Three-dimensional printing promises to make the weapons available to the public, and attempts to control of it is meaningless, according to opponents of civilian weapons. Download drawings in the Internet, any owner of a 3D printer can already print a pistol, revolver or machine parts. Plastic guns printed at home, can make a few shots, but industrial 3D printers make metal guns, able to shoot a few hundred rounds.
Such equipment is too expensive and consumes a lot of energy, but after two or three years it will be available for small business and then for “privateers”. Already, some experts argue that the authorities will have to limit the spread of 3D technology to avoid the proliferation of weapons. Once also tried to ban printing presses, to avoid the spread of dangerous ideas. It is noteworthy that economists and futurists believe the emergence of improvised unregistered weapons are not the biggest problem associated with the development of three-dimensional printing.
A gun in every home
It was presented as a triumph of independent production: in 2012, 25-year-old American graduate student Cody Wilson first designed and printed on a 3D printer, single-shot gun Liberator (“Liberator”) capable of firing live ammunition. Almost all parts were plastic, except the firing pin — it was made from a nail, and even in the case brewed a piece of metal, because the U.S. laws prohibit the manufacture of weapons invisible to metal detectors, and Cody did everything according to the law. Weapons used relatively low-powered .380 ACP cartridge (9х17 mm) — all attempts to strengthen the ammunition ended rupture of weapons.
The name Liberator was sent to the FP-45 Liberator — a cheap and ridiculous the single-shot pistol, which the Americans released in 1942 for the partisans and resistance fighters in occupied Europe. Half a million of these devices expected to scatter from planes.
Libertarian and anarchist, Wilson also wanted to arm as many citizens around the world. The right to arms he considered an integral part of a free society, the government’s attempts to control the flow of weapons, an attack on fundamental freedoms. With his partner Ben Denio he founded the company Defense Distributed (DD), and the movement of the “wiki weapons”, the purpose of which announced the uncontrolled proliferation of civilian weapons. Drawings of the “Liberator” posted on the Internet where they could download anyone.
Liberator hit did not, but helped Cody become mediapersons — they were interested in the U.S. state Department, the media asking for interviews and invited to participate in a talk show. Accidentally or on purpose, but the appearance of the gun from the printer coincided with a new round of debate about the regulation of civilian gun ownership in American society. President Obama announced 23 steps on gun control, among them mandatory background checks of gun owners and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity stores.
“We believe that gun control is impossible, — has designated the position Cody Wilson. — Some claim that our ideas about printing weapons is far from reality. On the contrary, far from reality those who believe that this technology will be brought under control.”
Very arrogant, considering that “this technology” allows you to make cumbersome and unsightly plastic gun that can withstand dozens of shots.
Do it in the bedroom
However, the young man well accustomed to the role of mediasentry. “Joe Biden, is not a country for old men” (politician known as an opponent of civilian weapons — approx. “Of the tape.<url>”), played Cody on camera, showing the new development — a DD AR15 rifle, made using 3D printing. Rather, printed out was only one part — the lower part of the receiver with the receiver of the store. Under American law, this item is numbered and shall be registered, everything else is the barrel, upper receiver, trigger mechanism, etc., can be bought freely, without any license in many other countries, including in Russia, this scheme does not work).
And anything that DD rifles broke up after a series of shots, because it is not in functionality, but in principle. “Our goal is to prove our point of view: look, it’s possible to print plastic, — said in an interview the inventor. — Now you can do this in your bedroom”. The prohibitive distressed and sounded the alarm: “Ghost guns” as they call US illegal guns, will soon be in every home. It can be used by terrorists and revolutionaries around the world. Well, that plastic — technology is not standing still!
Indeed, in 2013, the company Solid Concepts has introduced the world’s first metal pistols are printed out on a 3D printer-a Colt M1911. The first model, according to developers, has made more than a thousand shots.
In the Arsenal of the company, with a dozen industrial 3D printers that use the technology of direct laser sintering of metals — or, as it is called, additive manufacturing technology. A special device sequentially causes the layers of metal and/or ceramic powders which are sintered CW laser. The cost of one unit Solid Concepts — from 600 thousand to a million dollars.
Representatives of the company immediately explained: pistols — this is just a research project. “We plan to make some more samples for additional testing, but we are not going to start mass production, because they will not be able to sell these guns so that it makes a profit”, — admitted the head of Solid Concepts in an interview with RT. The fact that additive technologies are very expensive and are mainly used for the manufacture of prototypes and test samples, but not for mass production.
But after a couple years they will be available to small businesses, and even in five years, perhaps, these printers appear in the homes of Americans. But when 3D printers will become an ordinary home appliances like a microwave or a flat-screen TV, the US government will not be able to control the proliferation of weapons. It may be wise to think in advance about limiting the spread of 3D technology? Such opinions are also expressed.
The victory of marketing over common sense
Many experts think the hype around 3D weapons marketing ploy to promote new technologies. On the other hand, is an opportunity for politicians from antiageing lobby once again to be active. “Politicians need something to fight for. Illusive than the danger the better, ” says the historian of weapons Maxim Popenker. — You can easily spend money on the fight, not fearing that they will have to answer for the result.” Today in the US to 30 million units of illegal guns, mostly the guns are imported from abroad, and not printed on home printers.
Maxim Popenker believes that a 3D printer is not the easiest way to acquire illegal guns: “Today, there are many opportunities to make a weapon using traditional methods. Commercially available equipment allows a person with plumbing skills to make the gun more reliable than the plastic Liberator”. Yes, anyone who watched the movie “Brother-2”, knows how to use simple tools to make the “firing” of the water pipe and wood bar. This weapon will be more dangerous “pukalki” Wilson, and ammunition to get is not necessary.
Finally, criminals can purchase a real gun on the black market and this will cost them no more than buying a 3D printer. A good citizen to stop it from acquiring illegal weapons, not technical restrictions and legal barriers. In any country of the world there is an article for illegal manufacture of weapons — no matter how it is done: using a Vice and a file, or by using three-dimensional printing.
Combat botany
For potential “rebel” fighters with system “guns” out of the printer is also meaningless. Plastic pistols — a weak argument against the real machines. Perhaps this is why the main followers of the movement “wiki weapons” is not revolutionary, and IT companies and curious geeks who want to test the capabilities of their 3D printers and to try “something new”.
So, after the “Liberator” appeared semiautomatic pistol Shuty-9 that looks like a submachine gun. The author used a real “bottom” AR15 to which using a printed module attached metal barrel. The inventors of the company Hexen posted on its website, the drawings and the video tests five-charging bundel-Reprringer revolver — a weapon made by “melochey” cartridge .22 CB, chambers, plastic drum reinforced with metal inserts. And Yoshimoto Imura, 27-year-old employee of one of Japanese colleges in Kawasaki, downloaded the blueprints I printed out some guns, tested them, posted record in the Internet and was arrested for illegal possession of weapons. “I didn’t know that it’s forbidden,” said he to the police. Canadian enthusiast Mathew printed on expensive printer Dimension 1200es small-bore rifle — a copy of the grizzly .25. She was able to make 14 shots before failure.
The founders of the “wiki weapons”, it seems, was disappointed in the 3D technology. In October 2014 Defense Distributed has started selling a new device for the production of lavarow” to the AR15 called Ghost Gunner (“Ghost gun”). By mistake it is sometimes called a 3D-printer, it really is “smart” milling machine. To manage it you need a computer with Windows 7 or above, or MacOS. A new product touted as the machine that can do “anything”. Put a brick of aluminum, run the program and after six hours you get “lower” from the AR15.
The Respondents “Tape.<url>” the experts are unanimous: today print full small arms impossible.
“You receive the body, the trunk, but will not be able to exploit, because it requires additional heat treatment and grinding, on a 3D printer won’t do,” explained the Tape.ru” the chief specialist of the function of science, engineering, innovation development and development of standards for the maintenance of machinery and tools JSC “Stankoprom” Valery Kukushkin. At the same time, the products made by the methods of layer-by-layer synthesis, according to him, are widely used in the defense, aviation, aerospace, automotive and other industries. According to NASA, today, about 14 percent of complex products rocketry is done with the use of additive technologies.
Earlier it was reported that one of the units of Stankoprom used 3D printers to produce parts for prototypes of promising pistols and machine guns, developed by the concern “Kalashnikov” and TSNIITOCHMASH.
According to experts in laser technology, an employee NPO “Astrophysics” Valery Soldatov, twenty years in a number of industries on three-dimensional printing will account for up to 40 percent of production. Using additive technologies you can do almost everything, including weapons. However, when this happens, governments will have bigger problems than guns printed by ordinary people. Some economists give pessimistic forecast: the mass introduction of three-dimensional printing can leave out of work hundreds of thousands of people and jeopardize the economy of entire countries and perhaps continents. It’s time to think about the world revolution.
