Currently, 3D printing technology is developing at a very fast pace. In just 2-3 years, a 3D printer will become as commonplace in our world as a personal computer, laser printer or scanner is today. It is for this reason that people today are increasingly worried about the problem that will arise with the spread of these printers and related technologies. We are talking about a "printout" of various small arms - from compact pistols to full-size assault rifles.
It is no secret to anyone that mankind always strives to use new, only emerging technologies not only for the good, but also to the detriment of itself. In this regard, 3D printers are no exception. Not everyone is ready to use these devices in advertising, toy manufacturing, medicine, or just for their daily hobbies. For some, the production of weapons will become a hobby. Today, any owner of a 3D printer, if desired, can make a plastic "samopal" at home, which may well be used as a small arms.
Technology Perspectives
How is a cream pattern applied to an ordinary sponge cake? The pastry chef from a special culinary syringe or a rolled bag squeezes the cream onto the surface of the cake. By changing the nozzles, you can also change the pattern or font on the cake. Imagine that the pastry chef is suddenly replaced by a robot, and the hand of the pastry chef is replaced by a mechanical one that works in accordance with the set program. This is exactly what happens today in large culinary factories. A variety of chocolate shapes can be made according to the same principle. In this case, cream or chocolate can be replaced with a special powder of rapidly hardening plastic, with which it will be possible to create various toys, cups, plates, chess pieces, and other small things. In just a few years, these technologies will become available to the broad masses, and on the worldwide network it will be possible to find a huge number of pirated (and not only) digitized models of everything and everyone.
In the near future, the McDonald's fast food chain expects to purchase 3D printers in order to print toys on them. Currently, the price of household 3D printers is in the range from 1.5 to 8 thousand dollars, which makes them an expensive "toy", but at the same time quite affordable. At the same time, you can find materials on the Internet that allow you to make such a printer at home; drawings of printers, as well as all the software necessary for their work today can be found on the Internet. Not so long ago in Russia, a group of enthusiastic developers from Novosibirsk published information on the Internet about the SibRap 3D printer they had independently assembled. This printer uses molten ABS filament to print 3D objects. The developers of the Russian printer estimated the cost of the parts that are needed to create it at only 20 thousand rubles.
Currently, Gartner - one of the largest analytics firms in the field of information technology - predicts an increase in the volume of industrial production of these devices. Shipments of 3D printers worth up to $ 100 thousand in 2013 increased by 43%, the market volume amounted to $ 412 million. At the same time, individuals account for $ 87 million, companies - $ 325 million. According to analysts, in 2014 the supply of 3D printers will increase by 62%, and the total amount of sales will already amount to 669 million dollars, in unit terms, the growth in supplies of printers will be near the 50% mark, in total it is planned to sell up to 56, 5 thousand of similar devices. In 2015, it is predicted that the number of 3D printers supplied to the end consumer will double, this will be due to the emergence of new players on the market and increased competition between them, which will lead to lower prices.
Danger of 3D printers
The greatest interest in the new product was shown in the United States, where in 2013 a 3D printer was first used to make weapons. It is worth noting that the second of 10 amendments that form the so-called "Bill of Rights" allows all American citizens to keep and carry firearms. At the same time, weapons could be made at home, in the event that such a hobby did not imply a commercial background. The enterprising 24-year-old American law student Cody Wilson, who decided to independently test the nerves of the American authorities for strength, did not fail to take advantage of this right. Wilson founded a company called Defense Distributed, whose main purpose was to create, accumulate and disseminate information about the development and manufacture of firearms using 3D printing.
Liberator pistol
Cody Wilson decided to personally check how the American government would behave if at one point the production of weapons ceased to be the prerogative of the state and became the property of the broad masses. Agree that not everyone could make a full-fledged firearm on their own at home, but the use of 3D printing makes this process accessible to the layman. In the United States, the young man very quickly found a large number of supporters who helped him raise the required amount of 20 thousand dollars. With this money, Wilson leased a 3D printer owned by Stratasys.
The printer was delivered shortly thereafter, but Wilson was unable to even unpack it. Stratasys unilaterally terminated the agreement with the student, citing the fact that Defense Distributed did not have a license to manufacture small arms. As a result, the 3D printer was taken away, and Cody Wilson had to deal with the registration of the corresponding license. As a result, drawings of various weapon parts and the first samples of small arms that can be made on a 3D printer began to appear on the worldwide network.
Wilson proved that it is possible to make small arms at home using modern technology. In the network he posted drawings of a pistol of his own design, which received the designation "Liberator" (from English - "Liberator"). Using the model presented by Wilson, you can make a completely combat-ready weapon using a three-dimensional printer. Not surprisingly, representatives of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Small Arms Control showed a keen interest in the novelty quite quickly, and they tested the Liberator by printing two copies of it themselves. The first sample immediately exploded when trying to fire live ammunition, while the second sample of the pistol was able to withstand a series of 8 shots.
The first rifle made on a 3D printer
Therefore, it is not surprising that the tests carried out caused serious concern in the US administration. Every year in the United States, about 200 thousand people become victims of the violent use of firearms, and almost every year there are mass murders of people by some regular psychopath. Against this background, the US authorities are pursuing a policy of introducing stricter rules for the circulation of small arms in the country and imposing restrictions on their sale. For example, US Attorney General Eric Holder called on Congressmen to extend the US ban on the manufacture of pistols and rifles that cannot be detected with modern metal detectors by 25 years. This anxiety is understandable, because plastic weapons can be easily carried into crowded places or on board an aircraft.
As a result, Cody Wilson had to remove the Liberator pistol blueprints from the Internet. He did it at the request of the US Department of State. However, by the time the drawings were deleted, at least 100 thousand users had already downloaded them, later they appeared again on file sharing services and on torrents. In addition, not so long ago, information appeared on the Internet that Wilson did not stop there and made a model of the M-4 assault rifle on a 3D printer, which could withstand 6 shots out of the expected 20. It should be noted that the result did not impress Wilson, but do not discount the fact that this is just the beginning. Who knows where this technology will lead humanity …
One way or another, the US Congress in December 2013 extended the country's current ban on the production of small arms that could not be detected with metal detectors for 10 years. The Senate approved the adopted document. To such steps, the US authorities are prompted by fears that in the near future everyone will be able to make a completely plastic pistol using a home 3D printer, which in terms of combat capabilities will not be inferior to military counterparts.
If we talk about printing at home using a household 3D printer of the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle, then, perhaps, for many years to come, he will be provided with a quiet life without 3D copying. You can print it, but only as a dummy, theatrical props. The AK model, made of ordinary plastic, will be deprived of its main advantages, for which it is appreciated - amazing reliability and unpretentiousness.
