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3D Printed Guns

People have figured out how to print a semi-automatic rifle from the comfort of their own home. Now they’re putting all the information online so that others will join them.

This is a story about the rapid evolution of a technology that has forced the American legal system to play catch up. Cody Wilson, a 25 year old University of Texas Law student, is an advocate for the open source production of firearms using 3D printing technology.

This makes him a highly controversial figure on both sides of the gun control issue. Motherboard sat down with Cody in Austin, Texas to talk about the constitution, the legal system, and to watch him make and test-fire a 3D-printed gun. We found some of the best AR15 iron sights that you can buy online. See some of the other posts on this website. You can learn a lot there.

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  1. AMERICAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

  2. guns are for killing people end off. we all gotta be responsible for ourselves. but one someone is gone they are gone. and can you put a price on a life?NO!

    • “guns are for killing people end off. we all gotta be responsible for ourselves. but one someone is gone they are gone. and can you put a price on a life?NO!”

      So that merits taking some freedom away from 300 million people? I disagree.

      Yes, guns are for killing people.. whats your point? There also for defending people.
      It’s funny how a person can look at both sides of an issue…

      Gun’s have always been extremely easy to get, legal or not.

      no matter how you look at it… You’re asking for censorship and for things to be taken away. You’re asking for a police state and that’s exactly what you’re going to get.

      Welcome to the internet btw -_-

  3. a) they’re not printing “guns”, they’re printing _some_ gun parts that can be made of plastic, such as the receiver and the magazine.
    b) people have been making homemade guns way before them, except they were using wooden or other parts for the grip, frame, etc. The only difference with the 3D printing is that they print “cooler”-looking parts instead of ugly looking wooden parts.

    This is nothing but news sensationalism.

    • No, what the are doing is printing those parts MUCH MORE EASILY AND READILY.

    • From a legal perspective, they are printing guns. A manufactured lower receiver is the serialized part that the ATF identifies as the gun, all other parts are unregulated accessories.

      • And from a legal perspective it’s perfectly legal as there has always been exemption clauses for individuals manufacturing single firearms for personal use.

    • Two valid points, however reporting upon how this soon-mainstream technology may effect the way the world operates (while limited in this particular documentary’s scope) is in itself a valid and interesting point to make.

  4. If you want to help stop gun crime without being unconstitutional, consider the idea of promoting laws to ban the manufacture and sale of bullets. This way, citizens can still technically bear arms, but they will be useless without bullets. The constitution says nothing about bullets.

    This would effectively disable all of the guns in the USA, of both criminals and responsible citizens. The government can then offer a VOLUNTARY buy back scheme, which of course people will jump as because their gun is now just useless piece of iron… or plastic

    • How absurd. The U.S. Constitution states “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”. If you understand what a militia is, what security is and what a free state is, you would not argue to take away our right to defend ourselves from a tyrannical state. It specifically states “…shall not be infringed”. Taking away my bullets, is definitely infringing on my right to bear arms.

      The gun and bullets are just tools, the crime is committed by a person. If you take away the gun, he will use a knife, or a hammer, or a pencil for that matter. Taking away our guns only does one thing, it makes it easier for criminals to commit crimes.

    • The problem with banning bullets is the manufacturers will go out of business and when we go to war will have to buy the ammo from the people we’re at war with. We already have an Italian pistol (Baretta) as the military standard side arm.

      The military want’s…no needs a healthy USA guns & ammo industry so there will be somebody to provide them in war time.

    • You can buy all the machinery to make your own ammo at any Cabelas and most chain hunting outlets.