Defense Distributed: Successful test fire of first 3D printed pistol (video)

Defense Distributed has released a video of the successful test firing by hand of their first complete 3D printed pistol, the "Liberator". The Liberator has only one metal part, the firing pin, made from a common nail.

In the video, Cody Wilson is shown firing the pistol by hand, to dramatically illustrate his faith in the design. The Liberator is a single shot pistol in .380 (9X17) caliber.

While firearms have been made in home workshops ever since they have been in existence, the ability to download computer files and have a computer controlled machine print all the parts to a functioning firearm has caught the public attention.

Video link of "Liberator - Dawn of the Wiki Weapons"

Dean Weingarten, Defense Distributed Distributor

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/05/defense-distributed-successful-test.html

One could make a slightly larger one and then electroplate it with metal (or coat it via other means) to improve the life expectancy of the firearm.

Its a science project in my eyes ... one can make firearms easy enough using actual metal now ... safer, more reliable - actually fully functioning guns with the lifespan close to regular manufactured guns...

yes but building a firearm in a metal shop requires skills and some level of mechanical knowledge. plus buying metal.

these guns, you print 16 plastic parts already in spec, and plug n play.

sure a weak design akin to saturday night specials.... but this isn't meant to be a practical gun, it's made to send a political message.

The political message seems to be amplified by this technology.

EMNofSeattle said:

yes but building a firearm in a metal shop requires skills and some level of mechanical knowledge. plus buying metal.

these guns, you print 16 plastic parts already in spec, and plug n play.

sure a weak design akin to saturday night specials.... but this isn't meant to be a practical gun, it's made to send a political message.

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For some reason, all the pictures of guns made in prison, or homemade guns from the Soviet era do not resonate like this technology does.

ccwinstructor said:

For some reason, all the pictures of guns made in prison, or homemade guns from the Soviet era do not resonate like this technology does.

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which of course also occured during times in which more people in western world knew mechanical trades. plus in prisons there are metal shops for qualifying inmates to learn such trades...

half of the prison pieces btw are something I would never shoot anyway..

there is a huge difference between machining parts to proper spec, and downloading a CAD file with the specs already on it.

you can probably assemble 10 of these plastic guns in the time it would take you to machine scrap iron into enough pieces to assemble one prison piece.

A great many people today do not have the knowledge required to change a tire

EMNofSeattle said:

which of course also occured during times in which more people in western world knew mechanical trades. plus in prisons there are metal shops for qualifying inmates to learn such trades...

half of the prison pieces btw are something I would never shoot anyway..

there is a huge difference between machining parts to proper spec, and downloading a CAD file with the specs already on it.

you can probably assemble 10 of these plastic guns in the time it would take you to machine scrap iron into enough pieces to assemble one prison piece.

Click to expand...

Thirty years ago, I made a four shot, electrically fired muzzleloading .45 caliber pocket pistol from hardware store items. It cost 12 dollars in materials and took 12 hours to put together.

It was at least as safe as this Liberator. I was writing a magazine article about it on spec when the magazine folded. I might have a picture somewhere.

I suspect it is not the ease of manufacture, but rather the familiarity with the new technology that the people in the MSM possess. They are far more familiar with a keyboard than with a drill or hacksaw.

ccwinstructor said:

Thirty years ago, I made a four shot, electrically fired muzzleloading .45 caliber pocket pistol from hardware store items. It cost 12 dollars in materials and took 12 hours to put together.

It was at least as safe as this Liberator. I was writing a magazine article about it on spec when the magazine folded. I might have a picture somewhere.

I suspect it is not the ease of manufacture, but rather the familiarity with the new technology that the people in the MSM possess. They are far more familiar with a keyboard than with a drill or hacksaw.

Click to expand...

I think you're misunderstanding what I am saying, sure it's possible to build any matter of weapons with access to the proper materials.... This will increase the speed at which it can be done. how many plastic guns can I make using a 3D printer in 12 hours? probably upwards of 20? you can download the CAD file at a mcdonalds and then drive down to the machine in a hidden location and never connect the machine to the internet. buying only ABS plastics... which will become more and more common, it will be very difficult to pinpoint who's making the guns.....

it is a giant step forward in improvised weapons.

I am not denigating it. I am applauding it.

"This will increase the speed at which it can be done. how many plastic guns can I make using a 3D printer in 12 hours? probably upwards of 20? you can download the CAD file at a mcdonalds and then drive down to the machine in a hidden location and never connect the machine to the internet. buying only ABS plastics... which will become more and more common, it will be very difficult to pinpoint who's making the guns."

As the technology gets better it will be easier and easier.

Staples is supposed to be putting in a line of 3D printers to use on site.

Just print out one or two parts at different times at different staples stores for cash. No one individual part looks like a gun.

While people may not have noticed, this gun is a fairly fast reloading single shot, if you print out extra barrels and pre-load them. It also adds to the reliability factor, because the cumulative stress on each barrel is less.

A barrel can be snapped out and an extra snapped in pretty quickly, it appears.

3D plastic gun

There is a Youtube video of a woman reporter covering this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0OGT0dr28k

Earlier mention was made as to caliber being 380, but in the video it appears that the weapon is fired on the .22 rim-fire range.

This is not to say that you couldn't simply print the correct size barrel for the ammo that you have on hand.

Arte Johnson was right; "Verrrry interesting."