NRA Shoots Back: These 3D Printed Untraceable Guns Have Been Illegal For Three Decades

[BurfordTJustice]

Douche boys hardest hit....LOL

NRA Shoots Back: These 3D Printed Untraceable Guns Have Been Illegal For Three Decades

The National Rifle Association had to point out Tuesday that any untraceable gun is outlawed in reference to the recent legal settlement that will allow for the blueprints on how to print and set up a gun from a 3D printer to be available to the public.

"Many anti-gun politicians and members of the media have wrongly claimed that 3D printing technology will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms. Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," Chris Cox, the NRA-ILA Executive Director, said, according to Stephen Gutowski.

He continued, "Federal law passed in 1988, crafted with the NRA's support, makes it unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive an undetectable firearm."

The settled lawsuit was brought on by Cody Wilson, the founder of the nonprofit digital publishing firm Defense Distributed, against the U.S. Department of State for infringing on his First Amendment rights.

It will allow for Wilson's blueprints for how to print and set up a gun that's printed from a 3D printer to be reposted on the Internet starting on Wednesday.

The federal Undetectable Firearms Act, which was passed in 1988, made it illegal to manufacture or possess a weapon that would not be detected in a properly functioning metal detector or x-ray machine.

"I am sounding an alarm that come Aug. 1, America is going to get a lot less safe when it comes to the gut-wrenching epidemic of gun violence," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

[Roger Blake]

Schumer is an imbecile. The most gut-wrenching epidemics of gun violence have been conducted by governments.

[gfretwell]

This is bullshit anyway, at least as far as air liners are concerned. I haven't been on a plane in years that did not have TSA screening using the full body scanner and that WILL see one of these polymer guns. Until someone comes up with plastic ammo, the metal detector will stop that too. I heard one of these assholes on TV last night saying these guns were a criminal or a terrorist's dream. Really? A single shot smooth bore gun that has an excellent chance of blowing up in the shooter's hand and is useless after a shot or two. I know they also show a picture of a printed AR lower but it should be understood, all of the rest of the parts are steel, not "printed" and "80%" metal AR lowers have been around since the Obama administration said they were OK.

[Frank]

I've been trying to recall what I know of the compressive strength of plastics. It has been decades since I worked on high compressive strength resins for composites but I cannot remember any values.

I do know that steel has compressive strength above 100,000 psi and steel gun barrels can handle the 50,000 psi of most rifle and some pistol cartridges. The cartridges themselves are brass or steel and the brass deforms. Shotgun pressures run about 10,000 psi and use plastic cartridges but none are available for rifles and pistols. The compressive strength of the polyethylene resin in these cartridges is less than 2,000 psi. A plastic gun barrel with filament wound glass, carbon or Kevlar could survive these high pressures but probably not the high temperatures that would quickly erode the barrel base and could not be made by 3D printing.

[Tekkie®]

Frank posted for all of us...

cartridge-casings/

They want the military to get on board because of weight savings and barrel wear.

There are also polymer bullets.

[Frank]

Curious as to the polymer. Definitely not PE. I know of some good to nearly 1,000 F. It is the barrel that keeps the plastic intact. I see sportsmen can buy them and they have been in use over 4 years but I hear nothing about them. One reviewer had several ignition failures. I suspect primer needs modification.

There was a move years ago to do away with the casing entirely and engineer the powder to be waterproof and support the bullet but it apparently never took hold. There were also guns made with electronic ignition not requiring a primer strike. Not sure how ammo was made and Remington was selling them but it was a market failure.

Trouble with plastic bullets is that they are only one tenth the density of metals. I've reloaded wax bullets that can be shot in the basement and can penetrate a paper bag. You enlarge the primer hole and just use the primer as propellant.

[gfretwell]

I understand and if you were 3d printing in metal, you might be able to make a decent gun but if an all plastic gun was a good idea, they would be selling then by now.

[Ralph Mowery]

About 45 years ago I was at a friends house when some plastic bullets and cases came in the mail. We put them in a 2 inch .38 and just suing a primmer for power. It went through both sides of a cardboard box at about 15 feet. But 3 out of 5 went through that box and through about

1/8 of an inch of plywood of an inside door.

[gfretwell]

The thing everyone ignores is it is already legal for an individual to make their own guns and it is just "scout's honor" that they send ATF $5 and a filled out Form 1. There are already plenty of AR-15 kits on the internet that let you make a real gun, not some toy/science fair project. They are even getting easier with the tools and jigs you get in the kit but you also spend about 3 times as much as it costs to get one from Rural King, or just off the street if all of that paperwork stuff is a burden for you.

[Frank]

I have heard of them. They would be tougher than wax and reusable. I made mine by pressing a primed .38 case into maybe a quarter inch thick pan of softened wax.

It was cool stuff like this as a kid that got me into my career as a chemist. I did get to work safely with a lot of energetic explosive materials. A couple of small explosions in my lab at work had my lab tech calling me "Fearless Frank."

[gfretwell]

Without the weight, a plastic bullet is an Air Soft pellet. You also need to understand a plastic case will need to be shot from a steel barrel if you want it to stay together. (think plastic shotgun shell) I think the military will be worried about extraction problems with plastic ammo. That is why a plastic shotgun shell has a brass base.

[Tekkie®]

[e-mail] posted for all of us...

The extractor issue has been worked out.

IIRC it passed the FBI tests.