08-01-2018, 08:39 AM
(07-31-2018, 05:22 PM)Benton Wrote: Maybe, I dunno. I did a few stories on them when this was a hotter topic as the Gigabot and the renewal of the 88 Act were pretty close together in a calendar year. Maybe in the last 4-5 years they've improved, but most of the people I spoke with who had constructed one, gunsmiths, engineers, etc., all said the same thing: use it only if you really want a face full of plastic shrapnel. I'm sure they will get to the point where you can make a plastic weapon at home and use it reliably. But we aren't there yet. If we were, traditional gun manufacturers — looking to cut cost — would already be doing it.
-make-firearm-personal-use
We have come light years in 4-5 years. In the last couple years specifically carbon fiber 3D printers have been released that can print material as strong as steel. This means that a carbon fiber gun is strong enough to produce results similar to a traditional gun in terms of reliability could be printed. The costs of the machines are still in the 30k-40k range, however when you look at where plastic printers were 4-5 years it is not crazy to think we will see them at a price point for home users in that same 4-5 year range. There are cheaper versions out already for 8k than can do a slightly weaker carbon fiber, however it is still exponentially stronger than the plastic people mention when talking about 3D guns being unreliable.
I'm not worried about what the capabilities are today, I worry how quickly they will evolve and what they will become. That is why it's always best to get out in front of this stuff. I am glad to see the courts recognized this last night.
