(Continued from Part 1.)
“The price of freedom is everyone gets it, but some people will misuse it.
…is that a reason to prohibit everyone from having it?” – Ian McCollum
GETTING STARTED WITHOUT A PRINTER!
If you’re not sure if 3D printing is for you, then you may be able to try it without owning a printer! Start by finding a fairly small and simple object you’d like to print in a database like Thingiverse [1]. Download it, along with a free slicer program, like Cura, or Prusa Slicer.
Now contact your local public library. Some libraries offer 3D printing—often at no charge—to their customers. If your library doesn’t offer this service, they may know someone who does. You could also try asking around your circle of friends, to see if any of them has a 3D printer and would work with you to show you the process and to print a small item. A lot of us would be happy to help someone else get started in this activity.
In any case, however, the library or the printer owner will probably want to do the slicing and create the G-code with you, either on your laptop or on their computer. This is because: [a] printer settings make a big difference in how much filament is used and how long the printer will be tied up, [b] the settings and object orientation and position can make a big difference in successful printing, and [c] some settings (nozzle height in particular) can cause damage to the print bed.
This is also an opportunity for you to see how they set up the printer and prepare the print bed. There’s more to great results than just the slicing software!
[2]After the print is finished, you’ll need to carefully remove any support materials with some basic hand tools, perhaps open up and reshape holes and other openings in the object, and assemble it if it was printed in pieces or uses non-printed components. An experienced person can offer some tips and suggestions for those parts of the process.
Relying on the use of someone else’s printer is obviously not a long-term solution. Libraries, for example, will likely have a policy banning the printing of anything that is—or can be used with—a weapon. But in printing a benign object, such as a small storage box, you can learn a lot about slicing software and printers, as well as some tips and tricks for success.
SHOULD YOU BUY A PRINTER?
A do-it-yourself attitude is a strong factor in success with 3D printers. If you aren’t intimidated by learning new things, you like to work with your hands, you like to tinker, and you’re persistent in figuring out the solutions to problems, then you could become a successful 3D printer and gun builder. Some of the things you’ll need to do include:
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Assemble the printer. This is easier than it used to be, thanks to an array of YouTube, Rumble, and other videos and Web pages on 3D printing. Also, some printers require very little—or no—assembly.
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Inspect and maintain your printer. Checking screws, inspecting cabling and wires, cleaning, adjusting belt tensions, and lubricating the Z-axis screws are all likely activities you will need to perform periodically. YouTube is your friend, for this!
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Learn slicing software. This is where you make the decisions about infill (how “solid” your object will be), support material (if it will be used, and what type of supports you want), layer thickness, printing speed, nozzle and bed temperatures, etc. Some slicers have settings such as Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert, so you can decide how much detail you want to deal with in the settings.
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Use small tools, such as nippers and needle-nose pliers (I find a small, sturdy knife and a small wood chisel very useful!) to remove support material. Files and/or sandpaper may also be needed.
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Use drill bits (often hand turned—perhaps held in vice grip pliers, or better yet in a pin vise or non-electric drill) to ream pin and screw holes to size and to clear them of support material. Shave, trim, or sand parts—where needed—to allow assembly and function.
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Assemble parts and test for function, correcting any issues as they occur.
Perhaps the best attribute of a do-it-yourself (DIY) attitude is persistence. When something doesn’t work, you investigate, make adjustments, and try again!
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO PRINT?
If you already have a desire—or need—to print something, great! If the answer is not yet, then there are some excellent resources to help you. They can help you decide if you want to get into 3D printing or not. All the sites listed here offer their downloads for free, so if in doubt, download it! Reading through the instructions will give you a real sense of what would be required to complete one of these projects.
Remember also: the more gun-related projects that are downloaded, the harder it becomes for anti-gunners to claim that 3D-printed firearm receivers and parts are not “in common use”!
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The Gatalog (http://thegatalog.com [3]) – Formerly known as Deterrence Dispensed, The Gatalog is my personal favorite place to look for gun printing projects. The projects listed have been beta tested to ensure that they work. The files themselves are on odyssey.com [4], and The Gatalog website sections link there. The downside? There is not much descriptive information provided with many of the files. Read the comments, or look for videos on YouTube, Rumble, or Odysee.com [5] to find out more.
Sometimes it is best to go ahead and download a project and read the instructions to find out how the project works and how it’s put together, as well as what other parts or components must be purchased.
[6]My favorite project on The Gatalog is the CZAR, a semiautomatic version of the Czech vz. 61 machine pistol. It’s a handy little firearm is chambered in .32 ACP—an underrated caliber that I find more useful than I ever expected. I also think the CZAR is one of the easier projects to print and assemble.The Gatalog is also a good source for projects that use few “gun” parts—or none at all. This type of firearm is growing in popularity in dangerous places that severely restrict the purchase of firearms and/or firearm parts.
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Booligan Custom Gunworks [7] – Booligan’s projects sometimes come with an element of whimsy, but there are some good, very practical projects on his odysee.com [5] site.
[8]I highly recommend his “The Silent Crickett” printable chassis [9] for the Crickett pistols and rifles. I especially like the plain vanilla version of the chassis. The chassis and a brace could turn a single shot .22 LR Crickett Hunter Pistol into a very practical, low-cost survival/trunk gun. My Crickett pistol dropped into the chassis with very little effort. The only change I had to make was the addition of a small washer for the screw that holds the receiver and chassis together.My second suggestion is the CZAR Files, a collection of add-ons for the CZAR, including a magazine extension and a sort of handguard that allows a much better grip for the offhand when shooting the CZAR.
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AreWeCoolYet? [10] – a.k.a. AWCY? – The mad geniuses at AWCY? offer a number of fun and unique projects—including an annual AWCY? Christmas ornament! One of my favorites is the “AR we cool yet.” The ARwcy? Is an AR lower receiver in multiple versions—each with a specific pistol-caliber magazine well. I’ve printed the lower for PPS-43 mags in the 7.62x25mm Tokarev caliber. AWCY? included the STEP (a Computer Aided Design, or CAD) file for an adapter that allows a PPS-43 submachine gun barrel to be used with a standard AR-15 receiver and barrel nut. I plan to modify that file to allow the use of a PPSh-41 submachine gun barrel.
I have not yet tried their Automatic Reset Trigger (a forced reset trigger) project. The files include two versions: one is made of sheet metal and requires some welding. The second version uses a combination of 3D-printed and cut metal pieces. The trigger works in AR-9 and AR-15 firearms, and I’m curious to try it.
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[11]Thingiverse [1] – One of the largest databases of printable projects. It’s something of a rabbit hole—once you jump in, you can spend a lot of time in your adventures in 3D printing wonderland! Thingiverse is full of fun and useful projects ranging from superhero figures and slingshots to shelf supports and SD/micro SD memory card carry cases. There are a few gun-related projects in the database. My favorites include a bench block for assembling/disassembling guns [12] that I printed in PLA (pictured at right.) I have used that in several projects at home, and a skeletonized AR-15 pistol gri [13]p that was easy to print and works great! I printed it in tan PETG filament. There’s also an AK-style grip made to fit AR-15 receivers [14]. It is compact and would look perfect on many pistol-caliber carbine projects—especially those with a curved magazine like the 9mm Scorpion Evo mag.Honorable Mention:
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Hoffman Tactical [15] – This appears to be a one-man shop, run by a surprisingly inventive young man. He pushes the limits of what is being done in 3D gun parts. He also updates his designs and posts the latest version on his website. His SL-15 and SL-15 DR are AR lowers that address the weakest point of a polymer lower—the buffer tube “tower” at the rear of the receiver—by massively reinforcing that area with one or more ribs. These are well-respected designs that have been successfully used by a large number of AR builders. Hoffman offers the metal parts that are used to reinforce and complete the lower.
He takes it to the next level with the ORCA-15. It’s an AR-15 utilizing as many 3D-printed parts as possible. The upper and lower receivers, the stock, the handguard and the barrel mount are all printed. I left this out of the main list because I have not tried printing any of his designs, although they look very well thought out. I’m planning to build an SL-15 lower soon, to find out for myself. You can see some of his designs demonstrated on YouTube.
TYPES OF FIREARM PROJECTS FOR 3D PRINTERS
The files for 3D-printed gun projects can be broadly divided into three categories, based on the types of materials used in their assembly. Here are the categories, with the names given to them by The Gatalog:
Primarily Printed Designs
These firearms may use some springs, pins, screws, nails, or even rubber bands! Almost everything else is 3D-printed, including the barrel in some cases! Other designs may use a steel barrel liner inside a printed outer barrel. Longevity—in terms of round count—in some of these designs can be expressed in single digits. Examples include the Liberator [16] and Songbird [17] pistols.
Hybrid Designs
Creativity really shines in these designs, which combine printed parts with readily-available, non-firearm parts and materials, such as metal bar stock, metal tubing, metal round stock, springs, pins, and screws. Many of these projects are intended for construction in locales where no actual gun parts may be available. Therefore, even the hammer, trigger, bolt, and barrel may be created using metal and/or printed components, although some projects may use a manufactured barrel or barrel liner, if available. Metal parts—even if made of hardened steel—can be “machined” using ElectroChemical Machining (ECM [18]), which can even be used to rifle and chamber barrels! Some of these designs approach the reliability and durability levels of manufactured firearms, though these projects generally demand more from the builder than the other two categories. Examples include the FGC-9 pisto [19]l, the Black Lotus Coalition’s Decker .380 pistol or carbine [20], and the single-shot, open-bolt, .22 LR Hitchhiker [21].
One design in this category is an example of why the builder must know their location’s firearm laws. The Urutau [22]—the name belongs to a South American bird with amazing natural camouflage, which is also sometimes called the “ghost bird”— is a Brazilian design for what would probably be considered a “short-barreled rifle” (SBR) in the United States. As an SBR, it would be subject to a $200 Federal transfer tax and registration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) before building. Carbine versions—with 16-inch barrels and a lengthened buttstock—have been built in the U.S., but remember: The builder is always responsible for compliance with the law. Know the Federal, State, and Local laws before you start a project!
(To be continued tomorrow, in Part 3.)