SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
For those in the US with a combined interest in 3D-Printers, intersections of the 1st and 2nd Amendments, and legal precedents; Cody Wilson has been fighting the US Government for half a decade.
Short version: after Wilson uploaded his 3D pistol plans to his site, over 100,000 people downloaded it - this drew the attention of the US authorities, who tried to use the International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to force a take-down.
The authorities argued that by posting the 3D printer plans for a firearm, Mr. Wilson was effectively exporting firearms, and subject to federal regulation. Eventually the Department of Justice dropped the case, paving the way for DIY'ers to publish such things freely.
The article cites 'promises' made by DoJ to move the regulations to another department.
Wired's article: A Landmark Legal Shift Opens Pandora's Box for DIY Guns (archive)
Related: The $1,200 Machine That Lets Anyone Make a Metal Gun at Home
Japanese Gun Printer Goes to Jail
Suspected 3D-Printed Gun Parts and Plastic Knuckles Seized in Australia
FedEx Refuses to Ship Defense Distributed's Ghost Gunner CNC Mill
Man Who Used CNC Mill to Manufacture AR-15 "Lowers" Sentenced to 41 Months
Ghost Gunner Software Update Allows the Milling of an M1911 Handgun
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 13 2018, @02:11AM (3 children)
Hey, dude! I should mod you up, for pointing out something that should be obvious. The first 3D printed gun was a POS. The damned thing was as likely to kill the shooter, as it was to kill the target. So far, the art hasn't progressed terribly far. But, some pretty smart people are working on improving it. Metallurgy. Given time, I suspect that alloys will be formulated that can be printed out, giving whatever qualities are necessary for the finished product. Given time, 3D printed weapons are probably going to be equal to, and possibly superior to, the best weapons on the market today.
Time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEvcj_cmn6U [youtube.com]
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Friday July 13 2018, @04:02AM
Looking at the iro3d, I'd say that once you've fused the steel in the kiln, it object can be heat treated like usual. With a density of 99.8% I'd expect someone vaguely competent would be able to make something that lasts quite well.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday July 13 2018, @05:14AM
Who's first going to seed the web with slightly flawed designs that will blow up in the user's face ?
There's a lesson opportunity for people who hate Americans, people who hate self-armed Americans, and people who hate the idea of non-Americans getting blueprints...
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 13 2018, @09:29AM
Is it me or is Runaway starting to a adopt a slightly Trumpian sentence structure and vocabulary? Nothing too obvious yet, just little hints.