A 3D printed firearm is a firearm that is partially or primarily produced with a 3D printer. While plastic printed firearms are associated with improvised firearms, or the politics of gun control, digitally-produced metal firearms are more associated with commercial manufacturing or experiments in traditional firearms design.[2]
Although it is possible to create fully-printed plastic firearms, these tend to have short working lives.[3] 3D printed gun culture is built more around the printing of firearm frames and receivers, and the use of standard commercial components, like an action and barrel. Metal parts can be made or purchased in parts kit.[4][a]
While 3D-printed parts are made in the development and production of conventional firearms, they are more commonly associated with DIY guns in American gun politics. 3D-printed parts complicate the debates regarding high-capacity magazine and assault weapons bans, as well as federal regulations like the ATF's pistol brace rule.
- ^ "Defense Distributed – Come And Take It 2.0 Patch". August 26, 2018. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ New Zealand leads the way in Titanium Additive Manufacturing, Metal Additive Manufacturing, May 12, 2014. (archive)
- ^ Mearian, Lucas (May 30, 2014). "Lab tests show 3D printed guns can be useless -- and dangerous". Computerworld.
Defense Distributed has demonstrated its Liberator 3D printed gun successfully. The gun, however, has a limited lifespan, and it typically fails after eight to 10 shots.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
genwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).