3D printed firearms

Posted by KosherGuy 11 years, 4 months ago to Technology
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I find it interesting that the ATF&E is concerned about the ability to get past X-Ray or Magnetometers with firearms printed out of non metallic materials. My question is how do you get metallic bullets and cartridge cases past the same X-ray and magnetometer equipment. A gun without ammunition is simply a paper weight. In addition to airports, you will find metal detection devices at courthouses, city halls, and various other venues. Until someone comes up with non-metallic ammunition, this is a threat that simply does not exist.

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  • Posted by $ blarman 11 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    That is Hollywood more than reality. In close confines against overwhelming numbers they'll drop you in little time no matter how good you are.

    How do terrorists really take over planes at all? Fear. There is no substitute. They MUST cow the passengers into submission using fear in order to succeed. Remember Flight 93 on 9/11? Those passengers fought back and overwhelmed their attackers.
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  • Posted by DaveM49 11 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Has anyone else ever had trouble with the "electronic sniffers"? They wipe your shoes or what have you and put the cloth in the device. As I understand it, the unit tests for nitrates, which are certainly present in explosives, but also in all sorts of harmless items.

    I once got a "positive" and ended up being thoroughly gone over before being allowed to go about my business. The only thing I can think of that might have caused this was that I had walked across a recently-fertilized lawn earlier in the day.

    The last time I went anywhere by air, my gate was at the far end of the concourse, as far as possible from any security checkpoint. There's a buffet-style steak place out there where you collect your silverware from bins after you check out. Including steak knives. Rounded tips, but they do have a pretty good edge. Meanwhile, the TSA confiscated my toothpaste because it was one ounce larger than permitted.
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  • Posted by KosherGuy 11 years, 4 months ago
    You are also correct, a sling shot with a 1" diameter projectile would in most cases be fatal if aimed at a person's head. My question is whether the 1" diameter ball bearing would make it past the TSA.
    Not to give anyone ideas but a dart (poisoned or not) launched by a blow gun could perhaps be considered in the same category.
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  • Posted by Hiraghm 11 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Reminds me of a scene in a movie whose title escapes me... actually a couple of movies.

    A stereotypical Cuban revolutionary stands up in a plane, pulls out a gun and says, "Thees plane is goink to Coobah!"
    At which point a little old lady pulls out a 44 magnum bigger than herself, points it at him and says, "This plane is going to Miami Beach!"

    In the other movie, a would-be skyjacker stands up, pulls out a weapon, proclaims his intent of redirecting the flight... and everyone around him is now pointing a variety of guns right at his head.


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  • Posted by chadcall2012 11 years, 4 months ago
    What about people highly trained in combat? A terrorist highly trained enough to take out an Air Marshal could VERY easily take over an airliner. Id be way more afraid of a guy with a mean round-kick and powerful right hook than a skinny guy with a few plastic knives
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  • Posted by Hiraghm 11 years, 4 months ago
    See if I can find it again, but I came across a youtube video of a comparison of various pistol rounds being fired at a target vs a slingshot using a 1" round bullet.

    They went from a 22 through 38, 9mm, 45 and 44 magnum. Only the 44 magnum transferred more force to the target, although all the pistol ammunition had more penetration than the slingshot ball.

    Point being, someone can sneak the components for a non-ferrous slingshot aboard a flight a lot more easily than a 3D printed firearm, and when your audience is unarmed... it's good enough.
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  • Posted by KosherGuy 11 years, 4 months ago
    You are absolutely correct. There are Electronic "noses' for example that can detect trace amounts of explosives and chemicals used as smokeless propellants in modern firearms. Perhaps you have seen your or another person's luggage wiped with a chemically treated cloth or paper that is presented to a machine at the airport that can recognize these chemicals.
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  • Posted by jrsedivy 11 years, 4 months ago
    This is a good point, plus detection is not limited to simply metal. Here is a link which reproduced a recent Defense Distributed newsletter which addressed this very point:

    http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/News/1459...

    FYI - Defense Distributed is the company founded by the entrepreneur who 3D printed the first firearm.
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