First 3-D-printed gun fired, but its digital blueprints make bigger bang

[crazy canuck]

The cartridge case, chamber, and barrel all take on pressure.

That's not my understanding, and it is kinda contradicted by the existence of integrated paper cartridges. Paper is not a material generally associated with channeling explosive force. 

In any event, a plastic cartridge would handle the explosion just as well as a paper one, right?

I think paper rounds were used in muzzle loaders. The powder in the paper gave the right power charge needed. It was poured into the barrel, not loaded like a bullet.  A paper casing would foul a gun as it would leave debris in the chamber and barrel.

If someone wanted to create a weapon to get off one (or a few) shots would this be an issue?

[Syt]

The cartridge case, chamber, and barrel all take on pressure.

That's not my understanding, and it is kinda contradicted by the existence of integrated paper cartridges. Paper is not a material generally associated with channeling explosive force. 

In any event, a plastic cartridge would handle the explosion just as well as a paper one, right?

I think paper rounds were used in muzzle loaders. The powder in the paper gave the right power charge needed. It was poured into the barrel, not loaded like a bullet.  A paper casing would foul a gun as it would leave debris in the chamber and barrel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvc86ggLUY4

[ulmont]

The cartridge case, chamber, and barrel all take on pressure. Anyway, I'd like to know what kind of .380 ammo the dude used in his gun.  It's a fairly weak cartridge to begin with, but I'd bet he downloaded the powder charge.

The article claims not:  "[t]he Liberator fired a standard .380 handgun round without visible damage."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/05/05/meet-the-liberator-test-firing-the-worlds-first-fully-3d-printed-gun/

By contrast, a rifle round apparently blew it up:

The printed gun seems limited, for now, to certain calibers of ammunition. After the handgun round, Wilson switched out the Liberator's barrel for a higher-charge 5.7×28 rifle cartridge. He and John retreated to a safe distance, and John pulled his yellow string again. This time the gun exploded, sending shards of white ABS plastic flying into the weeds and bringing the Liberator's first field trial to an abrupt end.

Wilson showed me a video of an ABS plastic barrel the group printed attached to a non-printed gun body firing ten rounds of .380 ammunition before breaking on the eleventh.

[Razgovory]

The cartridge case, chamber, and barrel all take on pressure.

That's not my understanding, and it is kinda contradicted by the existence of integrated paper cartridges. Paper is not a material generally associated with channeling explosive force. 

In any event, a plastic cartridge would handle the explosion just as well as a paper one, right?

I think paper rounds were used in muzzle loaders. The powder in the paper gave the right power charge needed. It was poured into the barrel, not loaded like a bullet.  A paper casing would foul a gun as it would leave debris in the chamber and barrel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyse_needle_gun

[derspiess]

I don't see why a very hard plastic bullet would not be deadly, albeit not as deadly as a metal one. Again, it doesn't have to be. 

I'm not saying it couldn't kill, just that it wouldn't be nearly as lethal as a metal bullet.  And that it may not be lethal enough to use over other alternatives.

[derspiess]

That noted, a hard plastic bullet doesn't have to be as "good" as a lead one - it could still kill people just fine.

I'd imagine it would have to travel at a very high velocity and be aimed pretty precisely to be reliably lethal.

But at this point I think we're talking past each other.

[Malthus]

The cartridge case, chamber, and barrel all take on pressure.

That's not my understanding, and it is kinda contradicted by the existence of integrated paper cartridges. Paper is not a material generally associated with channeling explosive force. 

In any event, a plastic cartridge would handle the explosion just as well as a paper one, right?

I think paper rounds were used in muzzle loaders. The powder in the paper gave the right power charge needed. It was poured into the barrel, not loaded like a bullet.  A paper casing would foul a gun as it would leave debris in the chamber and barrel.

No, that's a different type. I'm thinking of integrated paper cartridges, not the sort where you bite the bullet off and poured the powder down the barrel.

[MadImmortalMan]

Meh. Some things just can't be "controlled". The farther we get into the future the more of those things there will be.


Imagine in Star Trek when everyone with access to a replicator can make whatever they want. Want some crack with your Earl Grey? No problem. Just download the formula on the replicator torrent site.

[Malthus]

I don't see why a very hard plastic bullet would not be deadly, albeit not as deadly as a metal one. Again, it doesn't have to be. 

I'm not saying it couldn't kill, just that it wouldn't be nearly as lethal as a metal bullet.  And that it may not be lethal enough to use over other alternatives.

If plastic doesn't work well (and in spite of your repeated statements I don't really see why not - many plastics are extremely hard), why not stone bullets in a smoothbore?

[KRonn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyse_needle_gun

Interesting, so there were paper cartridges used in some breech loading guns, and apparently pretty effective. Thanks for that link Raz.  I had never heard of that before. And the paper burned entirely when the gun was fired. Should be useable in a plastic gun, though still the plastic barrel may not be able to handle a heavy load for extended time, but something like a .22 caliber may work.

[merithyn]

Dildos have been around since the Stone Ages?  Imagine that!

Well, actually.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4713323.stm

[KRonn]

The cartridge case, chamber, and barrel all take on pressure.

That's not my understanding, and it is kinda contradicted by the existence of integrated paper cartridges. Paper is not a material generally associated with channeling explosive force. 

In any event, a plastic cartridge would handle the explosion just as well as a paper one, right?

I think paper rounds were used in muzzle loaders. The powder in the paper gave the right power charge needed. It was poured into the barrel, not loaded like a bullet.  A paper casing would foul a gun as it would leave debris in the chamber and barrel.

No, that's a different type. I'm thinking of integrated paper cartridges, not the sort where you bite the bullet off and poured the powder down the barrel.

Yep, that's what I was thinking of, circa US Civil War type ammo.

[crazy canuck]

Dildos have been around since the Stone Ages?  Imagine that!

Well, actually.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4713323.stm

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar - or in this case a flint knapper.

[merithyn]

Well, actually.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4713323.stm

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar - or in this case a flint knapper.

Did you find that at debunkphallussymbols.com?

[Iormlund]

I'm sure it can contain *a* blast-- just with less powder than what you'd use in a normal gun.  Even with that I wouldn't dare fire it.  And like I said, a plastic bullet isn't going to be a particularly deadly projectile.

A high density plastic bullet is more than capable enough of killing someone.

And while nobody sane would dare fire it, that's not the ones that we worry about. A perturbed person would be perfectly willing to do so. Or someone toying with suicide. Or even just a kid. That's an interesting angle actually, how are you going to keep children and teens from downloading and printing weapons?

And then there's another angle: what about those countries where guns are rare?


I have a very hostile attitude against censorship but this tech creates quite a dilemma.