3D printers, saving Liberty and saving lives. The $25 multishot handgun and printed bullets. Time to get excited, very excited.

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3D printers: saving Liberty and saving lives.

DD Libertator

On May 5 2013 Defense Distributed made history by releasing the schematics of the worlds first fully printable gun, the Liberator .380. The name was taken from the single shot, disposable, .45 air lifted into a disarmed Europe during World War II to help resistance fighters acquire better firearms from the occupying Axis forces.  The thought was simple: walk up to Nazi, stick the Liberator in his ear or chest and pull the trigger.  Boom- instant free upgrade to whatever the Nazi was carrying.  Toss the Liberator and pick up a once dropped Lugar or Stg 44.  Pretty nice trade.

Unfortunately four days later on May 9th, in a blatant display of tyranny, the US Department of  State ordered the design be taken down because it "may violate the Arms Export Control Act of 1976".  The alleged purpose of that law was to curb the arms race and export items "for legitimate self defense purposes".

In the governments opinion, the Rights of Americans are trumped because some non US citizen, somewhere, may, possibly, not use a .380 caliber handgun for self defense.  It's absurd.  It's insulting. It is tyrannical.

The irony here is rich.  Once something goes out on the internet, it's out.  In the 4 days the file was live on Defense Distributed's website it was downloaded over 100,000 times.  Only the government would think banning it's originally hosted file could contain it.  As predicted, it has been mirrored on hundreds of sites, including the infamous Pirate Bay.

The next time some legislator starts squawking about movie or music piracy and passing bills like SOPA (Stop On Line Piracy), keep in mind the gun you may one day need to save your life might only be available through the "pirates".  Obviously there are hundreds of freedom and liberty based reasons to oppose bills like SOPA that have nothing to do with piracy but that's a topic for another blog.

There were a few monetary issues with this initial project, the printer ran 5 figures and the material the first AR lowers used cost hundreds of dollars.

LulzLiberator

Last week a engineer from Wisconsin known as "Joe" test fired the LulzLiberator a .380 from a $1,725 printer made with $25 worth of material.  The .380 fired 9 rounds.. from a printed barrel.  They only stopped testing because the sun went down.  This is a huge step forward and very exciting.  This puts printed firearms in the reach of most people.  Obviously as technology continues to advance and materials, the ability for a tyrant to disarm a populace could become impossible.

Printed bullets?  Obviously this is a work in progress but it's still a cool step forward. Taofledermaus and his friends aren't the only ones working on 3D rounds, a quick search will turn up others.


Saving lives already?  This is an awesome story out of Michigan, Doctors and engineers print a new airway and implant it in a young child, the material they printed from is a biomaterial, so it will resorb, unlike the materials being used for the firearms.



Why do I include such a heart warming story here... aside from the fact it's pretty freaking cool and shows how awesome these printers can be?   Because it's yet another way the government will try and control, regulate and license these printers.  Don't think so?  You must not work in medicine then.  Read the story about seeking permission from the government before making the device that allowed the child to come off of a ventilator for the first time in it's life.

Someone could print their own medical device!  Someone could print their own gun!  Think of the children! 

No?  Charles Schumer has already held a press conference seeking to ban them.  The insanity abounds.  That a law in the US would prohibit a terrorist from printing one in the US, let alone the rest of the world, is sheer insanity. At best. It's only point would be to restrict the law abiding US Citizens like you and I.



Advocates of Liberty face a tremendous challenge over the coming months, not just on the standard firearm front but also on the printer front as well.  Banning, licensing or regulating this amazing technology will stifle creativity,  crush free markets and empower future tyrants.

We'll keep you up to date on the latest information on the technology as well as pending legislation at:
www.facebook.com/GunReviews

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