Author Topic: Threat of plastic guns grows as undetectable firearm law set to expire  (Read 5897 times)

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Offline FASBOLD

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NPR had a report on this I heard as I drove to work. (Yeah I listen to NPR, I have my BS filter tuned pretty high to catch their liberal slant.)

The NPR article did make the point that it is legal to make your own firearm. They left out the bit that you can't make them to sell to others without a license.

NPR said that the law requiring metal in plastic guns expires Dec. 10th, and because Congress is so divided did not think it would be renewed in time.

The ATF said that they did not expect gangs and regular criminals to use 3D printing due to the cost of the printer. They pointed out that lower quality plastic makes the gun more dangerous to the user, but higher quality plastic makes it "more dangerous to others". Clearly pointing out how evil these things are.   ??? The ATF is more worried about terrorists, so clearly only terrorists will make them, right?

They did play an interview from a documentary where the guy who made a 3D plastic gun earlier this year. He made the plans available online. He said it is about more than the 2nd amendment, it is about people around the world who live in dangerous places or under repressive governments.

Here's the link to the CNN story.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/11/14/threat-plastic-guns-grows-as-undetectable-firearm-law-set-to-expire/

There was no mention of how easy it is to make a gun out of high pressure pipe. Lots of people show off their homemade handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Most of them are one shot, but that's all it takes if you know how to aim and the weapon is accurate, or you are close enough.

Even if there is no commercial ammo, it is easy enough to make black powder (yes it is dangerous), and use rocks in a pipe. I mean Captain Kirk did it to beat the gorn captain, and he use bamboo instead of a pipe.  ;D
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Offline gryphon

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Re: Threat of plastic guns grows as undetectable firearm law set to expire
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2013, 11:45:43 AM »
All plastic?  I haven't seen any plastic barrels, have you?

Offline m.marino

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Re: Threat of plastic guns grows as undetectable firearm law set to expire
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2013, 12:06:43 PM »
Gryphon,

The 3D "printed" gun was printed using a system of steel powered and heat reactive polymers. I don't know if the method they used required the secondary casting to increase the density of the metal to usable levels or not. Also they stated that there was a good amount of post printing work done to it. From what I have seen of pictures I can bet that the barrel was bored on a lathe.

The 3D printing is a gadget. Getting a strong enough mill or gantry router (yes some of them can be made strong enough to mill steel and with C3 screws now affordable if you know where to look you can get the tolerance down to insane levels). The CNC possibilities make 3D printing low slow expensive and the field of geeks who like toys over functional production ability. It can be done just costs huge amounts of time and energy compared to a CNC mill, VMC or CNC Lathe.

As far as the law is concerned, let it go as those who have firearms for legal reasons don't need to play with the super exotic plastics that you can make a functional barrel out of (that and certain ceramics/minerals but let not go there). Just my two cents. -Michael
Tuebor Libertatus

Offline FASBOLD

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Re: Threat of plastic guns grows as undetectable firearm law set to expire
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2013, 12:32:14 PM »
The article I posted a few days ago about a 3D printed METAL gun is new.

The printing of 3D PLASTIC guns was in the news earlier in the year.

This article from May, 2013 has a video showing it.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/06/the-liberator-the-first-completely-3d-printed-gun-gets-fired/

Website of Defense Distributed, designer of the Plastic Liberator handgun, named for the WWII .45 cal Liberator. It calls for a piece of metal in the handle so it is "legal" with the law set to expire in December requiring enough metal for guns to be detected by metal detectors. The firing pin is a nail, as I recall.

http://defdist.org/

Others have experimented with 3D Printing of Plastic AR Lowers. They work for a few shots.
"The people of these United States are the rightful masters of both Congresses and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."
~ Abraham Lincoln
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"Too young to die, too old to take an ass whippin'."
~ Unknown

Offline TheQ

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Threat of plastic guns grows as undetectable firearm law set to expire
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2013, 12:47:07 PM »
Google: Liberator gun
I Am Not A Lawyer (nor a gunsmith).

Offline gryphon

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Re: Threat of plastic guns grows as undetectable firearm law set to expire
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2013, 12:53:13 PM »
Mike Marino, I'm addressing the bed-wetters' complaints about how we will have undetectable all-plastic guns now that the metal requirements have been eliminated, and now people will be taking guns on commercial airplanes and into courts and jails.

Besides, we already have the Glock 7.

Offline gryphon

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Re: Threat of plastic guns grows as undetectable firearm law set to expire
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2013, 12:55:54 PM »
Google: Liberator gun
You can be Liberator replicas. They are expensive, though.