After successfully 3D printing a high capacity magazine, Defense Distributed got back to work on perfecting its 3D printed AR lower. The first attempt failed after firing six shots, but the group was obviously not going to give up.
In a recent blog post, the group said it had “printed AR lowers figured out.” It also shared the following image:
As you can see, the AR lower looks pretty much the same as last time. The team presumably made some structural changes in the build, however, to make it stand up to the heat and pressure created by firing multiple rounds at once.
The new lower has exceeded expectations by staying intact and operational even after firing 600 rounds from an AR-15. Here’s the video:
The team hasn’t shared what it’s going to work on next, but a question posed on their blog indicates that the team may be working on making 3D printed magazines for more gun types.
Despite what some may say, we’re still far away from a completely 3D printed gun. That being said, the team at Defense Distributed is making more progress towards its goal of making the first fully 3D printed gun. This week’s update includes a newly designed AR magazine.
Defense Distributed calls its latest creation the “Cuomo.” It’s a high capacity 30-round AR magazine. You can see a video of it’s build quality below:
Next, the team tested the magazine with an AR rifle to see if it could withstand natural forces. In the video below, they fire sixty shots and the magazine is apparently still intact:
According to the team, their next goal is to print an AK magazine. By the end of all this, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a 3D printed magazine for every kind of gun. At least, that seems to be what they’re working towards at the moment as other parts of a gun aren’t exactly plastic, and therefore 3D printer, friendly just yet.
Despitesome setbacks, the WikiWeapon project continues its feverish pace to become the first fully 3D printed firearm. The team made a breakthrough over the weekend with a 3D printed AR magazine.
The Defense Distributed blog was updated over the weekend with a report on how the team had worked on creating an AR magazine out of plastic that wouldn’t break under the intense heat and pressure put on it by firing 50 rounds. The team already ran into a few problems before when the lower on their rifle broke after only firing six shots. Later revisions of the lower proved to be more successful. The magazine faced similar hardships in its first iteration, but the latest iteration has improved tremendously.
Defense Distributed started the WikiWeapon project last year before anybody started to seriously talk about gun control. In a post-Sandy Hook world, however, the team will have to address concerns that arise from making a gun that out of plastic. The only response out of the team thus far is that they are going to continue with the project despite calls from lawmakers to reinstate the Undetectable Firearms Act.
Vice President Joe Biden will be delivering a recommendation on gun policy later this month, and it will probably include something about 3D printed guns. It will be interesting to see how the guys at Defense Distributed respond to any recommendation that their work be banned. The team will probably use the line they used at Christmas after the Sandy Hook tragedy reinitiated talks on gun control: “We continue to believe the future for human liberty is different from the “plans” and prescribed GDP tweaks of neoliberal baby boomers.”
It might get ugly, but the future of 3D printing will be faced with these kinds of challenges. 3D printed guns won’t be the only thing under fire as traditional manufacturing will start to target the technology when 3D printers become advanced and cheap enough to start eating away at their business. The next few years are probably going to be the most challenging that the 3D printing industry has ever seen its decades old existence.
