Schumer: It’s time to go after the 3-D printable guns

[SamuraiHP]

wow. it seems they can.

I stand corrected. (said the man with the orthopaedic shoes)

[myrkul]

it printed a compression spring??

[caveden]

as this technology progresses it will be covered more and more by the media. they'll use fear tactics to promote regulation on it and then eventually (after a major crime is committed with a printed weapon) they'll probably use it as an excuse to ban the technology (atleast for non-corporate use).

Good luck enforcing that ban.  

Unfortunately it's easier to enforce it than you might think. The reason being that as soon as you use an illegal gun - even for self-defense - you might face jail time.

I grew up in Brazil. It's a violent place. Owning a gun legally is very difficult. Buying one illegally is easier. Even though, I never attempted to buy one, and probably never would. Most burglars are only after your money, and if you surrender it, they don't kill nor hurt you. On the other hand, if you use your illegal gun for protection and end up with a dead body on your living room, you might go to jail. Even disregarding the psychological weight of knowing you took somebody's life, I'd say it's wiser to just give your money than face jail just to save it.

Anyway. I hope 3D-printable guns kill for once the wrong idea that gun prohibition can reduce the number of guns available to criminals. And I hope that changes the mind of enough anti-gun people, and legal gun ownership becomes easier around the globe. Because otherwise, I'm not sure how would they help. Most honest people who can't have legal guns would likely be afraid to print their own. And those who already can don't need to bother, conventional guns will remain much better for a long time.

[myrkul]

as this technology progresses it will be covered more and more by the media. they'll use fear tactics to promote regulation on it and then eventually (after a major crime is committed with a printed weapon) they'll probably use it as an excuse to ban the technology (atleast for non-corporate use).

Good luck enforcing that ban.  

Unfortunately it's easier to enforce it than you might think. The reason being that as soon as you use an illegal gun - even for self-defense - you might face jail time.

Not the gun, the printing technology. It will be almost as hard to suppress as filesharing.

[caveden]

Ah, sorry.
The technology won't be banned. I mean, even dumb politicians can see the amount of good uses these printers can have. At most, they'll try to control/regulate it in order to forbid the printing of certain contents, pretty much as filesharing indeed (which is not banned, they just attempt to ban particular files). They'd fail, as you noted.

[Rassah]

it printed a compression spring??

They used a wind-up type (looks like @ with many more loops)

[Mike Christ]

Once the files get listed on TPB, it's pretty much going to stick around forever.  The only thing politicians can really do is stall the inevitable by giving 3D printer manufacturers such a hard time that they can't really sell to the common folk; not for a while anyway.

[Rassah]

Once the files get listed on TPB, it's pretty much going to stick around forever.  The only thing politicians can really do is stall the inevitable by giving 3D printer manufacturers such a hard time that they can't really sell to the common folk; not for a while anyway.

Someone I was talking to said, "But, what if they ban the actual files, like they did with CP?"

[myrkul]

Once the files get listed on TPB, it's pretty much going to stick around forever.  The only thing politicians can really do is stall the inevitable by giving 3D printer manufacturers such a hard time that they can't really sell to the common folk; not for a while anyway.

Someone I was talking to sayd, "But, what if they ban the actual files, like they did with CP?"

They'd have to prove that the files themselves are evidence of harm caused. CP is photographic proof of abuse, these are just cad designs.

[RodeoX]

Damn cat! Get back in your bag! 

Good luck controlling an idea. This is here to stay forever. Now lets talk non-printable parts. Someone mentioned gunpowder?
Find a cave that has or has had bat colonies. You will see large guano piles in such a cave, and all around the edges of the guano pile you will see that Potassium nitrate has precipitated. It is also called saltpeter and it is a white powder/crystal. Collect it.

Next you will need to make some charcoal. Build a reduction fire in a pit you have dug and fill it with hardwood chunks. Light it and cover with grass to smother it a bit. When you are done you will have charcoal.

Next you need some sulfur.   Sulfur is the 16th. most common element. You can find it in nature if you live near a volcano, or buy it at the pharmacy.

Weigh out 75% potassium nitrate, 15%Charcoal, and 10% sulfur.

Mill the charcoal and sulfur for several hours until a fine powder is achieved.  Now add the potassium nitrate and mill for another two days.

You now have meal powder / black powder. It is crappy gunpowder, but it will work.

[myrkul]

You now have meal powder / black powder. It is crappy gunpowder, but it will work.

Smokes like a bitch when it goes off, too. Nitrocellulose is a little more difficult (and dangerous!) to make, but it's a much better product.

Both, as I said, can be touched off with a small electrical spark.

[Spendulus]

....
They'd have to prove that the files themselves are evidence of harm caused. CP is photographic proof of abuse, these are just cad designs.

One interesting thing that's not been mentioned about the 3d gun revolution.  Historically, legal or illegal, guns have been hoarded.  Old men have buried them in the yards in case their kids might need to dig them up decades hence.  And totalitarian societies, prior to their worse abuses of human rights, strove to take all the guns away.

But how does that change if ten million guns could appear from ten million homes overnight?

Looks like a massive empowerment of the individual versus the state.  Granted, one might still want weapons around if one feared the late night break in, the crazy gang going down the street shooting and raping, and so forth.  But versus the state, a 3d printer in every home would exactly equal guns in every home.

[myrkul]

....
They'd have to prove that the files themselves are evidence of harm caused. CP is photographic proof of abuse, these are just cad designs.

One interesting thing that's not been mentioned about the 3d gun revolution.  Historically, legal or illegal, guns have been hoarded.  Old men have buried them in the yards in case their kids might need to dig them up decades hence.  And totalitarian societies, prior to their worse abuses of human rights, strove to take all the guns away.

But how does that change if ten million guns could appear from ten million homes overnight?

Looks like a massive empowerment of the individual versus the state.  Granted, one might still want weapons around if one feared the late night break in, the crazy gang going down the street shooting and raping, and so forth.  But versus the state, a 3d printer in every home would exactly equal guns in every home.

That is the stated purpose of DEFCAD.

[Wilikon]

Damn cat! Get back in your bag! 

Good luck controlling an idea. This is here to stay forever. Now lets talk non-printable parts. Someone mentioned gunpowder?
Find a cave that has or has had bat colonies. You will see large guano piles in such a cave, and all around the edges of the guano pile you will see that Potassium nitrate has precipitated. It is also called saltpeter and it is a white powder/crystal. Collect it.

Next you will need to make some charcoal. Build a reduction fire in a pit you have dug and fill it with hardwood chunks. Light it and cover with grass to smother it a bit. When you are done you will have charcoal.

Next you need some sulfur.   Sulfur is the 16th. most common element. You can find it in nature if you live near a volcano, or buy it at the pharmacy.

Weigh out 75% potassium nitrate, 15%Charcoal, and 10% sulfur.

Mill the charcoal and sulfur for several hours until a fine powder is achieved.  Now add the potassium nitrate and mill for another two days.

You now have meal powder / black powder. It is crappy gunpowder, but it will work.

Schumer may make access to bat caves very difficult by putting a TSA agent next to them.

[myrkul]

Schumer may make access to bat caves very difficult by putting a TSA agent next to them.

You can make potassium nitrate at home, if you are willing to work with the guano of other species....

[Rassah]

You now have meal powder / black powder. It is crappy gunpowder, but it will work.

Smokes like a bitch when it goes off, too. Nitrocellulose is a little more difficult (and dangerous!) to make, but it's a much better product.

Both, as I said, can be touched off with a small electrical spark.

At this point, I think it would be way easier and more effective (and likely lethal) to just make a potato gun out of PVC and carburator cleaner spray.

[myrkul]

You now have meal powder / black powder. It is crappy gunpowder, but it will work.

Smokes like a bitch when it goes off, too. Nitrocellulose is a little more difficult (and dangerous!) to make, but it's a much better product.

Both, as I said, can be touched off with a small electrical spark.

At this point, I think it would be way easier and more effective (and likely lethal) to just make a potato gun out of PVC and carburator cleaner spray.

Kinda hard to conceal, though.

[Rassah]

You now have meal powder / black powder. It is crappy gunpowder, but it will work.

Smokes like a bitch when it goes off, too. Nitrocellulose is a little more difficult (and dangerous!) to make, but it's a much better product.

Both, as I said, can be touched off with a small electrical spark.

At this point, I think it would be way easier and more effective (and likely lethal) to just make a potato gun out of PVC and carburator cleaner spray.

Kinda hard to conceal, though.

Isn't the point of a gun to deter crime, letting people know not to screw with you, with shooting them being the last resort? Lugging a 6' tall potato cannon strapped to your back is a pretty good "don't fuck with me" 

[myrkul]

You now have meal powder / black powder. It is crappy gunpowder, but it will work.

Smokes like a bitch when it goes off, too. Nitrocellulose is a little more difficult (and dangerous!) to make, but it's a much better product.

Both, as I said, can be touched off with a small electrical spark.

At this point, I think it would be way easier and more effective (and likely lethal) to just make a potato gun out of PVC and carburator cleaner spray.

Kinda hard to conceal, though.

Isn't the point of a gun to deter crime, letting people know not to screw with you, with shooting them being the last resort? Lugging a 6' tall potato cannon strapped to your back is a pretty good "don't fuck with me" 

Open carry protects those who carry, who can be seen to be armed. Concealed carry protects everyone, even those who choose not to go armed, because anyone could be packing.

Plus, a spud gun would be more use as a club, in most defensive situations. Unless you're going to ask the mugger to wait while you fill the blast chamber?

[Spendulus]

.....
Isn't the point of a gun to deter crime, letting people know not to screw with you, with shooting them being the last resort? ....

No!

Guns are horrible and scary!  They make ordinary people into criminals!  They make big bangy noises and those big rifles are painted black!  They senselessly kill people.  The really scary ones they have sort of pistol grip thingies and stuff that folds back and things that you put in that have bullets!  Then they can shoot the bullets at people!  It's making me cry just thinking about it and I'm scared!  So I'm going to hide in the closet.  Please tell me when it's safe to come out?