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18 Comments

  2. Interesting article. Looking forward to part 2!

    “…hose thread adapters…” – There’s a moment in Lucifer’s Hammer, when someone realizes that they can fabricate a thread adapter for SCUBA gear rather than simply go without. Thread adapters are an underappreciated barometer of civilization.

    I’ll be very excited if someone invents a tabletop machine that can produce filament from assorted waste plastic. Then we’ll REALLY have a way around supply chain disruption.

    Marx made a lot of very astute observations. It was the conclusions that he drew from those observations that were dead wrong.

    1. I have heard of efforts to develop a useful way of producing new filament from old plastics, but nothing successful or reliable enough to put into production yet. But that brings up another reason I like PLA: it doesn’t put more petrol based hydrocarbons into the environment when I screw up a print. Instead I can burn it (or compost it if only I could get my home compost pile up to temperature like the industrial composters do).

  4. 3D printing is a fascinating endeavor. One easy way to get started? Check your local library or community college. There are 3D printing classes that provide the printer access and plastic filament. You will learn to use a design program, set up the printer, and learn its limitations. Our local rural county library was an early adopter through a grant. They have 3D printers, a laser engraver and other equipment that county residents can use for free after an intro class.

    At our library lab, you cannot make a firearm or make anything to sell, but you learn the printing process. You can make repair parts, prototypes, tools, toys, gears, etc. There are also libraries of designs that can be downloaded and printed, saving hours of computer design work.

    While much of this process takes meticulous effort, lots of kids take these courses and they love it and are great at it!!!

    Taking a class and learning about 3D printers is a great skill. You might be able to resurrect an old tool or machine that is on the scrap heap for lack of a part that is obsolete. What parts usually break? Plastic! You can create and print a new one.

    With this knowledge, you can decide if you want to invest in a 3D printer. You will have experience to decide what your needs are and what kind of printer will meet those needs.

  5. Very interesting even without the firearm applications. I was like you and assumed I’d have no use for a 3D printer. Now I’m starting to think otherwise. Looking forward to part 2.

  6. To A.M.: I would like to explore the statement: “You may add a serial number if you wish, but are not obliged to do so, as long as you don’t transfer the firearm to anyone, ever.”

    First, let me say it is extremely difficult to get exact legal answers to questions related to building your own firearm, as the ATF does not publish much information on their official website related to this issue. I also researched this question for my recent article “Finishing an 80% AR Lower Receiver” printed September 18, 19, 20 in SurvivalBlog.

    Here is an excellent article that deals with the subject of serial numbers and DIY firearms:

    http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/2017/02/21/am-i-required-to-apply-a-serial-number-to-a-homemade-firearm/

    This article includes correspondence from an ATF Firearms Enforcement Specialist.

    Mr Johnson asks: “… if I … make a firearm for personal use and at some later date I decide to sell it, am I required to have it marked with any information?”

    Specialist Babbie answers: “Firearm markings are only required by those who are licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, and those who make an NFA firearm for personal use. Those marks would be made at the time of import, manufacture, or when an NFA firearm was made for personal use. Under Federal law, no markings would be required under your circumstance.”

    (Just for clarification, a short barreled rifle is one example of an NFA firearm).

    My conclusion and belief after my research showed that you are correct that “intent” is the key in legally producing your own firearm. Do not build one with the intent of selling or gifting it. Years later, however, circumstances may change. I believe it can be bequeathed to your heirs or sold without a serial number legally.

    A.M., thank you for your well written article.

    1. Thank you 2A Advocate for adding insight to this issue. It can be a fraught question, if one lets it become so. When discussing the topic of firearms without serial numbers, it is often brought up that, even if your are “right” under federal law, the local or state officer you may be dealing with is unlikely to be familiar with the chapter and verse of federal statutes and ATF regulations, and only “knows” guns without serial numbers are bad, and so confiscates it and hauls you in, burden of proof on you to defend yourself and regain your property. On a more practical level, I have not managed to figure out how a firearm without a serial number could be useful to me, either now or in any of my top ten favorite dystopian future scenarios…but if someone knows of a way it might be handy, I could re-consider. For now, I just print numbers and letters that appeal to me for my serial numbers.

  8. Hey A.M. very interesting article. I’ve wondered about 3-D printers for a while now but have never taken the time to check into them. I didn’t realize they had gotten so affordable.

    Hopefully you’ll have some links and recommendations in part 2.

  9. Had a nightmare with somebody building a so-called custom rifle and that was with a registered factory lower and all factory parts.

    Can’t imagine making anything out of cobbled homemade parts and having it function properly.

    Still interesting article. 3D printing seems to be still in its infancy. Interesting to see what the future brings ( that’s if there is a future )

  10. On your strawberry problem, get some round rocks the same size as strawberries and paint them red. Put them out around the bed well before the berries start. The birds peck the rocks, got a sore beak, and they didn’t get food. When the berries come in, the birds leave them alone.

    1. I appreciate the comment about cobbling together parts from differeant manufacturers into “frankenguns”, especially in the AR platform…I too have heard nightmare stories, but I can also speak to first hand success doing this. And while the 3d printed versions may be more prone to needing a few minutes of delicate work with a file, all of the models I am familiar with and include links to in Part 2 have been built, finished, and tested using primarily factory parts (pins, springs, barrels, etc) with only the “gun” (receiver) 3d printed. The notable exception of course being the FGC9, which I describe in part2, which is 100% user made. A quick search of gunstreamer or vimeo should yield proof of its functionality. So I think I’d dispute the assertion that 3d printing guns is in its infancy…the Liberator was infancy, the FGC9 rolled out a few months ago amidst the current explosion of new designs that is still ongoing, with an impressive cadre of beta testers working out the kinks before new design files are released.

  11. Great so far! There’s a whole community of people printing gun parts. I hope you’ll point readers to sources of more information, such as downloadable files. I strongly believe that every reader of this blog, who is able to do so, should download the files of every gun, gun part, or accessory they MIGHT want to print someday, even if they have no 3D printer. Put them on thumb drives, on CDs, on DVDs, put them in a safe place, give them to friends and family, and help distribute them far and wide.

    The more copies of files out there, the harder for the powers that be to control them, and the more guns get printed. Let’s make gun control harder. Can’t stop the signal.

  12. Thanks, loved it. Had looked a little into it when the prices were still sky high. With a modest investment and mastering the learning curve, it could be an awesome business when SHTF. Everybody will be needing ‘something’!

  13. I recently completed an 80% AR. I have so far put no markings on it, I may in the future. The advantage is it is a throw away, ” No officer that is not my rifle”, but with fingerprints, gunpowder residue, and such that may be hollow. The best may be mark it but no paper or electronic links to the number so you have it both ways, a found rifle, ” No officer that is not mine” or ” Yes officer that is mine and I can tell you the number”.

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