in the first place. Grab a pipe, 2 endcaps, and some stump remover, and you too can make pipe bombs. There are easier ways to make weaponry - it’s ridiculous that there are people who entertain the idea at all, as if it has some sort of effect on obtaining a weapon already…
You can buy AR-15 Lowers that are 90% completed, and a few simple milling operations with a $400 manual mill and you’ll have a real, workable part, for a lot less hassle than dealing with a 3D printer. 3D printing gun parts is stupid, and will likely kill the user way sooner than anyone will be able to actually hurt anyone else with one.
The whole damn subject is being brought up by a law student, merely looking for recognition. He keeps pushing it and pushing it and everyone keeps gobbling the crap up.
Barbra Streisand effect anyone?
3d printing is new. New stuff tends to be a magnet for fear and ridicule.
Yeah… You can get hurt or hurt someone else using this technology. However, it is human nature at fault, not the technology. Do I think it’s a good idea to print weapons? Nope. Do I think it deserves laws or regulations? Nope.
As you can see, no one in these parts is at all impressed. 3D printing isn’t really changing anything as far as firearms are concerned. It isn’t lowering the bar, and the people it has the most potential of hurting are those trying to use the printed parts.
The Defense Distributed guys are just a bunch of jocks. Watch any of their YouTube videos and you can see they’re just trying to seem butch. They give 3D printing a bad name, sadly, but they aren’t actually doing anything vaguely difficult or impressive, and a serious industry professional would be able to replicate most of their progress in an afternoon.
they’re not about changing anything as far as firearms and 3d printing go. they’re attempting to show how stupid the current laws are.
@Jonathan_se5a_Sorens That’s not what their mission statement says. That’s not the way they act in their PR. It’s easy to invoke Poe’s Law, but that’s not what I see when I look at it.
@ThantiK DD is a law student? Now I dislike them even more…
I mean I thought they were just some guys that really liked guns trying to 3d print them without thinking about the implications. If it’s really some guy poking the US legal system saying “Hey! You don’t know enough about 3d printing! Come mess with 3d printing!” that’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Unregulated 3d printers are the best 3d printers. What kind of asshole wants the law mixed in with this technology?
@Nick_Parker That’s not really a concern, though. FDM/FFF printing is nearly impossible to legislate. The technology is open source and dead simple, at its heart. The government can’t very well ban Arduinos and stepper motors.
The bad buzz is no fun. I hate having to answer questions about WikiWeapon to Joe Schmoe on the street. But it isn’t going to be more than a blip on the radar years from now.
Yeah I suppose there isn’t much they can do to our machines. Except maybe legislate them in an unenforceable way then when/if metal printers come along say “we did it for plastic printers, why wouldn’t we do it for metal ones?”
the easiest answer to Joe Schmoe on the street RE: WikiWeapon? “Media whoring”
Most of the fear about someone being able to print a firearm comes from people who have no understanding of 3D printing or firearms. ABS or PLA plastic is not a suitable material for most firearms parts and printed parts do not have the strength that machined or injection molded parts have.