3D Printed Firearms and Ammunition
A fully functional gun is only one of the many things that can be manufactured with 3D printers. The 3D printed gun was not easy to create, but it was rather inexpensive to produce — only $25 was required. 3D printed bullets, on the other hand, are simple to create and even cheaper. In the video, Heeszel says it took about an hour to print the first slug he shoots. Thankfully, Griffy doesn’t plan to go into production of 3D weapons or sell them. “Printers are really designed for prototyping, not production work," he told Wired. "It’s really, honestly, just for fun.” Let us all hope that there aren’t too many more people interested in having this type of fun.
Environmentally Friendly Shooting Solutions
3D printed rounds can be printed in biodegradable filaments, like PLA or coffee. For outdoor shooting ranges, this can help reduce the amount of lead that leaches into the soil. Shooting ranges can provide incentive to shooters who use this green ammo to encourage their use.
3D Printing in Weaponry
A 3D printer can be used almost exclusively to create some weapons, such as the Liberator. As the name implies, these wholly 3D-printed models are made almost entirely of printed plastic. They might drive it with a rubber band and use a nail as the firing pin, but all the pressure-bearing components are printed.
Following the Liberator, several F3DP models, including the Songbird, the Washbear, and the ZigZag, have drawn considerable interest.
Applications and Limitations in 3D Printing
Can a 3D printer make clothes? Producing garments and accessories made to measure are made possible thanks to 3D printing.
Specialty rounds can be 3D printed as part of a R&D program for any ammo manufacturer. On the flip side of the ballistics coin, 3D printing can be used to develop less lethal round for police and civilian use. In 2015, Aprecia Pharmaceuticals’ Spritam levetiracetam for seizures became the first 3D-printed drug approved by the FDA. The firm makes Spritam using its proprietary ZipDose technology.
Guns can be considered art, and 3D printing heirloom gun reproductions seems reasonable. With the possibility of 3D printed guns, designers are exploring innovative projectiles to print at home.
Russia may have solved production issues with 3D printed bullets. Compared to traditional methods, benefits include: broader materials, cost efficiency, and precision.
The most common file formats are STL and VRML. STL stands for “stereolithography" – a single color 3D rendering used with desktop printers. Solid Concepts’ 3D printed gun is an M1911 pistol, made with powdered metals.
A collaboration between Russia’s Foundation for Advanced Research Projects and TSNIITOCHMASH has produced 3D printed bullets with selective laser melting technology. This same batch was successfully fired.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
While revolutionary, 3D printing has limitations. Not all metals and plastics can be temperature controlled enough. Materials may lack required properties like heat resistance. However, advancements continue to expand printable materials. Print size is also restricted by build size.
It’s legal to 3D print a 3D printer. Downloadable online files help print components to assemble the printer. You still need to buy parts that can’t be printed like belts and motors.
Sand molds and cores for metal casting are produced in just hours with 3D printing instead of weeks. This rapid production means significant time savings.
The issues relate to printing working firearms accessible to the wrong hands. Undetectable by metal detectors, the rise of 3D printed guns is controversial.
Having a patent means others can’t create, use or sell an invention without permission. So printing patented objects risks patent infringement lawsuits. Inventors publicize plans when filing for patents, unintentionally assisting counterfeiters.
3D scanning of physical objects isn’t protected like creative works of art. Anyone can download and print them without considering scanner modifications to aid printing as significant changes.
3D printing technology enables uniquely customized gun parts. This key benefit comes from the design freedom 3D printing allows over traditional fabrication methods.