FAQ
Is this legal?
Printing guns? Sharing their designs for free? Soliciting contributions for it all?
Since its inception, it has been legal in the USA to fashion your own firearm, and to talk about doing so. More precise legalities are that it is legal to produce any category of weapon you could ordinarily legally own, so long as you are not providing it for sale or are not prohibited from possessing firearms in the first place. Everything else is free speech, ladies and gentlemen.
These answers are only good for US jurisdiction, however. If you are in another country, proceed with the expectation that every bit of this is illegal. Contribute anyway.
Are you making guns for people?
Is giving you a blueprint for a house the same as building that house for you?
Our project is to test and share .STL designs through file sharing services like BitTorrent, not to print guns for people. No prototype we print or test will ever be sold or given to another person. And nothing we create as a part of this project is for sale.
Why guns?
We are informed by the Internet itself. If we truly believe information should be free, that the internet is the last bastion of freedom and knowledge, and that societies that share are superior to societies that censor and withhold, then why not guns?
Freedom of information has material, decentralizing consequences. And this is a good thing.
Further, what does it mean to be serious about rights? Every judicially protected civil liberty can be abused. That protection, that abuse, has real social cost. But is degree of social cost the calculus for protecting civil rights? That is absurd. When we say universal access to the firearm, we mean it.
Why would anyone buy a 3D printer just to print a gun?
There are a lot of assumptions there. Firstly, one must not necessarily buy a commercial 3D printer or wait for that technology to fall in price. Projects like RepRap, for example, exist to create a future where printers are both printable and affordable. Here there is no top-down retail model for acquiring the technology. You might one day just as easily receive the means of production from a friend who decides to print it for you. We predict gun printing will spread more successfully and subversively through practices like these.
How many people will have 3D printers? Not many I suspect.
See the above answer as well. Desktop 3D printing technology is much like desktop printing in the early 80′s. Innovation and demand will drive down barriers to entry to the technology over time. This project itself may have a tiny part in doing that. How many people have 3D printers now? Few, and those are limited to the first world.
But how many people will want access to the technology as it begins to seriously replicate tools and complex machinery? Let demand and prices work, and watch what unfolds.
Where are you supposed to get bullets?
We thought .22 LR would be the easiest ammunition for people in an insurgence scenario to get their hands on. It’s cheap, ubiquitous, small. We do begin with the assumption of available ammunition, yes, but the WikiWep project still envisions blunderbuss and bangstick design concepts to accommodate any kind of projectile(s).
Why print dangerous guns when you can cheaply buy reliable ones?
An expression of the uniquely American ennui we find when presenting this project. Perhaps it’s born of the extreme economic advantage of loading out at Walmart.
WikiWep is about challenging gun control and regulation. Economic or reliability advantages vs. traditional guns or gun production aren’t even at issue. We look to inspire and defend those who live (and are threatened to live) under politically oppressive regimes. Firearm Rights are Human Rights.
Aren’t you creating a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist?
This is a silly question, but let’s entertain it. Solving future problems is less expensive than solving present ones.
So you’re welcome.
Aren’t you underestimating the decency of the human race?
This is a veiled way of asking if people are capable of handling their own freedom. Still a serious question, but let’s bring the paternalistic assumptions out into the sunlight. If you’re a modern political “progressive,” there is nothing that can be said to sway you from your social contract literalisms and sense of duty to the cowering masses.
But achieving your world of perfect safety, and transferring all risk of freely-printed guns, will require tyranny.
How long it will it take to have a functional, printable gun?
Watch our video. There are two ways to answer this question. If we receive full funding, we’ll approach the problem differently than if we receive partial funding. In fact, partial funding is increasingly looking like the more efficient outcome, and here’s why:
Our original plan is to buy a printer and develop without serious material or temporal constraint. We predict all STL files will be shared within 90 days. But if we receive partial funding, we will lease a printer for 90 days and open development up to the world through a design contest, ensuring achievement of the goal. <–more on that in our next video. It’s likely the idea that will win us the Internet.
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98 Comments
Great idea, guys! Here in Russia your invention would be useful because of restrictions in buying and wearing a handgun. All silly restrictions will become useless soon. I believe Russian pro-handgun society with you with all their hearts. I am definitly with you. Will send you some money soon.
This is a great way to even out the urban battlefield. I like this idea, I really do!
You had my attention at printable guns then locked it in with the bitcoin accepted here picture. Keep up the good work concepts like these need to be realized today.
I am not so much into this gun-stuff but you got me with this one:
“If we truly believe information should be free, that the internet is the last bastion of freedom and knowledge, and that societies that share are superior to societies that censor and withhold, then why not guns?”
Oh year, USD 20 for you via PP
I don’t follow your gun logic. Certainly we can think of more suitable & humanitarian uses for a technology powerful enough to cheaply ‘print’ virtually anything non-organic into existence… What result was intended when the decision to start with the gun was made?
All guns do is hurt others. Shouldn’t we be focused on helping others first?
you are all nuts. whats next? printing dirty bombs?
What about paintball guns?
This will change the status quo for less gun-infested nations, and I’m not sure if I can like that even though I’m enthusiastic about free information exchange and 3D printers. I -don’t- have to realistically fear guns in my country, and this project will change that.
I hope you will sleep well at night when your designs are found at crime scenes, used for attack, not defense (and I don’t mean this sarcastically, I’d really have a hard time dealing with that myself, and nobody wishes something like that onto another human being)
Supporting Tor myself, I have to deal with the same moral implications, with the important distinction that the worst crimes I can think of are digital and non-real for the most part: Child pornography: Bad, but distribution in open channels might help police find the people on the pictures
Terrorists/bad people talking in anonymity: good chance that they will make a mistake when talking anonymously, to find out who they really are.
I’m not sure you can reason away the non-digital downsides of your weapons design falling into the wrong hands. Free information exchange only gets you so far if you want to sleep well at night
What the hell are you doing here. Wait for this fascistoid thing to get down. We will public all your addresses, stalk your families and make your and your families lives beyond all bearing. We will get you.
I understand your idea of free information. But I do lock certain stuff away from my children to prevent them from hurting theirselves.
Mentally unbalanced people like ‘metamurk’ form a part of my decision to always carry a firearm.
This is a great project.
Self-defense is a human right. Go! Go! Go!
You are a murderer
Go for it… nearly anything can be construed into use as a weapon. One person’s terrorist is another’s patriot. A 22 LR HP to a “terrorist” knee could save dozens of “patriots’ lives.”
If only there was a way to limit this circulation to Texas and Arkansas so that you could wipe each other out with these things.
Before poisoning the rest of us.
So basically you guys just want 20.000 dollars to buy yourselves a nice printer.. the project makes no sense whatsoever…
A Great idea, although not completely new. 80% gun frames have been around a while. My biggest concern is, you guys aren’t going to print a barrel, are you? I say give up your fantasy of 100% printable guns, and maybe go for all the difficult parts printable, with some very easy to acquire metal parts. Tubing is often easy to acquire. What might be even better is a frame for an existing design, so that parts are readily available. I was thinking of doing this with a 1911, needing only one or two metal parts, which would be so simple, they could never be considered a frame legally. If you’re in an oppressed country, getting a complete gun frame in the mail would likely be a really bad idea, but obscure pieces of metal that don’t look like anything would likely pass through. Even better, what about a ‘Transformer Gun’, where vital metal components are pre-existing parts for something else, like an appliance or vehicle. Then, a 3d printable gun would be designed to incorporate these parts.
I’m from Madrid, Spain (Europe, just in case).
I have never seen a weapon in hands of a person other than a policeman. I feel secure. I don’t need a weapon, nor I know anyone that would need it. If someone enters my house, I would call the police (which is trained, and well maintained by our taxes).
I calmly walk at night here. As I did in half Europe the last year. I lived in Münster, Germany, for a whole year a while ago. It felt even safer. I even not saw police as often.
We have never ever had a shooting in a school, or something close to it. never. ever. It hardly happens in Europe (last thing I remember, the 2011 norway attacks). In the last week, I saw 2 shootings from USA in the TV. There seem to be at least 1 school shooting per year in USA.
Guns are dangerous. Maybe you don’t feel how secure it is to live without them, because they have been always around you.
I just hope this idea and this site gets declared illegal and closed, because it’s inviable to hope that this would not be accesible from Europe.
P.S: I love open source and FOSS. I love 3d printers. I love free information. but I love more to be safe and calm. You could be really improving this world, and this is not gonna do that.
When thhe first human is killed with a printable gun – will you then realize you did something wrong?
To our Spanish Friend — It took the Spanish Civil War and a tune-up pounding of the Basque Country by Hitler’s Luftwaffe, followed by 30+ years of Fascist dictatorship to put Spain “in the mood” to disarm their civilian population. Now you make lots of guns and sell them in the USofA.
I live in an oppressed nation, and know full well the implications of gun control. People here fear the police, the criminals, and the government. I’m one of the lucky minority with access to firearms, and I fear no man. My family and property are safe because I am vigilant and armed. My country will be nothing but better when arms become better distributed.
you people dont put things into perspective and you’re all fear oriented, where does the fear come from? The gun doesnt have anything to fear for, it’s the application of the gun. But how many weapons do you think are already in application right now? Millions of guns are in are society already, and billions of bullets. How easy do you think it is to buy a gun, or a knife, or to simply run someone over?
You’re missing the point.
BRILLIANT! keep up the good work!
Amazed to see people saying “no one needs a gun, call the police, they are trained”, yea, trained to brutalize you after getting there in 11 1/2 minutes (avg. response time in some places).I think this is a brilliant idea, most gun owners own guns for protection/defense, not offensive purposes. America was founded on gun ownership, it’s what seperates free men from slaves.
my comments have disappeared :S
I live in an oppressed nation, and know full well the implications of gun control. People here fear the police, the criminals, and the government. I’m one of the lucky minority with access to firearms, and I fear no man. My family and property are safe because I am vigilant and armed. My country will be nothing but better when arms become better distributed.
+1
kakodaimon – 11 1/2 minutes IF they show up. In some places the police show up days after you call. Some places like in Alaska, they do not show up at all. I have personally been told by police officers that there is no requirment for them to show up at all. So, yes, I think this is a fantastic idea and whole heartedly support this project.
I am amazed at how many people willfully choose the feeling of security over freedom. For those of you who choose to relinquish your rights to government, I suggest you study history to find out how oppressive governments come into being and how they maintain control. If you think it cannot happen in your country, you have learned nothing and are truly ignorant of the way societies work.
We would all rather live in a world where bad things do not happen and bad people do not exist. Easy access to weapons will not solve any of societies issues and it will not make those issues any worse. What it will do is slow the progress of oppression by authority and perhaps, with any luck, instill some personal dignity into those people who are right now, nothing more than mindless drones marching to the orders of those who claim to have their best interests in mind.
This is a great way to promote 3D printer tech & reprap! You rock! Keep up the great work!
I 100% support this idea… the fucking jewish bankers controlling the united nations and the western hemisphere want to take away our freedoms and also the ability to defend those freedoms using GUNS!!! FUCK THAT BULLSHIT!!!
Same assholes want a cashless society so they control who can and cannot use their printed widgets to buy goods and services.
Fuck all the dipshits who have been brainwashed by Jewish controlled media.
People are more polite to each other when they know that everyone is carrying guns.
Criminals are afraid to DRAW and USE their weapons when they know that they can be SHOT IN THE BACK from anyone regular citizen who is carrying a gun.
Robbing the cashier at a liquor store? Not if someone standing in line BLEW YOUR HEAD OFF…
Robbing the gas station? Not if someone waiting in line BLEW YOUR HEAD OFF…
Decided to go on a killing spree in a moving theater? Not if a fellow movie watcher BLEW YOUR HEAD OFF…
Right now, only criminals have ACCESS to GUNS. Why? Cause they are fucking criminals… Why are we only giving access to guns to criminals? Why shouldn’t the AVERAGE LAW ABIDING AMERICAN be able to protect themselves?
HYPOCRITS, ALL Y’ALLZ!!!
You faggots wanna rip on China’s human rights records, and then in the same fucking breath, want to TAKE AWAY YOUR OWN GUNS??? Are you assholes fucking for reals?
Do you know how many Chinese people would love to own guns? They would TOTALLY RISE UP and overthrow their government if they had guns. It’s so funny…
The fact that Americans ARE ACTUALLY DEBATING about gun ownership and 2nd Amendment rights shows that the BRAINWASHING OF AMERICA perpetrated by the MEDIA is absolutely and utterly BRILLIANT.
Bankers cannot control you if you are actually ARMED with weapons that can kill them. That’s why they want to take them away from you. Then they work with their MEDIA brothers to BRAINWASH you guys. Isn’t it OBVIOUS? It’s obvious to everyone else except Americans…
Guns=Power, Power=Freedom
To all those people living in europe that just don’t understand why anyone would ever need a gun, suck it. You don’t need guns because we’re here to save you from your enemies. Remember Hitler? When he threatened to invade England,we had to take up firearm donations here in the US to arm them because their ignorant-ass government thought it would be safer to take firearms away from the returning WW1 soldiers. AMERICAN CIVILIANS HAD TO DONATE PRIVATE FIREARMS TO A SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENT
What would the Syrian people do without guns? Get killed and never have the chance to defend themselves. Guns aren’t exclusively for defending yourself against criminals, its defending yourself against your enemies, foreign and domestic. The whole of Spain couldn’t defend themselves against one of our Boy Scout troops.
my dick is so long you wouldn’t believe it
I’ll take an M32 please.
I’m getting hard just thinking about this gun! Please hurry to finish the design. Once I can print guns I’ll be a man for sure. Sweet Freedom Oh Yeah fap fap fap
Looking forward to how this turns out.
Here’s my beliefs on gun laws.
If guns are illegal, the only people who will have guns are the criminals, druglords, mafias, terrorists. They don’t care about the law, they’ll just buy their illegal AK-47s and kill as many people as they can until the police show up.
Now, imagine if EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN carried a gun and knew how to use it. Yes, there would be insane people who would try to shoot others. But if they try it, they get stopped by the dozen other people drawing their Handguns. Massacres would not be nearly as bad if the criminal in question could be eliminated before he hurt too many innocent people.
That is also the reason I believe gun laws around schools are idiotic, but that’s for another day.
Good work. Even if I never actually make a 3D Printer Gun it’s a great idea.
＼(◎o◎)／！
Love it!
You need to spend a nice, long 20 years in prison as a warning to other gun freaks. You want self-defense from a dangerous situation loose gun laws create, but are too stupid to see that simple fact: that by itself disqualifies you from being allowed anywhere near a dangerous weapon.
With all the things in the world this violent nutcase could create, he decides to create handguns? Anyone else able to read between the lines?
How about that F16? I think I wnat to print one. Did you get the CAD design uploaded to your website yet? Or is it available somewhere else to download?
Actually, maybe that’s too complicated to start with. How about a boomerang? We already know plastic boomerangs work. And they aren’t as complicated as supersonic single-engine jet aircraft or firearms. No moving parts. So why don’t you start with uploading a set of CAD files for a boomerang? Then you can proceed to those other, more complicated, projects.
Adam
Can’t wait for this to happen. I am eager to watch from a super safe distance when you dummies figure out where to find a printer and finish this thing on up. are you going to laser scan in other gun makers parts or are you also coming up with your own design at the same time too? Not sure why you haven’t gotten a printer yet because there are gobs of these around. I watched the first 3d printers in action around the turn of the century. Fascinating theory and process but you are a bit late to the game to be honest.
Anyway…lets see. Will you make your gun from Alumide, Sandstone, Glass, UV cured Polymer or maybe Stainless Steel? Ok, you picked stainless. Smart choice. Wait! Now you need to raise another 40k to afford the 8$ per cubic centemeter for your parts. Then you have texture issues, integrity issues, tolerance variances which are not acceptable in this type of project. Just about a total fail.
“Nice handgun…what did that cost you?” “Oh, about 7500$ not including the machine time.” “Smart DIY project….NOT.”
Good luck figuring out how to blow your face off with borrowed cash! HA
Have you given much thought to the illegal use of your process and the files made available?
I’m licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but many are not because of past criminal history, psychological problems, etc. Have you given thought to the effects of putting even a “deadly one time” firearm into their hands?
The question becomes not one of “Can we do this?” but rather one of “Should we do this?”
Totally support this idea. These left wing morons just enjoy sick bastards like that Holmes nutcase, otherwise they would support legal gun ownership. (Which we all know, could have prevented that shooting).
I’m just curious how you respond to criticisms in who this will really benefit… In oppressive/corrupt regimes, ordinary people don’t have the resources to run a 3D printer, and likely never will, even if they are self-replicating.
The ones who do have the means will be very much like those who are already running around Africa with bands of armed men shooting innocents, raping women, and stealing children.
What scenario exactly do you imagine where a populous is wealthy enough to obtain 3D printing material and ammunition, but desperate enough to need them?
You are so very wrong. I don’t live in the US but have visited and your gun laws are just insane.
Just look at the numbers of deaths by firearms between Europe and the US.
The one country in Europe that allows that conscripted citizens to keep a weapon at home for defence purposes also has the highest death rate from firearms in Europe.
Either deliberately or by accident any firearm death is one too many. You don’t need them and they just lead to an escalation in the level of violence in a community.
Our UK police force is not armed and they don’t need to be unless the influences of the American example forces our criminals to increase the use of the gun.
To design, produce and promote a printed gun is just irresponsible and stupid.
More guns, more shootings, more killings, awesome!!! You guys are pure genius
This conversation reminds me of a large computer ceo that once said we’er not intrested in building home computers people just won’t buy them, can you believe your wife will put her recipes on a computer.I don’t think so.No one thought we could go to the moon, no one thought we could trans plant a heart. never say never thats how we get it done.A far as all the bad things that could happen remember no good deed goes unpunished
Oh, by the way I love the idea.
the command control freaks are wetting their pants over 3D printing.
We thought Wiki Weapon was so interesting that we featured your site on today’s newsletter for our online gun shop http://personalsecurityzone.com/newsletters/
Best wishes!
Mary Kay at http://personalsecurityzone.com
Re: “you guys aren’t going to print a barrel, are you? I say give up your fantasy of 100% printable guns”, <<< That tech is coming along as well. Additive metals manufacturing technologies lay out powdered metal (amorphous/grainless!) objects in a range of materials such as stainless, cobalt, chromium and vanadium steels and even titanium. The best models use a per/layer fusing of the deposits via high energy lasers. This exists right now and is already being used in medicine and formula 1 racing. In such a paradigm, two printers (one plastic, one SLM etc lasered metal) would be a complete answer. The reason for metal in the barrel/receiver are the pressures involved which get into the tens of thousands of CUP or psi. Interestingly, rounds such as the .38 Special or even the .44 Special have lower chamber pressures than the .22 LR. If you allow links this will be one – http://www.lasc.us/SAAMIMaxPressure.htm — Another eventuality, this too already exists in test labs, is printing an atom-layer at a time using the carbon allotrope Graphene, which is simultaneously a bit 'rubbery' but also tougher than diamond and 200 times stronger than steel.
Okay, so even assuming you can get the metal composition correct and solid enough to withstand the chamber pressure, what about the ammo? You can’t just 3d print cordite, and the fulminates for the primer.
Quit panicking, people. I can go to my local Ace hardware and pick up everything I need to assemble a submachinegun in my garage with no fancy tools beyond a hammer, a drill, and an angle grinder. Amazingly, we don’t have scores of people being mowed down by homemade submachineguns.
Actually it is possible to make a gun entirely out of plastic. As they say in the FAQ (Read it?) this gun is only going to be able to fire one or two shots at most before it warps itself beyond repair.
Now if you wanted a re-useable gun you would need metal. Think of the Wiki Weapon as a disposable gun, like a disposable camera.
What do you plan to use for the barrel? Because obviously plastic used in 3d printers wont due, even for a 22lr.
There are 2 ways to get somebody to do something – force, and consent.
Governments have a monopoly on force. Governments start wars. Governments in the past century or so have killed approximately 300 million of their own people.
Given that governments have killed more people in the past century than all firearms murders by far, and have started all the wars, I say that removing the government monopoly on force isn’t a terrible idea at all.
Besides, the main reason that people kill each other is because of wealth disparity. The 3D revolution will mean that everybody will have more of what they want, and hence reduce wealth disparity.
People with everything that they want, who do not feel abused, and who have full bellies at night tend to be much nicer to each other than those who do not.
I really like what you guys are doing. Well done.
. Most human beings are, in fact, ipnrsroesible and stupid, and many of them are evil, as I pointed out in the quote. I know this because I drive on I-95 in Virginia fairly regularly, and anyone who doubts the truth of this only needs to watch a few episodes of Cops or consider the popularity of reality television.While this may come across as condescension, it has nothing to do with bigotry, which depends on intolerance of people because of their traits or membership in a group. Merely pointing out that some people lack critical thinking skills or basic self-discipline might make me an asshole, but it does not make me a bigot.Notwithstanding my belief in the irresponsibility and stupidity of others, this single quote does not show that I have consistently said this. Once in several months of blogging does not make this a consistent subject of discussion.Mike also misread my post if he thinks I claimed that better regulation would save thousands of lives. I suggested that this is possible, and that it would make sense to examine how we might reform firearm regulation to do so. I also, by the way, pointed out that any solution depends on a balance between keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous lunatics and protecting the rights of legitimate firearm users.I suspect that I could put together a solid if contestable case that certain changes in gun laws might save thousands of lives, but I doubt if Mike and the guys would accept any evidence at all if it pokes at their cognitive dissonance. Because you see for all their screaming for evidence they provide little of it themselves. Instead they will repeatedly claim that they do, and then resort to name calling and NRA talking points. As I pointed out above, defenders of gun rights have no intention of having a logical and civil policy discussion. They cut it off by shouting Liberty! Totalitarianism! Utilitarianism! and then whine about imagined bigotry and condescension. Any incremental increase in firearm ownership restriction amounts to disarmament and violates their basic liberty. This is the road to totalitarianism, they say, since all gun control advocates by that they mean all of them, no exceptions actually want to use government to take complete control of everyone’s life. And it’s all just a utilitarian calculation anyway, since no regulatory regime can completely solve the problem. Without a perfect solution we have to privilege the right of everyone to obtain a gun even dangerous lunatics as cheaply as possible, whether or not regulation would save innocent lives at the margin. If I could demonstrate scientifically that repealing the Tiahrt Amendment would save thousands of lives Mike would still reject the idea of doing so.Anyone who doubts this should dig around in the archives on this site, and look at responses to comments at gun blogs. Mike can’t even have a civil discussion about beer without
It’s funny how all these anti gun people think guns wake up one day and just go around killing people.. Anyone ever think people kill people not guns.. Should we ban cars because someone drinks and drives and kills someone?? Wake up people..
Guns don’t kill!!! Dangerous minorities on drugs do!
This concept reminds me of “The Liberator” the USA air dropped these cheap single shot pistols into France during WW2. Insuring the French people had a chance to win back their country.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FP-45_Liberator
dangerous minorities on Drugs kill With GUNS. FACTS Work!!!
I just finished two more AKs in my garage without a printer. Though with a printer, I could do a few AR receivers as well.
Given how many panty-wetters are wailing and threatening impotently via modem, I think I’ll get some parts and start on another one tomorrow.
If you google, “A guide for AK build parties,” you’ll either be enlightened or despondent.
The right to own weapons is the right to be free.
Guys,
Just because you CAN do something (aka freedom to print handguns) doesn’t make it a valuable addition to society. Sure gun-ownership proves our freedom, but have you thought of the negatives? Could it outweight all the supposed benefits you claim for a free and open society?
Why not generate a tools that can help with global hunger or malnutrition? Maybe a water filtering system or a cooking range that works in adverse conditions?
At the very least, hope you think about it
-JJ
P.S. Your FAQ section is interesting but why the smugness in your answers?
“Firearm Rights are Human Rights.”
Then would you advocate supplying prisoners in jails with guns?
“Then would you advocate supplying prisoners in jails with guns?”
Sounds like a pretty stupid concept to even suggest. If you really think anyone would advocate for that then it’s less about you missing the point of what wiki weapons stand for and more about your being incompetent on purpose to make a crude and meaningless point.
You can do better than that man
We have a completely criminal government murdering, torturing, kidnapping, raping and stealing from foreign nationals. We have a completely criminal government covering it’s ass with large numbers of men-with-guns.
That’s all you really need to know to understand that civilian ownership of totally unregulated weapons is a very good thing.
While as a Democrat I support your right to do this project, and admire your balls for self-promotion, as a UT law student certainly you understand that you fundamentally misread the Constitutional right to bear arms, which was never intended by the Framers as an individual right but as a means to defend ourselves from the British at the time this great country was founded.
Why not scan a functional gun using a 3D scanner, using that as a first prototype instead of building one from scratch?
This is the future!! Those who fear guns are exactly the ones who should be fighting for the right to bear arms – so that we can protect them from evil people who use them in bad ways. Enough with the anti-gun babble please.. let’s allow freedom to evolve and get this thing off the ground.
Great idea and I hope to be printing myself soon!
American ingenuity at its best.
You rock! All Russian people wish you success! Help us to be free!
This is terrific, hopefully this will allow us freedom starved Europeans to get our hands on a gun without much trouble
I think before you release something like this you need to realize that you cant “take it back” If it gets on the internet it is permanent and I see innocent bloodshed in the future. For that i truly hope a finished version of this project never sees the light of day. I see school shootings and wonderful technology like the Rep-Rap being reduced to an untracable weapon system. Please abandon this project.
Great! We may need these more than ever if the US continues its move towrd absolute Despotism.
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I’m in the UK and have travelled all over the world. I’ve never heard a gun fired or have seen a firearm other than those used by a Police officer. Even then I can count them on the fingers of one hand.
In my experience firearms are readily available in the more “unstable” society’s and countries.
The more repressed its people, the more inhumane the dictator or unstable/corrupt it’s society is, the greater the use of firearms.
Grow up America, and show the world you have some guts and get hold of your gun problem.
I live in Texas, and whole heartedly support gun rights. I like the idea of this, and I believe that it is the right of every adult sane law abiding citizen to own a firearm. On the other side of the coin, even in Texas children, criminals with a felony/felonies, or those deemed mentally unstable can not legally buy guns. I fear that this could put a gun in the hands of those three groups. Criminals will find guns through illegal means if they really want to anyway. Children can be taught gun safety (and it is very important that more are taught to treat weapons with the highest respect). The mentally unstable are the real wild card, as I see no way to defend against that unless even the mentally unstable could see that attacking an armed group of adult sane law abiding citizens was suicide. I think this will put more guns into the hands of the oppressed and those who need protection, than those who could be dangerous. The people that fear guns are those that are unarmed. I’ll tell you one thing, in Texas (especially in small towns), no one tresspasses or breaks into others houses. Why? Because criminals fear armed victims. I know I sleep more soundly with my Ak under my bed knowing that (God forbid I had to) I could protect myself and family if I needed to.
*could put a gun in their hands more easily.*
Afterall, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Whether its with guns, knives, or their own hands. Until we live in a world where violence (of any kind, gun or otherwise) does not exist, ill keep my protection close. I hope to never use it on another person.
Sorry for yet another post, but I had to address the fool of a student at UT:
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”-Thomas Jefferson, Proposed Virginia constitution
“I learn with great concern that [one] portion of our frontier so interesting, so important, and so exposed, should be so entirely unprovided with common fire-arms. I did not suppose any part of the United States so destitute of what is considered as among the first necessaries of a farm house.” Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Jacob J. Brown (1808)
“The said Constitution [shall] be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms.” Samuel Adams of Massachusetts — U.S. Constitution ratification convention, 1788
“[Tyranny cannot be safe] without a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace.” James Madison, In his autobiography
(notice the distinction between standing army and disarmed populous.)
Finally:
“This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!” Adolph Hitler, Germany, 1933
“The mentally unstable are the real wild card, as I see no way to defend against that …. ”
The people running this country are mentally unstable psychopaths. And they don’t use firearms — they get other people with firearms and machines to commit their terrorism at home, and around the world.
This new tech will be extremely welcome to level the playing field. Next, we need the “inks” and machines required to print shells and other goodies.
The issue as I see it isnt about the right to bear arms. We already have that right under the constitution. The issue isn’t really about sharing information or freedom of speach. The real issue is how do we track these weapons when they are used for criminal purposes? I’m not saying that there arn’t illegal guns out there. But, Greed is a big motivator. Why make it more easy to obtain and distrbute guns illegally?
This isn’t a good idea but I understand your desire to be open about it.
But what this means is that soon guns will be so cheap. (and cheaply made) that anyone will be able to hurt others and themselves… You going to make plastic bullets too? Next thing you know we are going to have to replace metal detectors with those stupid body scanners everywhere…
Look if I was a hitman or low level thug even… I would love the idea of a truely untraceable firearm that is pretty easy to destroy. Use it for a crime and if possible I melt it down.
Its great to see the tech advance… and it is not like you folks are doing anything that people with criminal intent would not be doing sooner or later… just that you might be helping them all along a few months early.
John Stephen Taylor, it amuses me how each individual law student / practitioner believes that their interpretation of the law is the absolutely correct interpretation. There are many lawyers and judges who see the 2nd amendment differently from you. When you take in to context all of the quotes from our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson in particular, then it is reasonable to correctly interpret the 2nd amendment as the right for the people, the average citizen, to keep and bear arms.
“But what this means is that soon guns will be so cheap. (and cheaply made) that anyone will be able to hurt others and themselves…”
Hmmm. Interesting position.
Would you argue this point with the spirits of the millions murdered by Hitler? Those millions murdered by Stalin (including Ukraine)? How about those those murdered by Pol Pot? How about those murdered by Fedgov?
History in general, and the genocide victims over the last century in particular, would weigh in on the side of self defense.
Further, allowing blatantly criminal “governments” to regulate arms appears to be a pretty good method of guaranteeing future genocide.
Why aren’t all you bleeding hearts out there pissing and moaning at the current gun manufacturers? These guys are just finding a new way to produce guns at low cost to the buyer and allowing them to design their own weapon. Guns are made and sold everyday. After all guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
Keep up the research!
The idea of plastic weapons is not new but not really a good idea. Afaik there was a full plastic gun in the prototype phase from FEG in europe many years ago. The idea was to make a metalless gun with machined plastic parts and ceramic inlays. Even the ammo was caseless with a ceramic head. The good part of it was that most weapon detectors couldn’t find it (not even the propellant chemicals) and it was cheap to make. Perfect for distributing it to non regular fighter groups (after 9/11: insurgents/terrorists). Somehow most people found it a bad idea to make and sell them. So only a handful of prototypes were ever made and I think it was a good idea.
Anyway if someone wants to make a gun, then it’s easier and cheaper to make one using metal blocks and sheets. You could even build full automatic ones relatively cheap using old plans. For example the original gatling’s plans are downloadable and it can be resized to handgun size and with a high capacity (100+) magazine and an electric feeder, you can get pretty impressive results from an old and primitive gun.
Allowing special ammo, a reactionless automatic can be made with only a few plastic parts and nothing else. Still it wouldn’t be good if some kid would start shooting around with a homemade automatic rifle and armor piercing bullets.
Of course buying a used ak is still much cheaper and most criminals don’t really care about gun laws.
the county sheriff of my county told me that he could not guarantee getting me help in less than 45 minutes. it has also been decided in american courts that police have no requirement to put themselves in danger to protect you. i will be prepared to defend me and mine, thank you.
Why not just use CNC tools and simple investment casting techniques to create METAL receivers? This is pretty straightforward, and simple charcoal-fueled foundries and geopolymer, or clay crucibles are easy to make, with aluminum for casting.
I support the Ira’s comments : 3D printed model in 2 halves -> silicon molding -> lost wax model and finally aluminum casting.
大島は「素人」のくせに一流の「歌手」「女優」みたいな態度だし
Hmmm..plastic weapons..add some ceramic, which can be made harder than steel..and milled…this could be very very interesting.
A person cannot consider themselves truly free if they
are legally denied the right to own a gun.
If denied a firearm, any right you enjoy is merely a privelage granted by the state, which can be taken away and you can do nothing about it.
This will change societies around the world. Societies can’t run rough-shod over their minorities if the minorities can have near instant access to firearms.
Governments will have to understand the fact that the people can depose them in minutes.
This is Revolutionary.
This is a terrible idea and you are terrible idiots for thinking of it. The world needs easily disseminated deadly weapons like it needs a hole in the head. Ironically, this is the most likely outcome. You are paranoid fetishists and I hope you have a moment of clarity regarding this sooner rather than later.
Awesome Idea! Next step, scan a gun and duplicate it! Then upload the scans for free sharing.
To anyone who thinks this is a bad idea, you’re wrong. This is a good idea. Innovation is only hampered by skeptics.
Im sorry but why are so many Americans so god damn stupid, how can it be a good idea to propagate guns freely like this, do you not see the statistics about what is going on in your country? How many people have died because of your freedom to bear arms? The people running this site should be ashamed with themselves, they can hide behind whatever veil of freedom of information sharing at the end of the day you are war mongers I hope the guilt you feel when someone is eventually killed by one of your guns is to much for you to bear. Why not make something that might save lives instead???????????
Here in America we have 88.8 guns per every 100 people and yet we are below the global average for death by firearm.
Here in America we are not running around shooting each other, the question of concern to us should be: “Why do individuals and those in control of nations choose to harm the weak”, that is the relevant question.
I feel pained when the innocent are slaughtered by those who choose such tactics, whether they are individuals or governments.
America exists because our founding fathers and their brothers and sisters shed their blood, and gave their lives fighting against an oppressor to live free.
All people on this planet have the right to be free.
Guns exist, that my friends is a reality, the oppression of people also exists, another reality.
When the oppressed have equal power to oppose those who would oppress them freedom can be had, guns are a necessary part of that equation in our world today.
I will donate to your effort because I support the right all people to live free from oppression.
The Internet and the free spread of knowledge may one day lead to a better life for all of mankind, that is my hope.
Gregg R. Thomas
“Here in America we have 88.8 guns per every 100 people and yet we are below the global average for death by firearm.”
Got a source for that? Wikipedia is stating (2009 stats) your country is number 10 of all countries in the world (total firearm related death rate). Worse then you are only 3rd world countries for example El Salvador, Swaziland and Colombia.
I support freedom for individual to bear arms. I still think it should be at least somehow regulated to whom can them bear. Buying them from dealer with pre-obtained license from local police works well enough. This keeps most of the lunatics away from guns.
“Here in America we have 88.8 guns per every 100 people and yet we are below the global average for death by firearm.”
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion. No one is entitled to his own facts.” — Patrick Moynihan
Of the 180+ countries in the world, which one would you say has a citizenry that is (1) more heavily armed and (2) safer?
The pen is mightier than the sword. Against the fantasy of controlling an oppressive government by force of arms — something no reasonable person foresees in our lifetimes — we have the continuing, repeating specter of failing to control our neighbors. Perhaps just maybe the answer lies not in fighting back, but in disarming them instead?
“Of the 180+ countries in the world, which one would you say has a citizenry that is (1) more heavily armed and (2) safer?”
Switzerland, but that’s debatable.
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