3-D Printable Handgun Works, Defense Distributed Is Gun Control Nightmare

A 3-D printable handgun works just fine, able to fire real bullets even though the gun is composed of mostly plastic parts.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the 3-D printable handgun was designed by Defense Distributed, a group of 3-D firearms enthusiasts who designed the gun and posted free downloadable instructions for making the weapon on its website. Over 150,000 downloads were made after an Obama speech on Gun Control.

3D printers are actually fairly cheap. Staples is selling a 3D printer for only $1,299 and one contest hopes 3D printable rocket engines might be capable of putting small payloads into orbit.

Defense Distributed is calling the first 3-D printable handgun the Liberator. The Defense Distributed group believes that Gun Control laws are a threat to human rights:

“We look to inspire and defend those who live (and are threatened to live) under politically oppressive regimes. Firearm Rights are Human Rights.”

Defense Distributed successfully was raising $20,000 for their 3-D printable handgun project, but the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo pulled the plug. So they turned to Bitcoin virtual currency and raise dthe money that way. The high end 3D printers from Stratasys were even taken back when the company realized they were building a 3-D printable handgun prototype using their technology. Despite all these problems, Defense Distributed persisted and now they have a workable 3-D printable gun.

3-D printable gun components reportedly work just like a real gun. The 3-D printable handgun is composed of 15 plastic parts, with a metal firing pin and a block of steel implemented in the design so it compiles with US laws that ban firearms undetectable by metal detectors. The plastic barrel apparently can’t handle more than one shot since the instructions recommend “printing multiple barrels and using each only once. Swapping the barrels is simple and fast…”

Still, politicians are already calling for 3-D printable handgun bans. Congressman Steve Israel says, “Security checkpoints, background checks, and gun regulations will do little good if criminals can print plastic firearms at home and bring those firearms through metal detectors with no one the wiser.”

What do you think about the 3-D printable handgun called the Liberator?

http://youtu.be/AQ6Q3BfbVBU