News Feb 19, 2013 at 9:29 am

Comments

1
I don't suppose those hackers might have been interested in disruption electric power supply around sleepy ol' New Orleans on a quiet Sunday at the beginning of February?
2
Oh shit. Now Graham will banal me because I said 'disruption' instead of 'disrupting'.

He was so much nicer when he shouted all the time.
3
The 3D printing technology isn't up to par with making a functioning gun, only parts of a gun.

As a hacker and gun-nut, I've been extremely interested in this project and have been following it since DD was removed from Kickstarter. I plan to print my AR15 receiver and magazine in early March, hopefully. The schematics are irregularly posted around the web, and the makerbot I'm using may not be up to the task...

The printer only prints one component of the gun, the most necessary component: where the barrel and trigger and magazine all attach together, called the Receiver. This is the part of the firearm that is tracked by the government and requires a background check. But, without the rest of the parts, this product is useless.

Right now this is all a novelty, it's not something that could ever be used for the actual production of firearms. Maybe in a couple years, but not right now. Ironically, manufacturing of AR-15 Receivers is relatively simple in process, by far one of the easiest components to assemble, and the machines needed cost less than a MakerBot. It’s the springs and barrels that require the tight-tolerances.

Also: there is almost no regulation for the manufacture of firearms for personal use in Oregon.

Please wait...

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