[rp-ml] Printing fire arms

Sat Aug 4 22:22:28 EEST 2018

The drama started around Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed when they
produced the file that allows your basic Stratasys Dimension to make a
workable one-shot sort of plastic gun.  That type of thing could
potentially be produced on a cheap little $600 3D printer that your typical
high-school kid might have in his garage.  But that's about where we are
today in terms of how easy and accessible firearms are if you own a 3D
printer.  You could certainly make something that does damage and even
kills, but you can't yet make a full on weapon of war with any readily
accessible 3D printer.  Moreover, most people who are interested in guns,
the Defense Distributed folks included, would prefer to have a properly
machined metal gun vs a 3D printed plastic gun, and that's where things get
legitimately serious.

To begin, almost all of an AR-15 isn't actually a gun.  As far as the
government is concerned, only the lower portion (commonly referred to as
the "lower") that you hold onto is the gun.  Everything else, like the
barrel, etc., is just an accessory, and there aren't restrictions on buying
accessories.  So all anyone needs to make is the lower, and the rest comes
together easy as Legos.  ...  Ok, so Defense Distributed has created this
super cheap open source CNC mill, which they call a Ghost Gunner.  It's not
a very versatile mill, but it's cheap, and it doesn't need to be versatile
because you're only buying it for one reason, the cut a lower AR-15 out of
aluminium in your garage.  As long as you have the toolpath file that tells
the machine what it needs to do, then making a full-on-legitimate AR-15
lower, unserialized, out of metal, truly is as easy as grabbing that
machine, dropping in a piece of aluminium, and hitting a button.

Now, even though the government doesn't allow you to post the files, they
are already out there, and it is not illegal to own the instructions for
how to make a gun.  Moreover, we all know it is not legal to stop free
speech, which is why the discussion is so heated and difficult.  But back
to the files, anyone who has them, has them legally.  Anyone who doesn't
have the files can find them very, very easily.  That is, this isn't
exactly dark web stuff.  So regardless of the fact that the goverment
banned posting the files onto a website, your typical highschool kid could
definitely find them before he finishes drinking his coke. ... So to
summarize, just about anyone is indeed capable of manufacturing an AR-15,
your school shooter, from their home, quickly, even with little to no
technical skills.  If someone was passionate about the idea and did have
the technical skills, then they could make their own ghost gunner vs buying
one.  It might be difficult to buy a ghost gunner if you are, for example,
a highschool kid, because you would have to explain that to your parents.
On the other hand, you could make your own CNC mill, just like you made
your own 3D printer, and parents wouldn't second guess anything there. ...
But yes, any of us can, indeed, make an AR-15. But that's not what people
are talking about because they are distracted by the plastic 3D printed
things (even though Defense Distributed themselves have long lost all
interest in plastic 3D printed things).

On Sat, Aug 4, 2018 at 10:19 AM, Elaine Hunt <ewhunt at bellsouth.net> wrote:

> Thanks Charlie!  Do you think folks could be liable if they share a gun
> file? We discussed ownership of stl and sharing of data files way back eons
> ago but now reality is creeping slowly upon us!
>
> Elaine
>
>
>
> On August 4, 2018, at 9:54 AM, "Charles L. Koch" <3ad at bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
>
> I'm a gun owner.  I've made parts for fit-check from SLA and FDM and
> shootable parts out of DMLS for manufacturers and they work. Do I think we
> need to publish files to allow people to make guns...no.  We're not being
> invaded and people of the right age have the right to be tested and
> licensed. I believe in the right to own but the outcry in my opinion is
> mislead. It's not the gun it’s the shooter.
>
> Charles L. Koch
> 3Axis Development, Inc.
> 7200 Brunswick Circle
> Boynton Beach, FL 33472
> (Office) 561-752-9095
> (Fax)     561-752-9714
> (Cell)     561-504-5400
> (Skype)  Charles.Koch56
> (E-mail) Charles at 3Axis.us
> Please visit our web-site:  www.3axis.us
>
>
>
> 3 Axis Development as showcased on the television show Wheels In Motion -
> YouTubeMotion. Filmed on-location at PRI in Orlando.
> Also take a look at www.engineerstoystore.com
> for new products targeted to an engineer's professional needs!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elaine Hunt <ewhunt at bellsouth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2018 9:21 AM
> To: Rapid prototyping mailing list <rp-ml at rp-ml.org>
> Subject: [rp-ml] Printing fire arms
>
> there is a big flap over printing weapons so if like to hear from all you
> involved in the industry about just how real these items would be! Has the
> technology reached a real-time production capability? Or is this just hype
> and panic?
>
>
>
> Elaine
>
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