Printing processes have evolved dramatically over the past few decades. While at one time a laser or inkjet printer may have appeared the stuff of fiction, they can now be found in nearly every home and office. Nonetheless, a new type of printing technology has gained a great deal of public attention recently. Three dimensional printing offers some interesting possibilities, but there are also some questions regarding the implications of its use. For example, would a 3D printer be able to print and develop a working model of a gun? To answer this question, it is first necessary to have a quick look at how this type of printing works.
How is 3D Printing Accomplished?
To print an object in three dimensions involved a very specific process. For all objects, the process begins with constructing an image on a computer using a computer-assisted design program. The printer then takes virtual “slices” of this object and beginning with the bottom layer, sprays or otherwise adheres a material to a substrate below. Basically, they “rebuild” the virtual object in the real world slice by slice from the ground up. Printers can either spray multiple layers or instead lay a thin layer of plastic or polymer down; one on top of another. Eventually, a replica of the 3D image will be formed. After the object is formed, laser light or other treatments may be used to harden the material into a durable resin. Thereafter, any polishing or other modifications can be done by human hand.
Can This Process be Used to Make Replica Guns?
The answer to this question depends on what it defined as a “gun”. To further explain, we must refer back to the building process itself. Remember that this process can create solid 3D objects made out of a polymer or other type of resin. However, such printers cannot replicate moving parts. In essence, this means that each part of a gun must first be printed separately and then reassembled together. However, what is most important to remember is that the materials used in 3D printing are not yet durable enough to withstand the tremendous pressures caused when a bullet is fired.
The barrel and firing mechanism of a gun are made of tempered steel or other extremely hard material. If they were not, the gun would either not fire or explode when the first bullet was sent down the chamber. While 3D gun parts such as triggers, stocks and the like can be formed, every 3D gun made so far has simply attached these materials around the firing mechanism and the barrel itself. So, we can say that at present, a 3D printer cannot necessarily “make” a gun, but can rather aid in its construction.
However, with future materials such as carbon fibre and other rigid compounds that are being experimented with at present, there may very well come a time that a 3D printer will be able to replicate a gun in its entirety.
The Future of 3D Gun Printing
The real leap forward will occur not only when these printers will be able to incorporate more durable and heat-resistant materials into their processes, but also when the technology arrives at such a point where a printer will be able to incorporate moving parts in the process. Then, in theory, a real-life working model of a gun may be developed. Naturally, this raises some moral and legal questions. There is no doubt as this technology approaches such a level, governmental authorities will place strict controls on the production of such “virtual to real” guns.