the first 3-D printed firearm is out.

[irishScott]

Well it's official, it works and it's out there for download. Single-shot .380.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/06/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-liberator-3d-printed-pistol/

 

[PokerGuy]

Now that the gun has been demonstrated to work, I'm sure there will be more interest and it will continue to grow. As one would expect, terminally stupid politicians have already come up with the idea of banning the download and printing of such devices.... we all know banning stuff is oh so effective. Unbelievable that people are dumb enough to keep voting for such morons.

 

[irishScott]

Now that the gun has been demonstrated to work, I'm sure there will be more interest and it will continue to grow. As one would expect, terminally stupid politicians have already come up with the idea of banning the download and printing of such devices.... we all know banning stuff is oh so effective. Unbelievable that people are dumb enough to keep voting for such morons.

Technically it's also illegal for me to make bombs, yet the recipes are literally perhaps a click away. Give that I have some technical background, I could likely surpass the Boston bombing if I wanted. The only thing stopping me is common humanity and sense, no piece of legislation or law enforcement agency effectively stands in my way.

So it will be with this, but for the time being this is still legal... with an FFL and complying with current ATF regulations. I imagine the next step will be adding a magazine of some sort, or perhaps some kind of derringer configuration until they can figure that out (making a reliable magazine is hard enough with traditional materials).

Ultimately this will advance legally or illegally regardless of legislation. As 3D printing technology matures, the demand on the criminal market for such untraceable guns will drive criminals to hire those with the knowledge to make them.

Of course, the federal government will likely try something hilariously stupid like licensing 3D printers or something. Screw the other benefits of the device, if it can be used to make scary things you can't have it!

One thing I'm curious about is if you could make a plastic knife with one of these. Given the tech, one would think you could design and build the perfect edge.

 

[PokerGuy]

The only thing stopping me is common humanity and sense, no piece of legislation or law enforcement agency effectively stands in my way.

I think that's the core of the problem with the whole gun-grabber mentality. They insist on deluding themselves into thinking the silly laws they create is what stops people from killing others with guns. In reality, people who want to kill and maim will do so anyway, those who don't are not going to start all of a sudden just because they have legal access to a weapon.
The 3d printing will just blow the restrictions out of the water, eventually any and everyone will be able to "print" one of those weapons. We need to focus on addressing the real causes for crimes rather than trying to take tools away from law abiding citizens because criminals misuse them.

 

[glenn1]

I think that's the core of the problem with the whole gun-grabber mentality. They insist on deluding themselves into thinking the silly laws they create is what stops people from killing others with guns. In reality, people who want to kill and maim will do so anyway, those who don't are not going to start all of a sudden just because they have legal access to a weapon.
The 3d printing will just blow the restrictions out of the water, eventually any and everyone will be able to "print" one of those weapons. We need to focus on addressing the real causes for crimes rather than trying to take tools away from law abiding citizens because criminals misuse them.

I'm curious how you define the "real causes" for crime and how we'd go about addressing them. This isn't pre-revolutionary France where starving peasants are being thrown in jail for 19 years for stealing bread à la Jean Valjean.

 

[Nebor]

I'm curious how you define the "real causes" for crime and how we'd go about addressing them. This isn't pre-revolutionary France where starving peasants are being thrown in jail for 19 years for stealing bread à la Jean Valjean.

Its not too far off. Poverty and the perception of unfair inequality are the primary motives behind most crimes.

 

[PokerGuy]

I'm curious how you define the "real causes" for crime and how we'd go about addressing them. This isn't pre-revolutionary France where starving peasants are being thrown in jail for 19 years for stealing bread à la Jean Valjean.

There are many causes for crime (socioeconomic, cultural, biological etc), and there are many ways to try to address those causes, but law abiding citizens having access to weapons is most certainly NOT a cause of crime. Idiot gun grabbers seem to think that taking away a tool causes the problem (the fact that someone is willing to commit a crime) to go away. In fact it does nothing of the sort.

The politicians don't have the fortitude to tackle real causes, they'd rather try to take away the tools used.