An Update on 3D Gun Printing and The Liberator

The Liberator the first fully plastic 3D gun, has been <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/155084-the-liberator-the-first-downloadable-3d-printed-gun-gets-test-fired">built and tested. In the YouTube video in which Corey Wilson demonstrates the gun's durability the gun survives a round with no apparent damage. In the following video, on the other hand, an official Australian police agency, the New South Wales Police Force, tested the gun and observed failure on the first round. A dangerous explosive failure, which would have injured even the person firing the gun:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9taL4svjH_g&w=560&h=315]

Both videos were accurate and they highlight certain points:
1 The police used a 3d printed firing pin and screws and did not mention having used a metal bar insert.
2 Corey's gun used a nail as a firing pin, metal screws and a metal bar insert. He claimed the insert was to bring the gun into regulation by allowing it do be detected however it may have had the (known?) side effect of greatly increasing durability.
3 The police printed the gun on a non-HD printer and did not mention the kind of plastic they were using.

The non-HD printing is insignificant as demonstrated by the advent of <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/05/20/25-gun-created-with-cheap-3d-printer-fires-nine-shots-video/">The Lulzbot Liberator. The Lulzbot Liberator is a Liberator printed on a Lulzbot, using proper metal screws, which only cost $25 to build and survived 9 rounds during testing. The Lulzbot itself cost under $1800. As the article states the Lulzbot Liberator was printed using ABS plastic. Check out the printing results for yourself:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3eDSGVsLQU&w=560&h=315]

ABS plastic is one of two kinds of common <a href="http://www.protoparadigm.com/blog/2013/01/the-difference-between-abs-and-pla-for-3d-printing/">plastic used in 3D printing, the other being PLA plastic. ABS is significantly stronger and able to bend. This is an important consideration when printing functional mechanical structures like a gun.

In conclusion, note the website <a href="http://www.makexyz.com/">www.makexyz.com. There you can rent a 3D printer rather than buy one for as little as $.25 per cubic cm of printing. Maybe you should give it a try :)