Another perp has been busted for 3D printing weapons.
weapons
3D Printing’s Pivotal Role in Strengthening National Defense
Charles R. Goulding, Jacob T. Nolan and Preeti Sulibhavi discuss the US Department of Defense’s strategic integration of 3D printing.
Canadian Teenager Receives 12-Year Sentence for 3D Printing Firearms in Trafficking Scheme
A Canadian man has been sentenced to twelve years in jail for 3D printing weapons.
Popular 3D Print Channel ‘3D Print General’ Abruptly Removed from YouTube
Troubling news from YouTube: a popular 3D print channel has been abruptly deleted.
Ghost Guns and 3D Printing: US Supreme Court Sets Precedent in Recent Ruling
A ruling in the US Supreme Court involved 3D printing.
Canada’s Major Crackdown on 3D Printed Weapons: What You Need to Know
Last week Canada cracked down on dozens of people producing 3D printed weapons.
US Government Changes Rules For 3D Printed Weapons
Legal changes suggest the market for 3D printed weapons may soon shrink in the United States.
Will New US Policies on “Ghost Guns” Affect 3D Printing?
The Biden administration announced a series of new policies related to âghost gunsâ that might affect 3D printing.
Shifting The 3D Printed Weapons Problem Somewhere Else
I had a thought about the 3D printed weapons issue that just wonât go away.
Pennsylvania Seizes 3D Printer
The state of Pennsylvania seized two 3D printers that were allegedly being used to make illegal âghost gunsâ.
The Economist Tackles 3D Printed Crime
A new report from The Economist describes the state of 3D print crime.
Matt Rittman’s Gun CAD Creations Show How The Real Things Work
It can be baffling how CAD encompasses a seemingly infinite number of fields: from animation, to product prototyping, to homemade 3D printing.
When 3D Printed Guns Are Not 3D Printed Guns
Iâm reading an article on Hackaday about some folks experimenting with 3D printed gun parts and realized there could be a problem.
3D Printing and the Law
Weâre going to take a look at a few key ways in which the law can impact 3D printing.
States Request Removal of 3D Printed Weapon Designs
In a story thatâs been unfolding for quite a few years, nearly half the states in the US have petitioned the US federal government to remove 3D printable weapon models.
3D Printing Weapons of Mass Destruction? Inevitable or Controllable?
Could 3D printing be used to manufacture weapons of mass destruction? Is additive manufacturing dangerous? We have thoughts.
The Business/Ethical Quandary Of 3D Printing Weapons
Should 3D printing companies be taking a stance regarding the production of weapons? Companies like Materialise and Carbon are well known for their no-weapons policies; others welcome defense contracts.
Another Solid 3D Printing Model Repository: Hum3D
We ran across another interesting 3D model repository, Hum3D.
IP, Law Enforcement, and 3D Printing: Interview with John Hornick
Understanding the capabilities and legalities of 3D printing is a complex undertaking: lawyer John F. Hornick weighs in on todayâs realities.
Another Attempt to Trace 3D Prints
A report in Popular Mechanics describes research to identify the specific 3D printer used to print a given object.
A Proposal to Prevent 3D Printed Weapons?
Iâm reading a research paper that proposes a machine-learning approach to stopping the evils of 3D printed weapons.
WARNING: No 3D Printed Weapons!
The College of Charleston in South Carolina does not want you to 3D print any weapons.
3D Printed Weapons to be Produced by US Department of Defense
A very curious solicitation from the US DOD requests âexplosiveâ 3D printer materials.
BAE Systemsâ âChemicalâ Printer: Fantasy or Possibility?
Thereâs a very strange announcement on the BAE Systems site, proposing a âchemputerâ that would âgrowâ objects. Is this something thatâs actually feasible?
US To Tighten Up Export Restrictions; Will Affect 3D Printed Weaponry
In a recent proposal, the US Department of State suggests a number of changes to that countryâs export rules, which effectively would prevent 3D models of weapons to be transmitted.
Australia to Regulate 3D Printed Weapons?
The Australian Senateâs Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee has recommended new legislation specifically to regulate 3D printed firearms. Should they do this?
3D Printed Gun Maker Jailed
Yoshitomo Imura, a Japanese 3D printing ehthusiast, has been jailed for two years for manufacturing 3D printed guns.
Tokyo Man Busted for 3D Printed Weapons
According to a report on NHK and BBC, Tokyo resident Yoshitomo Imura has been arrested by Japanese police.
USS Essex Has A 3D Printer Onboard
The US Navy has equipped the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship, with a 3D printer.
Solid Conceptsâ Printed Metal Gun on Sale
In just short of two months 3D printing firm Solid Concepts has introduced, and will now sell a 3D printed metal gun. While the model M1911 semi-automatic pistol is made from stainless steel and Inconel 625 it’s going to cost you a bit more than your standard issue US Army pistol. According to… Continue reading Solid Conceptsâ Printed Metal Gun on Sale
Extending the Ban on 3D Printed Weapons
A story in the Guardian describes the work by New York Senator Chuck Schumer to extend the ban on “undetectable guns” before it expires on December the 9th of this year. Obviously this work was inspired by recent events where working guns were produced on 3D printers – although the weapons produced were by… Continue reading Extending the Ban on 3D Printed Weapons
Lawmakers Hope to Regulate 3D Printed Guns with an Act from the 1980s
US Senator Chuck Schumer (D) is sounding the alarm about the proliferation of 3D printed weapons as a law banning undetectable firearms is set to end on December 9, 2013. The Undetectable Firearms Act, which was adopted in the 1980s, sought to make firearms more easily detectable by requiring that they contain a minimum… Continue reading Lawmakers Hope to Regulate 3D Printed Guns with an Act from the 1980s
3D Printing Fears Jump the Shark
With the deployment of personal 3D printers to thousands of private homes, it was inevitable that some people would focus on the bad instead of the good. Now those fears have truly jumped the shark, when police in Manchester, UK raided what they believed to be a “3D printed gun factory”. Unfortunately, their search… Continue reading 3D Printing Fears Jump the Shark
Canadian Government Investigating 3D Printed Weapons
The 3D printed weapons controversy continues. From the CBC we learn that the Canadian Government, or specifically several of its agencies (the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada) have sponsored a request for contractors to provide insight into 3D printing of firearms, ammunition and associated parts. Our view is that… Continue reading Canadian Government Investigating 3D Printed Weapons
3D Printed Guns at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Readers may recall the controversy earlier this year when DEFCAD produced and electronically distributed digital 3D models for the first working, 3D printable weapons. While the event was a milestone, it didn’t last long as the US Department of Defense Trade Controls seized the digital assets as they determined the digital weapons were not appropriate… Continue reading 3D Printed Guns at the Victoria and Albert Museum
The First Commercial 3D Printed Metal Gun Part
In the last year, 3D printed guns have, unsurprisingly, rather polarized the 3D printing community. While Defense Distributed’s Liberator gun project has been shut down, reverberations from the project continue across the internet, and others are still developing 3D-printed firearm components. Neal Brace, founder of Sintercore LLC and a former US Marine infantryman, has… Continue reading The First Commercial 3D Printed Metal Gun Part
It’s A 3D Printed Rifle
First it was a pistol, now it’s a rifle. Over the past year we’ve seen deeper and more complex experiments into the possibilities of 3D printing, some remarkable and others simply pose difficult questions. One of the challenging experiments was the first 3D printed gun, a pistol designed by Defense Distributed. While the pistol… Continue reading It’s A 3D Printed Rifle
Preventing 3D Gun Printing?
Create It Real announced they’ve developed a system for preventing 3D printing of firearms. The system apparently uses some kind of geometric detection to identify firearm-like 3D models. Once identified, it simply prevents them from printing. But how does it work? They say: Upon opening a 3D file, the smart software scans the model… Continue reading Preventing 3D Gun Printing?
I Will Not Print You A Gun!
The headline is not exactly what is said on a piece now appearing on Thingiverse. The “guns are bad” 3D model by Gecko is a desktop sign that actually says: NO! I will not print you a f***ing gun 3D printed guns are obviously controversial, so much so that the mandarins at Thingiverse… Continue reading I Will Not Print You A Gun!
3D Printed Bullets?
A new video has surfaced of experiments with 3D printed bullets. The video, produced by popular gun video enthusiasts Taofledermaus, shows three actual firings of said bullets. One firing involves 1/10 of an ounce (3g) of powder, another is 1/2 an ounce (14g) and the third shows a very unusual shape, which fails miserably.… Continue reading 3D Printed Bullets?
Are 3D Printers Scary?
We’re reading a post by Shelly Palmer of Huffington Post entitled, “3D Printing is Way Scarier Than Plastic Guns”. Palmer describes the recent 3D printed gun scenario that we’ve covered in several posts and then goes on to suggest that the knee-jerk reactions of various politicians are misguided, sensational and “like putting a Band-Aid on… Continue reading Are 3D Printers Scary?
3D Printers: Banned?
That could be the outcome of a proposal from California state senator Leland Yee of San Francisco. Upon reviewing recent reports of 3D printable weapons, Yee became concerned about the possible outcomes and has proposed that the technology must be regulated. He says: Terrorists can make these guns and do some horrible things to… Continue reading 3D Printers: Banned?
A Word On 3D Printed Gun Safety
If you happened to download the 3D printed handgun models before the US government confiscated them, it may be time to remind you of safety concerns should you attempt to 3D print this item. The ease of 3D printing and the sudden availability of a working gun model meant that some people will attempt… Continue reading A Word On 3D Printed Gun Safety
Breaking: DEFCAD’s 3D Printable Gun Files Held by US Government
An announcement suddenly appearing on Defense Distributed’s DEFCAD.org notifies visitors that the files containing 3D models of gun parts will no longer be available. The announcement says: DEFCAD files are being removed from public access at the request of the US Department of Defense Trade Controls. Until further notice, the United States government… Continue reading Breaking: DEFCAD’s 3D Printable Gun Files Held by US Government
Defense Distributed’s 3D Printed Handgun
Defense Distributed’s Cody Wilson wasn’t kidding when he said last week their team was working diligently on developing a design for a 3D printed handgun. In an exclusive from Forbes, the design of the handgun, named “The Liberator”, has been shown for the first time. During Wilson’s appearance the other week at a New… Continue reading Defense Distributed’s 3D Printed Handgun
An Update from Defense Distributed
During our visit to New York City this week we heard directly from Cody Wilson, founder of Defense Distributed on the latest progress they’ve had developing 3D models of functioning firearms. During his talk at Inside 3D Printing, Wilson described some significant breakthroughs: Defense Distributed has been able to produce an ABS barrel… Continue reading An Update from Defense Distributed
“Print Me a Cruiser” : The Future of the US Fleet
According to the Navy publication Proceedings Magazine, “The 3D printing revolution will radically change naval construction.” In the magazine’s most recent issue, Lt. Cheney-Peters and Lt. Hipple argue that the future of naval design and manufacturing could be based on a 3D printing paradigm. In an interview with MakerBot’s Peter Schmehl, Cheney-Peters learned that… Continue reading “Print Me a Cruiser” : The Future of the US Fleet
Point. Click. Gun.
A fascinating video detailing Cody Wilson’s Defense Distributed initiative has been published by Motherboard: “Point. Click. Gun.” In the 24 minute video Wilson takes you on a tour of his operations and deep into his philosophy on gun making. You’ll see his own workshop containing the very Objet Connex 3D printer used to print… Continue reading Point. Click. Gun.
DEFCAD Gets Licensed
There’s news from DEFCAD, the commercial arm of WikiWeapons, who hope to provide the world (or at least the USA) with 3D printable models of gun parts. The news is that they’ve received an official license to manufacture guns, as evidenced by the image above. They don’t report much more on their blog entry,… Continue reading DEFCAD Gets Licensed
Defense Distributed Defends Itself
If you’ve been following 3D printing recently, you have surely heard of Defense Distributed, a controversial non-profit initiative to create printable 3D models of gun parts, led by Cody Wilson. Wilson’s talk at SXSW this week revealed their plan to develop and launch a new for-profit venture to distribute said 3D models: DefCAD.com. It’s… Continue reading Defense Distributed Defends Itself
Al-Jazeera On 3D Printed Guns
A video report on Al-Jazeera explores the 3D printed gun scenario. While we’ve written (probably too much) on this topic, Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle points out one aspect not written so much about: what happens outside of the USA? Within the USA, proponents of 3D printed guns suggest that the US Constitution permits such… Continue reading Al-Jazeera On 3D Printed Guns
3D Printed Gun: Mission Accomplished?
Ars Technica spent some time with Defense Distributed’s Cody Wilson examining the latest version of DefDist’s 3D printed gun. Actually the gun is not 3D printed; one key part, the lower receiver, is 3D printed. The rest of the weapon is made of conventional (and less complex) metal and plastic parts. Previous attempts… Continue reading 3D Printed Gun: Mission Accomplished?
3D Printers and Airport Security
Just as you are, we’re getting tired of speculative propositions on the prospect of 3D printed weapons and try not to post on it, but we encountered an interesting question of this ilk on Quora. The question read: Could a small 3D printer be brought through security at an airport and then used… Continue reading 3D Printers and Airport Security
More Thoughts on 3D Printed Weaponry
We’ve been reading two pieces on the topic of 3D printed guns, one by Reason.com and the other from Design News. For those who somehow haven’t yet heard of the controversy, it seems that more than one group has decided to test the feasibility of 3D printed guns. The technical feasibility has been proven;… Continue reading More Thoughts on 3D Printed Weaponry
The Most Dangerous Person in 3D Printing
Wired has named their list of the “15 Most Dangerous People In The World”. The list includes some certainly dangerous types, such as Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexican drug kingpin of Ciudad Juarez, but also includes some persons of questionable dangerousness, such as the scandalous former Army intelligence officer Paula Broadwell. One name we… Continue reading The Most Dangerous Person in 3D Printing
Congress To Ban 3D Printed Weapons?
US Representative Steve Israel of Long Island, NY proposes an extension to a law banning “undetectable weapons”, due to his fears of widespread 3D printed guns. This fear could be justified as there is a group working specifically on the methods and designs of 3D printed guns. Wiki Weapons, as they are known, recently… Continue reading Congress To Ban 3D Printed Weapons?
More 3D Gun Printing Controversy
This topic just won’t go away. Last week 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys revoked the 3D printer lease of Defense Distributed, a team intent on producing an open source, 3D-printable gun design – using a Stratasys 3D printer. No doubt Stratasys was concerned they might be sued by someone in the future or the subject… Continue reading More 3D Gun Printing Controversy
MIB 3’s 3D Printed Weaponry
Did you ever wonder where the amazing weapons in the MIB movies come from? They are prototyped using 3D printing by Moddler, a custom 3D printing service based in San Francisco using an Objet Eden 550V. The Objet device is a good choice for this application, since it’s PolyJet technology permits the creation… Continue reading MIB 3’s 3D Printed Weaponry
3D Printed Weapons: The Aftermath
Inevitably, controversy erupted upon the revelation that 3D printing weapons is actually feasible. Let’s have a look at the implications. First, what changes with this discovery? It proves that 3D printer owners in their own homes (and we’d guess there must be at least 20,000 of you out there, with many, many more arriving… Continue reading 3D Printed Weapons: The Aftermath
3D Printed Weaponry Now Functional
Another first for 3D printing: A pistol constructed from 3D printed parts has been successfully fired. The gun design was an AR-15, a “a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed, semi-automatic rifle”, according to Wikipedia. Gun enthusiast HaveBlue selected this configuration due to its small caliber and the uncertainty of whether the 3D printed parts would withstand… Continue reading 3D Printed Weaponry Now Functional
3D Printed Crime
PC World takes a very deep look at some of the criminal possibilities of 3D printing in a recent article. We’ve been quite concerned about how this will play out, as have some others. When you have a machine that can create practically anything, what do you expect to happen? PC World’s article details… Continue reading 3D Printed Crime