An Idea Regarding the 3D Printed Metal Gun.

[Guns&Religion]

This story has been posted many times, about the 1911 pistol that was produced from a 3D printer and apparently functions quite well.

According to this article, the printer itself, as well as the needed equipment that goes with it costs around $750,000, and takes a bit of machining expertise to use, so I won't be buying one any time soon.

I was just thinking about how this could affect the reproduction of antique firearms.

I would love if someone would make and market a new stainless Webley Fosbury, in .357 Magnum.

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/w...l-you-need-million-8C11566218?ocid=ansmsnbc11

 

[FuzzyBunny]

I still wonder how they made springs for the pistol.
Anyone know?

 

[Guns&Religion]

In the video clip, in the link above, the guy says they did not make the springs for the pistol, but they made all other parts.

 

[rcmodel]

They didn't.

The full text of the story said they used store bought springs all the way around for the gun, and the magazine.

They also said it had only fired 500 rounds without breaking.
So far.

This is not a 3-D printer plastic gun you could make on a home 3-D printer by any stretch of the imagination.

It is a laser sintered metal gun, made in a controlled inert gas chamber, using a 3/4 million dollar printer used in aerospace parts prototyping.

Don't hold your breath waiting on Cannon to come out with a 3-D printer that you can buy at Office Depot for a $1,000 bucks so your can print a 1911 for $11.95 in ink costs!!

rc

 

[barnbwt]

According to this article, the printer itself, as well as the needed equipment that goes with it costs around $750,000, and takes a bit of machining expertise to use, so I won't be buying one any time soon.

I was just thinking about how this could affect the reproduction of antique firearms.

Everyone keeps saying it's impossible because it's too expensive, and that's true for a hobbyist. But $1mil actually isn't completely out of the ordinary for a business loan. I've been by a couple small restaurant owners that the startup costs were over 2 million dollars . Compared to buying, equipping, and tooling up a real-deal machining and finishing shop --with skilled employees-- a laser sinterer is chump change if you know how to use it and have a product that it's a good fit for.

Barrels are so much easier to make on a lathe, it's stupid to sinter them. Likewise for sheet metal parts and springs. But parts with lots of machining steps, like slides, bolts, and receivers have a real potential for cost savings if they can be made fast enough on a sinterer. Other than a quick trip to a belt sander to make the brushed finish on the slide, a printed 1911 slide requires no work beyond printing. Obviously the old designs need to be adjusted to account for the new method and materials, but they are more than capable of dealing with the stresses seen by firearms components.

That and custom one-off stuff; no need to keep dies, gauges, and tooling around for that once-a-year replacement part or minor tweak that one customer wanted. Just call up a backup file or create an alternate version, and fire 'er up.

Energy costs alone will make this untenable for the home builder, at least until a power-grid revolution makes us capable of utilizing many times more juice than we do now (doubtful any time soon). There's no way it's worth the trouble to power a 10kW or whatever laser that can melt steel and titanium. Not when a CNC can do most of the same stuff, with just as much hassle, and not require a dedicated high voltage line from the power plant. But, industrial environments have no such limitations, and can save big money by reducing the number of steps, machines, and people involved in production.

TCB

 

[tactikel]

IMHO in less than 5 years 3D printers will cost less than $1000- unless the "Ruling Elite" bans them.
My Dad was a machinist, with a lathe, and a milling machine, some stock and time he could reproduce any firearm ever made. 3D printers, MEH!

 

[Deus Machina]

Some 3D printers already lie under that point, if you're handy enough to build the framework yourself.
The laser-sintering ones it takes to build a gun like this aren't likely to be affordable to the plain hobbyist for a while, purely from the materials and energy they need. Maybe one day, but not soon, and not a turnkey solution.

 

[FuzzyBunny]

How much simpler would a Sten gun be?

As far as cost I think doing it the old fashioned way is simpler and cheaper. From what I have seen a car junkyard will give you the raw stuff to start stamping them out.

 

[mr.trooper]

A safe blow-back weapon that works like a sten, or similar to a sten, can already be fabricated quite easily with basic workshop tools.

Look up some square tubing guns. They are even easier to build and work on than round tube guns in many respects.