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3-D Printed Rife Can Fire 600 Rounds (Beautiful Video)
Defense Distributed is an online, open-source, non-profitorganization that has designed a firearm, called a Wiki Weapon, that may be downloaded from the internet and “printed” with a 3D printer. Among the organization’s goals is to develop and freely publish design schematics that would enable “a working plastic gun.
Defense Distributed is organized to produce and publish information related to the 3D printing of firearms. Beginning with little expertise and less financial backing, the group first believed this production would be a limited, trial and error process. Fortunately, in recent months the group’s expertise and capabilities have been greatly supplemented, but the first order production goal remains the same to produce and publish a file for a completely printable gun- or as near to completely printable as actually possible with current technologies. You may have heard of printed rifle receivers and plastic Glock handguns, but this project imagines firearms only at their most essential: what printable configuration of geometries and materials will allow for the reliable and safe firing of a single round of ammunition?
Defense Distributed AR-15 with Printed Magazine
DEFCAD, operated by Defense Distributed, is a makeshift site in response to Makerbot Industries’ decision to censor files uploaded in good faith at Thingiverse, specifically firearms-related files.
2) ADAPT THE DESIGN DOWN TO CHEAPER 3D PRINTERS
These guns will be almost completely plastic, so melting and failing in your hand will be a concern. Only after a battery of testing the best designs to failure will we find the way to rate a WikiWep as safe for one use. This process may very well be the most difficult phase of the organization’s operations. There are many kinds of printers and many ways to test the same concepts. Also, Defense Distributed wants to minimize negative media about the safety concerns of untested firearms and the inevitable suggestion that government agencies are necessary protect us from ourselves.
Provided candidate files and prototypes can make it through testing, the next phase of this goal requires adaptation of the design down to some of the most commonly available of 3D printers. Defense Distributed has chosen the RepRap printer to be this platform, despite the organization’s wishes to subvert and avoid such use. Defense Distributed hopes the result will be an easily accessible and replicable design shared with the world. From such a point, any person has near-instant access to a firearm through the internet.
3) BECOME THE WEB’S PRINTABLE GUN WIKI REDOUBT
Insofar as possible, Defense Disbribued hopes to facilitate a printable firearm creative commons. Our weapons project’s namesake, a “wiki” is likely the best platform for preserving and collaboratively producing knowledge related to 3D printable firearms for years to come.
THE IMPACT
This project might change the way we think about gun control and consumption. How do governments behave if they must one day operate on the assumption that any and every citizen has near instant access to a firearm through the Internet? Let’s find
According to Mashable, “With the approval from the U.S. Government, Defense Distributed head Cory Wilson can sell and transport the pieces they’ve been making, but is required to keep records of all production and transactions. The nonprofit has created prototypes over the past few months, including the most recent: a 3D-printed semi-automatic that fires more than 600 rounds:”
- DEFCAD MEGA PACK v3.9 (Kaneda) added
- 9×18 Makarov CAD file added
- Dual Picatinny rail CAD file added
- MAC-10 grip added
- 12 gauge to .22 sub-caliber insert CAD file added
- 12 gauge flare pistol CAD files added
- Accurate cartridges CAD files added
Why did you let them have the printer back?
Did you mean rifle?
You can only go so far with a “plastic” gun. The barrel, hammer, & upper receiver must be made of high quality steel or the thing will blow up in your face. Sorry but plastic is not strong enough. I am familiar with the RipRap 3d printers (a printer you can build at home) & the quality of these printers has a lot to be desired. Still it is worth looking in to!
combine this with mag-lev firing system and you eliminate the combustive force that would make the printed gun fail. All you would need then is bullets and batteries.
Thats not a bad idea. But then you will have the problem of finding batteries that are light enough and powerful enough.
Give them time and you will have a backpack self feeding delivery system that will provide tons of power and lots of ammunition.