Testing the "Lulz Liberator," a $25 3D-printed handgun

[Beriallord]

 

 

This handgun was printed with a $1,725 Lulzbot 3D printer and fired for the first time above. One plastic barrel survived eight shots, and another barrel was swapped in for the ninth, before nightfall cut short further testing.

 

Thoughts on this anyone? I personally think its pretty cool, and this is just a prototype, and designs will only improve from here on out.

 

[Tidus44]

About as monumental an achievement as gluing two pieces of wood together. Any schlub with a CAD program and a bit of learning on a very low learning curve could design and make a gun on a 3D printer. I fail to see what is so spectacular about this, other than the lengths human stupidity can and will go to.

 

Now lets be aware of the program and 3D printer NASA is working on that will print food that looks, smells and tastes just like the actual food. Now that's something that is "cool", takes brains, serves a purpose and is fascinatingly interesting.

[frakle]

...will print food that looks, smells and tastes just like the actual food. Now that's something that is "cool", takes brains, serves a purpose and is fascinatingly interesting.

"Soylent Green is people!"

[JimboUK]

Even cheaper....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wV3lmbSv4

 

:biggrin:

[McclaudEagle]

Personally, I don't like the idea of any random person being able to "print" a potentially dangerous weapon, especially since it is highly unlikely to be registered or have a serial number that can identify it in case of a crime. Frankly, I think the idea of anyone being able to make one on their own without any form of licensing or anything like that is an incredibly stupid idea.

 

Overall, I don't like the idea of a 3D printing world at all. One thing a lot of "3D printing enthusiasts" are forgetting is that a massive portion of the population work in manufacturing. What happens to them when this 3D printing "revolution" takes place? That's it, they're going to be out of work, and it's not like the economy and unemployment situation isn't bad enough already.

[colourwheel]

I would have to agree with those who are scared by the idea of people being able to print out guns in 3D printers.

And one question can be asked if at all... what would be the point of improving on this design of a plastic gun anyways?

Beside what McclaudEagle has said about not liking the idea that anyone can have a working "print" of a potentially dangerous weapon, unregistered or without a serial number. Just imagine how this will effect security at air ports and other places that do not allow the general public to carry firearms on them.

Edited May 29, 2013 by colourwheel

[Beriallord]

Even cheaper....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wV3lmbSv4

 

:biggrin:

 

Its true, this is why I think the butthurt over 3D printed guns is pretty humorous. You don't even need a $1700 piece of equipment to rig together a zip gun.

[colourwheel]

Thoughts on this anyone? I personally think its pretty cool, and this is just a prototype, and designs will only improve from here on out.

 

Its true, this is why I think the butthurt over 3D printed guns is pretty humorous. You don't even need a $1700 piece of equipment to rig together a zip gun.

 

 

1st you think this 3d plastic gun is cool claiming the design will only improve. Now saying it's humorous because of it's cost when in the title is claiming it's a $25 gun in your topic title "Testing the "Lulz Liberator," a $25 3D-printed handgun". :rolleyes:

[JimboUK]

 

Even cheaper....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wV3lmbSv4

 

:biggrin:

 

Its true, this is why I think the butthurt over 3D printed guns is pretty humorous. You don't even need a $1700 piece of equipment to rig together a zip gun.

 

Exactly, homemade firearms are nothing new, people have been making them out of all sorts of junk for years. Making a gun isn't difficult, making one that won't explode in your face is a lot harder, a problem this plastic thing doesn't solve. The real danger from 3D printers is the potential to put a lot of people out of work as McclaudEagle stated.

[TRoaches]

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

These articles address what I believe to be the real reason behind the hype about 3D printers being used to produce guns: Associating them with gun production is a gateway to regulating their use for everything else, because they have the potential to allow you to "pirate" nearly anything. Imagine being able to download the spec for a car part and print one out instead of purchasing it from the manufacturer and you can imagine why this is causing nervousness in some industries.

For example, lets say you broke the handle of your car door and want to print a new one, but can't do so because it would infringe upon the intellectual property rights of the car manufacturer. The printer has a built in restriction that requires you to own a license to produce an object. You could purchase the license that allows you to print a limited number of them, and the cost of the license will offset the sale they lost because you printed it instead of ordering it from the manufacturer.

If you think this sounds far-fetched then this whole discussion of printed guns has successfully diverted your attention from the real issue. This is exactly the sort of limitations that the manufacturing industry is planning as we speak.

The manufacturers want this because it will allow them to continue to profit without the need for a factory or, more importantly, employees. If they are currently selling an item for $10 retail and are instead able to sell you the spec for $10 they will increase their profit because the cost of producing, shipping, and shelving the item is gone. That cost is replaced by a tiny bandwidth cost.

Utilizing these printers to their full potential is going to require cracks and modifications, and those cracks and modifications are going to be criminalized. Printing that door handle without paying for the license will be the new piracy.

Guns are not the issue. They are using the idea of printed guns to scare you into believing these printers are themselves dangerous weapons that require regulation, and people are falling hard for it. As the video of the zip gun posted earlier shows it has always been possible to build a gun from common items, and a skilled machinist can build nearly ANY weapon without ANY legal restriction, but I don't hear any calls for limiting the capabilities or requiring registration of metalworking equipment.

Overall, I don't like the idea of a 3D printing world at all. One thing a lot of "3D printing enthusiasts" are forgetting is that a massive portion of the population work in manufacturing. What happens to them when this 3D printing "revolution" takes place? That's it, they're going to be out of work, and it's not like the economy and unemployment situation isn't bad enough already.

 

I struggled with this drawback for a bit myself. If factories were rendered obsolete by this tech it would certainly mean fewer manufacturing jobs. Then I realized that humans are already approaching obsolescence with regard to manufacturing. A single person can run a robotic assembly line that, 50 or 100 years ago, would have required many people. Other sectors of industry that could take a hit it would include the design and maintenance of the robots, and everyone involved in the shipping-retail chain.

The upside: if the printers were to available without restriction, could be a boom in individual inventiveness. The ability for a person of average finance who has a good idea to draw something in CAD and go straight to production could lead to all sorts of new and useful creations, perhaps even life-altering ones. I don't think we should worry about killing obsolete industries just because they employ people. The VCR was supposed to be the death of the film industry. The world adapts. Every new technology that has the potential to make a limited and controlled resource more easily available to the public is demonized by the people who have been profiting from their control of said resource. If you want to know what the future holds for controversy about 3D printers look here:

translated bibles

VCR

digital music and film

And here is a very cool example of 3D printers enabling a small group with relatively limited resources to quickly accomplish something they otherwise would not be able to do:

And here is an article about a 3D printer being used to save a baby's life. Don't be too quick to judge the usefulness of these things. There are some drawbacks to the introduction of any new technology, but also huge potential for improving our lives.

Edited June 4, 2013 by TRoaches