3D Printing of an entire gun

Things like this have the potential to make the whole gun control debate moot:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygree..._medium=social

Key quote:

"All sixteen pieces of the Liberator prototype were printed in ABS plastic with a Dimension SST printer from 3D printing company Stratasys, with the exception of a single nail that’s used as a firing pin. The gun is designed to fire standard handgun rounds, using interchangeable barrels for different calibers of ammunition."

It is not clear if the interchangeable barrels are also printed or if they are separate metal pieces that must be added.

http://eccie.net/showthread.php?t=523214

Amazing technology

Yeah for more than just handguns, this is really going to change the face of manufacturing in general.

As far as I know, the software technology's been around for a long time (like normal AutoCAD software's been able to do the slicing of a 3D model for years), but it's only been relatively recently that the "printers" used to translate that image into usable materials has been affordable enough to actually use.

I would imagine that within 10-20 years, you'll be able to get commercial printers that can print plastics, etc. that you can buy and use at home.

The 3D Cube Printer went on sale at Staples this week for $1300. I bought into SSYS stock that went up over 10% in the past 5 days.

As for the original post, I don't know why the author didn't go into detail as the pistol plans are online basically for free. The pistol bears a resemblance and name to the one shot pistol the Allies scatter-airdropped into France. Also, you can currently print a more serviceable knife or hammer with the printer than a gun so I don't know why he made a big deal out of constructed something lethal.

I'm also hearing there have been breakthrus in 3D printing using some metals and other materials rather than the current polymers.

I am going to get one do I can print out a Ferrari

BigFatLouie:
What about if you could get it to print you a cheeseburger!!

I am going to get one do I can print out a Ferrari Originally Posted by BigLouie

For you or your Ken dolls?

I'm gunna do it.... No really.... Here it comes.....



BECK COVERED THIS WAY BACK FOLKS.
Like months.

It's a replicator. I have no idea why the word printer is even used. They also had a problem with it replicating actual money. Dunno all those details but it was freaking cool to watch.

BigFatLouie:
What about if you could get it to print you a cheeseburger!! Originally Posted by Jewish Lawyer

For a Jewish Lawyer you are not very smart or original. Name calling? Really? not above acting like a 6 year old are you.

I want to copy Rebecca Romijn.

I'm gunna do it.... No really.... Here it comes.....



BECK COVERED THIS WAY BACK FOLKS.
Like months.

It's a replicator. I have no idea why the word printer is even used. They also had a problem with it replicating actual money. Dunno all those details but it was freaking cool to watch. Originally Posted by LovingKayla

It's not a replicator, at least in the Star Trek sense. It's a printer because it prints out slices of a solid object (made from a 3D model) which you then need to manually put together into said object.

As for printing money, if you're talking about US currency, I seriously doubt it can do that. The amount of anti-counterfeiting technology that currently goes into our bills (from the material it's made out of, the various inks, watermarks, magnetic strip, on top of many other things I probably don't know about) is pretty insane.

On top of that, you don't need a 3D printer to print fake money...

It's not a replicator, at least in the Star Trek sense. It's a printer because it prints out slices of a solid object (made from a 3D model) which you then need to manually put together into said object.

As for printing money, if you're talking about US currency, I seriously doubt it can do that. The amount of anti-counterfeiting technology that currently goes into our bills (from the material it's made out of, the various inks, watermarks, magnetic strip, on top of many other things I probably don't know about) is pretty insane.

On top of that, you don't need a 3D printer to print fake money... Originally Posted by jbravo_123

True, any multimillion dollar intaglio printing press will do it, if you can get the right paper, the watermark, the printing plates, the embedded strip, and the color shifting ink.
Then you have to cut it and distribute it, and dodge the secret service. I think only hostile foreign governments attempt it.

You can do the exact same thing with a CAD-CAM 5-Axix machining center, only you can use any material. You put in the program, load the material, and after the machining cycle is finished, out pops the part.

Here is an example used in the Auto Industry.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...ail&FORM=VIRE3

Ive seen an interview with the inventor of this process.

This fucker is scary. He even talked abut boarding planes with plastic guns metal detectors cant pick up.