Solid Concepts 3D Prints Another Metal Gun

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DeepSouth

DeepSouth

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I was unaware that anyone had ever printed a metal gun but apparently not only have they done it, they've done it a few times. And to top it off it looks good, not like a plastic junk gun.

Just under a year ago, the company, which has since been acquired by 3D printing giant Stratasys, revealed the world’s very first 3D printed metal handgun, the 1911. Although there had been a number of interesting plastic firearms 3D printed up until that time, this metal firearm was the first capable of shooting several rounds of ammunition flawlessly. In fact the original 3D printed 1911 has since fired 5,000 shots without a problem, prior to it being retired. Solid Concepts made 100 of these firearms available for $11,900 a pop. It is unknown, how many of these guns have sold.
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Entire Article
http://3dprint.com/21109/3d-print-metal-gun-reason/

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You do know they have to hone and polish everything after the sintering process, right? That's why it doesn't look like twice-baked garbage ;)

The slide, grips, and frame; meh, different strokes for different pimps, I suppose. I have no clue what they were going for with the trigger, nor how much finger room it allows, though.

TCB
 
I'm not saying it's beautiful by any means but compared to the liberator its beautiful. Also if they shot 5k rounds of 10mm out of one its not total junk, again compared to other printed guns.

Before this I never thought 3D printed guns would actually be mainstream, now I can see how it could easily become a very common manufacturing process.
 
It's very nice and I always thought one day it would be done. In fact, it was done more than a year before I made up my mind that it could be done.

I'm keeping my lathe and milling machine, though.

Woody
 
Overall it looks very promising, though I could do without the zebra effect serrations on the slide. If it has run through 5,000 rounds of 10mm. then that is rather impressive for this kind of manufacturing technology.
 
What's the proposed retail? These guns have been discussed before, and the overall cost at retail is astounding. Even in full production the conventional means of manufacture beats it by large, substantial margins.

The powder they are using costs more per pound than many firearms over the counter. It's a publicity stunt which generates them free advertising for their real enterprise, which is to make aircraft and high tech parts that are difficult if not impossible by other means.

Guns aren't that high on the stress level of working mechanisms, the ability to withstand chamber pressures is accomplished with parts that aren't high alloy or even especially tempered or heat treated. In point of fact, due to the high heat potential of rapid fire and annealing the barrel, most are designed in the dead soft condition. Mag dump an AR and it quickly will be by the 8th magazine, as Colt and others have demonstrated repeatedly.

Makes the demonstration particularly suited since people know less about guns than motor engines. Print a set of aluminum "forged" pistons capable of holding rings with narrow lands and running over 8,000 rpm at 24 pounds of boost and get back to us on that.

That won't happen for decades, much less at a market competitive price.
 
What's the proposed retail? These guns have been discussed before, and the overall cost at retail is astounding. Even in full production the conventional means of manufacture beats it by large, substantial margins.
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When CNC machines first came out the exact same thing was true, we may be seeing the exact same thing happen here. I just hope we want one day be longing for the old high quality MIM & CNC produced guns, know what I mean?
 
do something useful, like print off a batch of 300 dollar clones of the sw "perfected" topbreak model. then well see that sales volume.
 
Like all things the equipment and materials will come down in price. Plastic printers have come down a LOT in the last few years. Metals ones will do so too.

Of course, just like with regular printers sometimes you print color or sometimes you save money and print in black and white. It may be that in 15 years or so your average home printer can print in metal OR plastic. Both will be a lot cheaper by then but plastic would likely still be cheaper.

It could be that you print some parts (frame, mag release, mag, follower, etc) out of plastic and then print in metal whatever needs to be done as so.

In computers there is the concept of "open source" software that is free to be traded and copied as people want (most of the internet runs on such software - particularly the Linux operating system running the Apache web server). That type of thing is already springing up for 3D printed objects (look at the "Thingiverse" for example).

Eventually we'll be trading plans for guns (and all sorts of other things) on the web.
 
Printing takes way to long to be an actual manufacturing process for the whole gun on any thing other than 3000-6000 dollar guns / prototypes/ or special one offs.
having a $xxxk machine tied up for a day and a half to make one unit is not going to be rakeing in the $
 
Eventually we'll be trading plans for guns (and all sorts of other things) on the web.
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I don't belive that'll happen, when/if it starts to become mainstream lawmakers will put a stop it, at least with guns. I wouldn't be suprised to see NRA approval as well.

Printing takes way to long to be an actual manufacturing process for the whole gun on any thing other than 3000-6000 dollar guns / prototypes/ or special one offs.
having a $xxxk machine tied up for a day and a half to make one unit is not going to be rakeing in the $
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Technology advances, 10 years ago this wasn't even possible. Somehow I don't find it a stretch to say they may be able to speed the process up in the next 10. ;:rolleyes:
 
Solid metal 3D printing is nothing new. We've had it at
My company for a couple years now. Glad to see the technology maturing and getting cheaper!'n
 
Technology advances, 10 years ago this wasn't even possible. Somehow I don't find it a stretch to say they may be able to speed the process up in the next 10. ;
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most certainly it would be easy enough to outfit a unit with one great wall of pivoting laser heads (the programing would be a pain but not too overly complicated) as opposed to one head running back and forth on rails as they do now but even with that it's the layering something so fine over and over that's a time killer
 
This does not belong in the same conversation as the liberator. The liberator for all its flaws could very well be the thing that makes a total gun ban literally impossible. This is technology that will always be out of the reach of the common man.
 
most certainly it would be easy enough to outfit a unit with one great wall of pivoting laser heads (the programing would be a pain but not too overly complicated) as opposed to one head running back and forth on rails as they do now but even with that it's the layering something so fine over and over that's a time killer
______
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Thchonology advancement could = thicker, faster layers.... Problem solved.


All I'm saying is that we don't know what advancement is next, we can't anticapat the unknown. We don't even know if another advance is possible, it's the unknown/unforeseen future possibilities where things either flat out die or go main stream, to argue that either one is certain (or even likely) is short sighted, IMO.

I remember when it took several minuets, and a expensive computer system to print words on a sheet of paper. Now we have printer/copiers that can print pictures in seconds.
 
All I'm saying is that we don't know what advancement is next, we can't anticapat the unknown. We don't even know if another advance is possible, it's the unknown/unforeseen future possibilities where things either flat out die or go main stream, to argue that either one is certain (or even likely) is short sighted, IMO.

I remember when it took several minuets, and a expensive computer system to print words on a sheet of paper. Now we have printer/copiers that can print pictures in seconds.
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Comparing paper printers to technology in the OP just isn't fair. I can see plastic 3d printers getting more and more affordable for the average citizen, but shaping thick metal so precisely is never going to be cheap.

Just saying seeing a company with deep pockets 3d print a metal firearm and imagining doing the same in your garage is kind of like watching the moon landing in 1969 and thinking well all be vacationing there by 2000. Sometimes theres a limit to what is possible for the average Joe. Owning a metal 3d printer is so far outside of the realm of possibilities right now that its not even on the radar.
 
Just to clear I never said anything about anyone other than manufacturers using this technology. I'd bet a years salary the average person will never be printing guns in their homes, politicians will be sure of that.....at least in this country.
 
I don't belive that'll happen, when/if it starts to become mainstream lawmakers will put a stop it, at least with guns. I wouldn't be suprised to see NRA approval as well.
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Look how well that has worked for stopping people from trading music.

Trust me - once stuff is on the internet it is permanent. I think that's what upsets the old guys in suits so much. No matter how much they whale and gnash and stamp their feet - what happens on the internet STAYS on the internet :).
 
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