liberatorforbes1

Cody Wilson has just printed the first 100% 3D printed gun. Called the Liberator, no doubt named after the World War II firearm of the same name that was designed to be dropped behind enemy lines and mass produced, the gun consists of 16 parts and is completely made of ABS plastic. It looks like it will be a .32 ACP chambered firearm, which is much more firepower than the .22lr cartridge we were all expecting.

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75 COMMENTS

  2. Man, the anti’s must be stroking out about now. How much metal is in that? I’m just assuming here, but is it a single shot as well? I wonder if you can thread that plasting material around the barrel?

    I just noticed the block in front of the trigger guard. Is that a fixed mag like a c96?

  3. On one hand, awesome. On the other, unless we had a way to fabricate ammo from scratch (not just assemble components), we’re still no closer to society that statists can’t disarm. And these advances highlight that fact to Progressives…I see more and more attempts to at “common sense ammunition regulation” in the future.

    • Simple. Save your old cases, mix up some black powder, fill them up, use a matchhead for a primer, and seat a cast lead bullet on it.

      • The Isreali’s made ammo for military rifles out of lip stick cases. “What one man can do, another can do.”

        • And a couple of cats were trying to push polymer-cased ammo at SHOT two years ago.

        • I used polymer cased shotgun shells in the early 80’s. The only metal was the primer and the payload. Stuff worked but it was only on the market for a short time.

    • Cartridge ammo has been around for a really long time. Cases and bullets aren’t hard to make. Neither are primer compounds and black powder.

      -D

  6. As a gun, it’s not terribly useful. But as political theater, it’s one of the most powerful weapons we’ve seen in some time. A single gun can show just how impotent gun regulations can be. The whole debate becomes a mute point when everyone can easily manufacture in their homes all those items deemed evil by the state.
    But beyond that, I’m sure that this is just the first of many improved designs. Remember, that this is completely open source which means that the innovation here will be nearly limitless. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

  7. While few can afford a 3d “printer,” I find it amusing that printing technology is once again in the vanguard of the quest for liberty.

    • +1

      As a printer myself I look forward to the day I can afford a 3d printer and can include this in the menu of options.

      • You can get started for a few hundred dollars for a real basic Rep-Rap variant that will print ABS. For a commercial grade version it starts about $10K and goes up from there. Considering what some of us spend on our main hobbies, this is starting to get reasonable. I know where the prices are going because I work on the commercial machines daily.

    • I’m assembling my own Reprap 3D printer. They aren’t really very expensive if you’re willing to shop around for parts and assemble it yourself. I think mine will come in at less than $400. A lot of folks on here spend more than that on One Gun ! And, with a Reprap, you can buy parts $50 or so at a time. I’m a poor college student from a very low-income family, so it is possible for those of us who can’t afford to slap down $800 for a handgun, or several thousand now for an AR-15. Now if I can build myself a “Recyclebot”, (happy sigh)… Maybe one of these days I’ll have a 3D printed handgun made of recycled plastic grocery bags. Of course, I’m really interested in 3D printing in porcelain. Maybe someone out there will crack the “ceramic gun” problem.

  8. So how long until some fool is going to ask for background checks for all 3D printers?

    • due to the current economy, I bet there are more people who could not come up with $500 to save their own life, then those that could.

      • I saw a recent poll that said that 40% of people (or thereabouts) couldn’t come up with $3000 in a month to save their lives.

  11. It can only fire once I assume so what’s the point? Not even sure if that one or two shots would even make it to a target at any distance. It’s cool stuff, but all this 3D printer gun design stuff can do is make inferior gun parts minus magazines and maybe a few other parts. Not to mention the sh*tstorm this tech will bring our way. I’m glad someone is doing this but I see no real benefits to gun owners. We all know something will be done legally, whether that be forcing registration of printers, making barrels the new FFL part, more of a push to ban or limit ammo, whatever. None of this will be good for us no matter how cool any of you thing this tech is.

    • No technology was perfect in it’s infancy. Few, if any, technologies are ever perfect. The point of this is that it can be done. It’s up to others to improve on the easy to acquire designs. Cody and his crew will continue to improve their design, as they have and continue to do with the AR lower. The point is the people can make these “guns”, there’s no point in thinking legislation can ban guns now.

      In 1994 we didn’t have this technology. They can try to regulate guns more harshly and then regulate everything related to the manufacture, sale, and transfer of guns and gun parts, but with this technology there are far too many areas to regulate, they probably wouldn’t be able to cut off the work-arounds. They can try to regulate 3d printers, they can try to regulate reloaded ammo, they can try to regulate the materials, they can try to regulate the internet, they can try to regulate firearms further, it’s improbable to be able to regulate them all effectively, impossible to enforce them all. This also provides another alternative for criminals to create and distribute “guns”, which creates the argument law-abiding citizens should be able to keep their fully-functional guns to fight back better. Whether or not it is feasible or effective this capability exists and that’s enough to raise important questions that can help defeat gun-control.

      I can’t stand Cody Wilson personally, his type of self-righteousness doesn’t sit well with me, but if not him someone else would create this, it’s not a particularly novel idea.

    • The concept behind the WWII Liberator pistol was that a partisan could walk up behind a German guard, plug him in the back of the head with a .45 from several feet away, then take his weapons for themself.

    • Why do you assume that? The lower receiver he designed held up just fine under massive stress. More than 600rds of .223 with no failures.

    • Remember it’s a start remember when cell phones were 5 pounds and big as a toaster? It will get better.

    • Barrels and ammo are the real pinch points. You can make all the plastic parts you want, it’ll be a toy or at best a belly gun without a good barrel, and useless without ammo.

      If you can make a rifled barrel, you likely already have the tools and know-how to make the rest of the gun, without 3D printed plastic bits.

  12. Thanks so much for another worthless toy that will only serve to yet again fuel the fires against the home gunsmith.

    Thanks for giving NY Congresscritter Steve Israel more to add. So that rather than the Undectable Firearms Act maybe, just maybe being allowed to sunset when it expires soon, coming back worse than ever. Israel has enough nonsense in his bills to make it so that effectively home gunsmithing will be banned.

    Thanks for wasting everyone’s time and producing garbage that even if it did work, 99.9999% of the public will never be able to create at home. Ever.

    Thanks you publicity-seeking, self-indulgent tool. Cody Wilson is the embodiment of what goes wrong when a good idea gets into the absolute wrong hands.

    ES. FOAD.

    • How do you really feel?

      I bet there were people like you, spewing the same garbage, in the mid to late 18th century.

      • Thanks, my family was here, “spewing the same garbage in the mid to late 18th century”. They’d already been here for 200 years at that point.

        You see, they were busy actually doing something about the Brits. Sure, there were little loudmouths like this one, drawing attention where none was needed and accomplishing nothing in the process. Though back then, we were able to “positively motivate” them to STFU and let the grownups get on with the real work that needed done.

        It’s ok. 80% didn’t much participate in our Revolution. I’m sure you’d have found sympaticos in that bunch.

        • What makes you qualified to say that Wilson “isn’t doing anything”? Whether or not his products actually work well right now or not, he’s proving a valuable point. They can’t control guns. Period. Any action that they take in response to him will only show, even more, how wrong they are. For one, I thank Cody Wilson for doing this. He’s doing much more than any of us that sit on here and bicker with each other are doing.

        • What makes me qualified? Well, I have built, and have helped others build, real guns in metal. Have you?

          Ones that actually work for thousands of rounds. Using readily available materials, machines, and tech. Unlike 3D printing in low-grade thermoplastics.

          The battle for what can be made by a guy/gal who had some basic skills was lost long ago. Were you actually involved in any way, shape, or form, you’d be well aware of this. I’m sure ridiculing those who actually can build something makes you feel better. Supporting the latest whiz-bang crowd-sourced nonsense also makes you feel like you’re on top of the game. Bully for you and your participation medal.

          Meanwhile, a person with $5-8K worth of CNC and some ingenuity can build things that will put this grandstanding nonsense to shame. They do every day.

          Please, quit being a low-information fanboi. Learn what can be 3D printed and what the current tech really is. Then maybe you’ll actually understand what this dolt is doing. Which is nothing positive for gun rights.

    • Congratulations on having all the answers.

      Congratulations on cornering the market on self-righteousness.

      • I never said I personally had all the answers…

        But please, go tell the tens of thousands of home gunsmiths who actually build functional guns in metal that they’ve been doing nothing for the last 20 years.

        I guess sanctioning incompetence is “cool” these days. But I’ve spent my life learning better than to do so.

        • “But please, go tell the tens of thousands of home gunsmiths who actually build functional guns in metal that they’ve been doing nothing for the last 20 years.”

          I’d point out that nothing in the two sentences I typed could be construed to say that. I was simply pointing out that you were being a sanctimonious “know better” prick. One has nothing to do with the other. Don’t put words in my mouth.

        • I spelled out exactly what my problem was with this nonsense. I have since he showed up on the scene.

          But hey, I’m quite happy with being seen as a “sanctimonious prick”. If being the only one with the ‘nads to spell out what’s really happening is my lot, well, it’s been my lot for most of my life. I’m just fine (and generally profitable) with that.

          I suffered/was amused by your derision on my GM and Enron shorts, just to mention a couple.

    • I was reading this and you are wrong.

      “Thanks so much for another worthless toy that will only serve to yet again fuel the fires against the home gunsmith.”

      It is not worthless toy. So long as it shoots it is a tool even if it is a single use tool. The attacks on the home gunsmith are unjust with or without this. You should do something about the anti-gunsmith attacks not attack the gunsmith.

      “Thanks for giving NY Congresscritter…”

      This law is not only unconstitutional but stupid. Again attack the attackers, do not attack the gun makers.

      “Thanks for wasting everyone’s time and producing garbage that even if it did work, 99.9999% of the public will never be able to create at home. Ever. ”

      This shows your ignorance. You can not tell what will be done 1,000 years from now with this tech let alone what will come of the defcad project in the next 5 years. Point in fact the public can create this “garbage” at home today and for less than a lathe. Because of pioneers like Cody we will soon have “Ones that actually work for thousands of rounds. Using readily available materials, machines, and tech.”

      You are a “low-information fanboi”, one who can not see past today.

      The future is nigh.

      • You have no idea what the future holds. If you actually did, you’d understand why this is a joke.

  13. Does this have a barrel? If so, it’s plastic? How would that work? I’m no engineer, but I don’t see how this could work with out exploding. The plastic those 3D printers use looks really fragile, and the AR-15 lowers they were printing were breaking fairly easily in the video’s I saw of him testing them. Interesting though.

    • Put enough plastic around the round and it’s strong enough for a few shots. This won’t be easily concealable but will work.

      • It wasn’t a “plastic” barrel.

        What was your point again? Plastic AR lowers have been around for years.

        So what?

        • 16V says:
          It wasn’t a “plastic” barrel.

          What was your point again? Plastic AR lowers have been around for years.

          So what?
          —————————————
          The “so what” is that this technology means AR lowers become available to anyone with a 3D printer without the need for high pressure die casting & CNC machining facilities, or an FFL if made for their own use.

  14. Slight correction, there is only one metal piece. The nail used as a firing pin. So the guns not entirely made of plastic but more plastic then the naysayers expected.

  16. The more I watch and listen to Cody Wilson, the more excited for the future of liberty I am. He’s doing potential dangerous and great things. While there will be those who misuse what he’s done for evil, there will be millions others who will use this for the good. We are free men, the government and their ambiguous rules and limits are liberty is quickly becoming irrelevant. This must scare the hell out of th control freaks.

    • And people have been selling “plastic” lowers for half a decade now. So effen what?

      • You are missing the point: NOW they can make their own, rather than buy a traceable firearm, or part thereof.

        Just like a home gunsmith, except without the expertise.

        Mayhap that is what’s getting you all riled up.

      • Thanks, I get the point. That is, there isn’t one.

        Do tell, how are you gonna build one?

        That’s right. You don’t have a clue.

  18. Rep Steve Israel, D-NY 3rd District’s bill HR1474 would ban so called undetectable firearms, home made firearms with non metallic receivers, and home made plastic magazine bodies. Manufacturers and their subcontractors that make plastic bodied magazines must get a type 7 FFL.

    The law has not been updated to reflect the increased sensitivity of modern metal detectors, does not take into account modern screening processes and technologies like x-rays, and does not consider how unenforceable it is with modern $600 3D printers becoming more popular. Also many details of compliance are quite vague.

    Everyone please contact your representatives, and the members of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

    This law is set to sunset December 9th, and was passed in 2003 by a voice vote, and unanimous consent. It better not go that way this time.

  19. Google image search of “Liberator” shows something much more fun looking than a stamped steel pistol.

  20. Am I to understand that there are either no springs in this printed plastic gun, or the springs are made of ABS plastic, and produce enough strength of tension to make a metal firing pin discharge a primer in centerfire ammunition? Fascinating.

    I predict that this technology will be met with hysterics, ridiculous laws, and fear based efforts to repress and prevent it from getting “out of control”. Inevitably, it will become commonplace, and plastic printed guns will eventually be everywhere, undetectable or not, legal or not, and they may just force our society and maybe out world to grow up and accept personal responsibility instead of trying to legislate away the fears of the masses.

    This gives me hope.

  23. This is a VERY primitive example. But there will be improvements. At some point it will be easy to manufacture a fully automatic weapon, without the government ever knowing about it. The internet has done serious damage to the music and video industries. You can now get for free what you used to have to pay way to much for. And it is the industries fault. Had they been willing to sell their music and videos online at a reasonable cost, I would have bought it. But their greed led to their downfall. Look what Prohibition did back in the ’20s and ’30s. It basically created organized crime in this country. By the time the government realized it was doomed to fail, organized crime already existed, and simply moved on to other things. I have seen many homemade guns on Youtube, some capable of firing more than one round. Parts are already being sold that will allow you to fire several different types of rounds, including a 12 ga shotgun shell out of a flare gun. Fortunately the current administration is almost over, and I am 99% sure the next president will be a Republican. I seriously doubt the Democrats realize the damage all this gun control nonsense has done to their Party.

  24. As for making airguns, while there are no federal laws covering airguns, many states considering them firearms, and there are a lot of people in prison right now just for possessing one. I have 3. They are great for cheap target practice, and while they can be lethal, I certainly wouldn’t depend on one to defend my life with.

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