Worlds First 3D-Printer Gun Fired

So what? The article is not terribly interesting. Not surprisingly, the firing pin still has to be metal to fire off the primer.

What's really scary, is the knee-jerk reaction of some of the commenters on the BBC site. There is one person who figures you can get this thing on an airplane. Wrong. The plastic outline will still show up in the x-ray machine. Never mind the ammunition.

The first thing I thought when I read the article is - "That's an expensive 3D printer, it's probably pretty accurate."

The reasoning behind this thought is that this article is more than likely going to inspire some people with consumer level 3D printers to go out and try to print one of their own. With printers ranging pretty significantly in quality, I wonder how many DIY injuries are going to be cause by people who don't know any better.

I agree. I wonder how many people have the cash and smarts to buy such an obviously "expensive" 3D unit for their own use.

Not surprisingly, the firing pin still has to be metal to fire off the primer.

well, this is always evolving with new materials.

Look at the advances so far, I recall from the primitive days back in the early 90's.

Printing a gun is a challenge, and how they over come it is by trial and error.

What's really scary, is the knee-jerk reaction of some of the commenters on the BBC site.

I heard a quote the other day: "A bombing happend - bomber blamed. A shooting happened - guns blamed"

Interesting. My brother and I were pondering making our own 3D printer being he has already made very nice accurate and rather good sized 3 axis CNC router.

My thoughts were to fine tune and further develop the basic handgun printing concept and sell them.

Fires four shots is untraceable and you throw it away when done. Yea you know the novelty market would be wanting something like that and at $50 a unit it's easy money!

Just for novelty of course. Never intended to actually be used for illegal purposes.

Might be a good way to thin out the gene pool.

The BBC says 'Mr Wilson, who describes himself as a crypto-anarchist, said his plans to make the design available were "about liberty". I'd characterize it another way.

Let's hope this twit gets his pants sued off the first time someone kills themselves, or someone else, with one of these contraptions.

He probably believes that the CIA is responsible for planting explosives in the Twin Towers on 9/11/2001, too.