In recent news, Cody Wilson has caused quite a stir with his company’s, Defense Distributed, production of functional partial, and complete 3D printed firearms. However, it would seem that Wilson’s productions are only the start of a trend. Despite removal of the plans for the Liberator (Defense Distrubuted’s 3D printed pistol) from his site, defcad.org, a new and improved 3D printed pistol design has emerged. The engineer behind the “Lulz Liberator” has developed a functioning pistol using a cheaper and stronger plastic material (that can be printed with a more consumer grade printer than Defense Distributed uses). The resulting design is more wear resistant than Wilson’s single shot Liberator. It includes a bit more metal (the Lulz Liberator includes a few hardware store screws instead of printed pins) and functions for multiple shots. Although this new 3D printed pistol design seems to be an improvement upon Wilson’s design, with the recent backlash Defense Distributed experienced with the Federal government, the Lulz Liberator’s designer has been more cautious with sharing information about his work. To protect his anonymity, and his project, he has withheld his name from the press (identifying himself only as “Joe”) and has yet to make any plans for his 3D printed pistol designs available to the online public.
Where will 3D printed firearms technology go from here?
H/T to Ashley Feinberg from Gizmodo.com
As far as where its headed I have no idea. But where it stops I certainly hope not here. Im not backing the designers overall anarchical ideals. But I am all for being more self reliant on gun maintenance. As well as a huge fan of any LEGAL way to lower my gun operation and usage costs. I mean its a hobby that can literally blow holes through your wallet.
JBone139 I think the potential for printed firearms is more interesting than the guns that have been produced by those means to date. I wonder where it could take the industry… it seems to be creating some considerable waves already.
You can’t ‘un-invent’ an idea…. I forsee multi-shot derringer-style pistols in smaller calibers getting popular. They won’t function very well as ‘assault weapons’ but will be viable for self-defense at a low level, at least.
Tokenn Haha Very true. I wonder if the folks who purchase “cheap” firearms out of a lack of funds for higher quality will find temporary use 3D printed guns as a preferable alternative… could be more cost effective for them.
To me they are modern day versions of zip guns, who would want a single shot gun as a carry gun, who would want one as a home defense gun, who would want one for the range?. Basically whats their targeted market, lets see a cheap, untraceable gun that due to the lack of metal might go undetected…..yup the same people who used zip guns and other home made guns, of course some firearms enthusiast will get one but the majority will appeal to those who have other intentions. Bad idea that is open to misuse and will have the gun grabbers all hopped up and ready to go.
peter3101 I have read that to make these firearms detectable, there is a non-functional metal plate component included. But, even with that, these types of guns have the potential to be widely and easily accessible in a way that full metal or polymer/steel guns cannot.
To me they are modern day versions of zip guns, who would want a single shot gun as a carry gun, who would want one as a home defense gun, who would want one for the range?. Basically whats their targeted market, lets see a cheap, untraceable gun that due to the lack of metal might go undetected…..yup the same people who used zip guns and other home made guns, of course some firearms enthusiast will get one but the majority will appeal to those who have other intentions. Bad idea that is open to misuse and will have the gun grabbers all hopped up and ready to go.
A lot of people are getting hung up on the current printed guns. The hardware. What they are versus what else is out there.
The point of these, and the real significance, is NOT in their actual functionality. It is in the fact that this is the beginning of the end of centralized regulation of physical goods. The old model where the government could restrict what a citizen could possess is beginning to fail, because as 3D printers become more affordable, soon we can make whatever we want for ourselves simply by downloading plans and “printing” them.
Speaking of the plans, the other real significance this whole 3D printed gun has is that it has now made gun rights a FIRST AMENDMENT issue, rather than only a SECOND AMENDMENT one. In order to restrict these kinds of devices, the government will be forced to control information, to control bytes being shared. This is a first amendment issue. They either begin to infringe on the 1st amendment and start a slippery slope of trying to control information, or they are forced to admit defeat that their gun control schemes will fail and that anyone can download/share these free plans and make their own weapons.
Will the technology catch up to the point we can have modern rifles/handguns out of 3d printing? Who knows. But the first amendment battle begins now.
TimU I’m glad you brought up the first amendment/second amendment point. That’s a big part of why I continue to follow the 3D printed weapon saga, to see how our country addresses both sides of the issue.
here’s hoping someone anonymously “leaks” these plans onto the internet, so the next guy can make a further improved version… or at least that this guy will share his modifications with Cody so he can turn around and improve the improved design…
chyldeorchid I’m with you – I bet “Joe” isn’t the only guy out there trying to improve upon the 3D printer gun idea. Someone else, in the near future more likely than not, will have the next best thing ready to add ripples to the discussion that flared up with Wilson’s design.
The Liberator is not too impressive in its current form, and I don’t see 3D guns being all that useful until we see some major leap forward in plastic technology. It’s just proof of concept in its current state.
We’ll be seeing a lot more companies making polymer pistols and rifles – not complete plastic, like the Liberator, but like the Glock, XM8, SCAR, etc – those have lots of plastic parts.
If a good polymer AR lower comes out, it will be huge for the AR market (since the lower is the only part that’s officially a ‘gun’). A lot of small (and large) FFLs could decide to become manufacturers – instead of ordering a lower online, sending FFL and cash, and waiting for 2-3 weeks, you could go to your FFL, pay the fee, and you’ll have your lower within 24 hours, with any kind of engraving you’d like. If you think ARs are popular now, wait until a good lower becomes available.
Zardoz I wouldn’t be surprised if the advent of 3D printed guns currently in existence doesn’t spur others to find a way to “do it better.” I’m curious to see what “better” will be, though, and how the government will respond.
Zardoz There are several printable AR lowers in existence already. The issue is how sturdy they are. My thinking is that if they go with a design similar to Cav Arms/GWACS armory with the integrated stock and pistol grip all as one piece that they could make it a sturdier design. But I do think this possibility is in the very near future.
Zardoz There are several printable AR lowers in existence already. The issue is how sturdy they are. My thinking is that if they go with a design similar to Cav Arms/GWACS armory with the integrated stock and pistol grip all as one piece that they could make it a sturdier design. But I do think this possibility is in the very near future.