Poll: Did you download the plastic Liberator handgun files? why?

Plastic gun files: any real interest in downloading them?

  • Of course and I already built and fired it or plan to

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • Only downloaded it in case I want to play later

    Votes: 8 9.8%

  • No but my neighbor, dog or someone using a computer I've seen did :D

    Votes: 5 6.1%

  • No, it's a .380, I don't do .380

    Votes: 5 6.1%

  • No interest in the gun or download

    Votes: 63 76.8%
  • Total voters
    82
  • Poll closed .
No, I don't much see the point. If I wanted to I could make a better gun in my shop far more cheaply with less resources without drawing attention to myself.
 
Guys,

The prices are coming down on these printers. The plastic ones are actually affordable and the metal ones are getting there. Overall strength isn't great nor is durability, so I imagine they is why the design is only for .380 ACP.

The biggest threat is that "bad guys" could conceivably either buy (more likely steal) a 3D printer and create a weapon that is very cheap, disposable, and completely untraceable. There are no serial numbers to trace, not rifling to match ballistics if the gun is easily destroyed or melted down, and they can print more any time they want or need.

Most of us would consider it more of a novelty since we already have guns and most of us are law abiding citizens for the most part. We also care about the quality and reliability of our firearms. Imagine if there was no "cost" to print as many guns as you wanted and the materials needed to feed the printer were uncontrolled and very plentiful? There is a legitimate reason for concern in my opinion.
 
We also care about the quality and reliability of our firearms. Imagine if there was no "cost" to print as many guns as you wanted and the materials needed to feed the printer were uncontrolled and very plentiful?
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Will not be. The materials are expensive. I can make several zip guns for less than half of what the cost of the printing stock would be.

Some time in the next ten years they might have a cheaper method in place, just not now.
 
Stephen brings up a good point: A truly disposable weapon is at hand. Use once, light the integrated thermite block, drop it on site, violia, evidence (mostly) gone. If I were in law enforcement I'd be worried about the untraceable, undetectable weapons this puts in potential bad guys hands.
 
but in theory does not apply to transfer of the files / knowledge to "US Persons".
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Making the files available on the internet is making them available to Non-US persons and entities.

If the information is determined to fall into the category of restricted information, like some encryption software, etc ... then the Fed can pull it, and they can get real nasty with anyone who makes it available to Non-US persons/entities at a time after the determination is made.

Ignorance of the law or the classification of the info will not prevent the offender from being arrested and charged and it would fall to a jury to determine guilt.

I wouldn't want to go through that experience.

I wholeheartedly hope that the knowledge spreads beyond any one person, organization, or government's ability to censor it.
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The technology and knowledge, minus the gun blueprints, isn't the problem.

The blue prints potentially are. I think the Fed was justified in pulling the blueprint files until a correct, informed, determination can be made.
 
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If I was to buiild a gun, it wouldnt be plastic and it would shoot more than 5 times.

I can take a piece of steel pipe, a cork a pen spring and a split shot fishing weight and make you a one shot shooter :) no blue prints needed....
 
Alabama Shooter said:
Will not be. The materials are expensive. I can make several zip guns for less than half of what the cost of the printing stock would be.

Some time in the next ten years they might have a cheaper method in place, just not now.
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You seem hung up on the price of the materials. If you read the article from Forbes, they are already testing the design on cheaper printers. ABS plastic is NOT expensive and some printers even allow for recycled plastic.

I'm sure I can make a working gun as well, but I'm sure my skill level is higher than the average thug. This is a proven design that has already demonstrated that it will not self destruct. If you pour some lighter fluid, gas, or alcohol on it, your evidence goes up in flames.

The point you seem to be missing is that these can be mass produced and there will be nothing the government can do since the plans have already been published.
 
Sure, why not - figure you never know so might as well get it before they ban it - like they did.
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They didn't ban it.

They requested that the owner of the site hosting the files pull them and allow the government to make a determination on the impact they might have in several areas within Justice and Trade.

It's not a ban.

Remember the site/designer was making a political statement, it's part of the reason he went with a .org and not a .com or whatever else domain. He had a particular goal in mind and it really wasn't to spread gun freedom to the masses.
 
The point you seem to be missing is that these can be mass produced and there will be nothing the government can do since the plans have already been published.
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I am just not seeing the point. I can mass produce zip guns faster than any 3d printer can print them. There are already hundreds of millions of guns in this country already. Anyone with enough money can buy one at any time without a background check practically any kind they want in nearly every state in the country with a few notable exceptions.


I'm sure I can make a working gun as well, but I'm sure my skill level is higher than the average thug.
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I think you are underestimating thugs. The poor stupid ones make guns all the time. They can then disassemble it in a minute and throw it in a dumpster.
 
The biggest threat is that "bad guys" could conceivably either buy (more likely steal) a 3D printer and create a weapon that is very cheap, disposable, and completely untraceable. There are no serial numbers to trace, not rifling to match ballistics if the gun is easily destroyed or melted down, and they can print more any time they want or need.
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Zip guns are cheap and disposable, don't have rifling, and aren't traceable, either.

I'm sure I can make a working gun as well, but I'm sure my skill level is higher than the average thug.
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Teenage kids have been making them for a hundred years.
 
You guys are missing the point.

The point isn't "Here's a plastic zip gun!"

The point is to demonstrate that it's possible to print a plastic gun that will hold up for at least a few rounds. It's a simple proof of concept, not the final and ultimate firearm that will ever be printed.

The Liberator MKII is going to be a little more capable, and the MKIII better still.

You must learn to walk before you learn to run. It's not a big leap to a pepperbox or harmonica gun.

The flexibility the technology allows for is also being ignored.

5 minutes in CAD, and and now your design is integrally suppressed with about the same manufacturing time. That's at least a little more interesting, isn't it?
 
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