3D printers...

[bojan]

I saw in the news today SF fan was charged with manufacturing guns.... using his 3D printer at home

While this charge is most likely just ridiculous and result of someone's malice and lack of understanding the technology (involving both firearms and 3D printing at home), I am wandering if one day 3D printing at home will be banned, just like lasers are...

[dannat (Daniel)]

he had a few glocks. I wonder if he tried to fire any, or was just making them as trophies

[AstralTraveller (David)]

The problem is that, even if they don't work, they could still be used for a robbery etc if they look real enough. If the person is agro enough and waving the thing about most people are going to believe it is real and act accordingly. Of course someone may call your bluff but that is quite unlikely.

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

I am thinking if someone has a CNC machine and the proper metal working equipment they could be doing the same as well?

[bojan]

There is no way a plastic replica (which is what they were.... unless he had metalwork machinery at home as well) could be used to fire the shells.

[bojan]

Originally Posted by 04Stefan07

I am thinking if someone has a CNC machine and the proper metal working equipment they could be doing the same as well?

You need only a lathe and mill.. to make a proper and REALLY deadly pistol (for others.... if someone tries to fire a plastic gun, he will not pass his genes any further, which will be actually good for gene pool).

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

I agree.

The law in relation to this is a bit far fetched. Any blacksmith or anyone who has metalwork machinery can easily make a proper gun that fires but there is an issue printing replica guns out of plastic?!? They are painting a bad picture of 3D printing.

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

Originally Posted by bojan

You need only a lathe and mill.. to make a proper and REALLY deadly pistol (for others.... if someone tries to fire a plastic gun, he will not pass his genes any further, which will be actually good for gene pool).

Yep exactly!

[bojan]

Originally Posted by 04Stefan07

...They are painting a bad picture of 3D printing.

That is what worries me...

[billdan (Bill)]

I believe the SF fan only printed the plastic replicas for a display cabinet and they had no metal parts in them.

He shouldn't have posted the photos on facebook.

EDIT: As a 12 year old in the 1950's I had a metal toy Luger replica, and other replica guns, no hysteria back then.
I was in the army cadets in the 1960's and we used to walk around the streets with our .303 rifles.

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

Originally Posted by bojan

That is what worries me...

I remember a year or two back in the U.S. there was massive news where a 3D printer exploded and claimed a life (heard this on a podcast I listen to regularly). It was a tragic story but instantly the headlines read that it was an issue with the 3D printer and it painted a really bad picture on the technology saying how unsafe it is.

Drilling down into the story apparently the guy who lost his life sprayed something like 3 full cans of hairspray on the heated build plate and there was no ventilation in the room. On top of that (the parents who were magicians) had equipment stored in boxes in the same room. Now, you know when the magicians throw the ball of smoke and they vanish? Whatever those are called were in some of the boxes and it somehow caused the explosion. It is a sad story I know but the point I am making is it sounded like there was misuse of the printer.

Same with stories about explosions or houses burning down. You don't hear the full story and the media word things in a way to scare people and to make something like a new technology look bad!

[JA]

I think that with the right design, material, fill factor and choice of calibre, I can see that it would be possible to make a functional and obviously dangerous/concealable firearm with 3D priniting (and perhaps a metal firing pin) and that the authorities have good reason to be concerned on that basis.

Best
JA

[bojan]

Well... in that case anything is potentially dangerous.
Even fork or chopsticks could be considered lethal if used in a certain way.

[bojan]

Here we go....
http://www.news.com.au/national/brea...4706f26c8836d8

[gary]

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

The problem is that, even if they don't work, they could still be used for a robbery etc if they look real enough. If the person is agro enough and waving the thing about most people are going to believe it is real and act accordingly. Of course someone may call your bluff but that is quite unlikely.

For some comedy relief, see https://youtu.be/W8g24ml5cPc

[csb (Craig)]

News stories from a few years ago told of a pistol blueprint put online for anyone to download. Some organisations made the gun to test if can actually shoot - and proved it could.

This is follow up story from ABC:

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-0...t-file/6429816

[bojan]

If they want to monitor sales of 3D printers because it can allegedly be used for manufacturing of firearms replicas, then they have to monitor sales of every other hand tool: drills, files, saws... anything
Not to mention lathes, mills..
Almost all 3D printers for home are using plastic as material. There are 3D printers that use metal (titanium for example.... I saw demonstrations of couple of models at CSIRO facilities in Clayton last year) but they are very expensive equipment.. and even their printout is not much more precise compared to my home made 3D printer (I can do +-0.15mm if I am lucky), which is good for many things but totally insufficient for manufacturing the working firearm ( I am guessing the tolerances there should be around 0.005mm max). I simply don't believe plastic gun (without metal parts) can fire a shell for the start.
Someone can 3D print a handle for example... but then again almost anyone can make a better and stronger handle from hardwood, at home, using only saw, file and drill.
Any mechanical metal work shop (with manual tools and lathe) can do way better, both in terms of tolerances and mechanical strength... not to mention buying real illegal arms from dealers.
So all this is barking up the wrong tree... IMHO.

The only concern regarding the home 3D printing are replicas which do not fire, as was demonstrated by the most recent case in Sydney.

[sil (Steve)]

The government and the laws are never in touch with changing technologies and their goal is to ensure we use everything in only the way they describe so anyone doing something different or surprising has to be made an example of. At least until they can tax it to pay for their childrens educations.

Yes 3d printed guns are easy to make, yes they work, no they cant 3D print gunpowder or working bullets. Convenience stores have been held up with nerf guns and water pistols, probably bananas. Getting laws related to weapons relaxed in any way from their broad definitions is just not going to happen. The guy is just a freakin' idiot and I'm fine with him being made an example of. Along with anyone who actually would buy a 3d printed gun for $1M.

It wasn't too long ago programmers were going to jail for writing and distributing encryption algorithms as an international arms trafficing offence. So a little common sense folks, you want to test the law with a smart arse attitude and your new 3d printed laser pointer bobblehead yoyo or whatever, don't blame anyone but yourself when it all goes wrong for you.

I'm surprised there isn't more of a stink over 3d printers from copyright lawyers claiming everyone will make unauthorised copies of everything from fishing lures to frisbees.

[Mosc_007 (Charles)]

Weather the Printed Gun works or not, is not the issue. It's perception that comes into play.

If you Rob a store using a Plastic gun that doesn't work you still get charged with Armed Robbery. That is because the people at the other end of the gun don't know its a fake.

Still would be stupid to ban 3D printers because of this. We should ban All guns because they can kill.