'Download This Gun' — 3-D Printed Gun Reliable Up To 600 Rounds

An anonymous reader writes "We've talked previously about Texan gunsmith Cody Wilson's efforts to create 3-D-printable parts for firearms. He has a printed magazine that can withstand normal operation for quite a while. But he's also been working on building parts of the gun itself. An early version of a 3-D printed 'lower receiver' — the part of the gun holding the operating parts — failed after firing just 6 rounds. Now, a new video posted by Wilson's organization shows their design has improved enough to withstand over 600 rounds. Plus, their test only ended because they used up their ammunition; they say the receiver could have easily withstood a thousand rounds or more. Speaking to Ars, Wilson gave some insight into his reasoning behind this creation with regard to gun laws. 'I believe in evading and disintermediating the state. It seemed to be something we could build an organization around. Just like Bitcoin can circumvent financial mechanisms. ... The message is in what we're doing—the message is: download this gun.' A spokesperson for the ATF said that while operating a business as a firearm manufacturer requires a license, an individual manufacturing one for personal use is legal."

Comments

The way things have been going.

[Lord Kano]

I wouldn't be surprised if this guy met with an unfortunate accident.

There has been a lot of that happening recently in the gun-rights subculture.

LK

Re:The way things have been going.

[WillAdams]

A preferred source of material for rifle barrels is used truck axles, since it's stress relieved. http://books.google.com/books?id=_ykDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18#v=onepage&q&f=false

Rifling tools are pretty straight-foward --- cutter style tools for this were developed in the 15th century.

Re:DIY Fuel Air explosive

[demachina]

"If you don't like the "state" you live under then move or change it."

There really aren't any places to flee to any more. Most governments are turning oppresive, corrupt and are trampling civil liberties. Computers and networking are making it extremely easy to make a police states these days. When East Germany and the U.S.S.R. did oppresive police state it was man power intensive, its much easier now. There is almost no effective defense of civil liberties being mounted any more. Once your government stacks the courts in their favor there is almost no peaceful path to oppose stripping your civil liberties. The U.S. can and frequently does use "state secrets" provision to shut down any challenge to its power. Y

ou can pretend ballot boxes in the places that have them will make a difference but they seldom do.

In particular, the reach of the U.S. government has extended to most of the nooks and crannies on the planet, with the possible exception of places like China, North Korea and Iran which are sufficiently oppresive without any help from the U.S. The U.S. has military bases and FBI offices in a staggering number of countries. They've used rendition all over the world to snatch people, sometimes innocent people, off the streets to torture . With drone bases in the middle of all of the hard to reach places the U.S. will soon have total global coverage and the ability to assassinate by drone anyone, anywhere, with no judiicial oversight.

Its the down side of living on a small planet with no frontiers left and a civilization with accelerating technology development.

There isn't any place to go if you want to escape.