87GT Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 It fired 50 rounds with good accuracy. Check the video http://www.pcworld.com/article/2062246/worlds-first-3d-printed-metal-gun-blows-through-50-rounds.html A 3D printing services company has built a fully functioning, semi-automatic pistol and shown that it works just as a traditionally manufactured gun. Built by Solid Concepts, the pistol is a replica of the storied .45-caliber, M1911 semi-automatic that served as the U.S. military’s standard-issue sidearm for more than 70 years. Solid Concept demonstrated the gun by firing 50 rounds with it. The accuracy? At more than 30 yards, the gun was able to strike a target bull’s-eye several times, Solid Concepts said. The company’s 3D printed .45 caliber M1911 pistol is shown above. Previously, the only 3D printed gun was The Liberator, a single-shot plastic weapon made by Defense Distributed. That weapon didn’t prove to be reliable after multiple rounds were fired through it. How it was made Solid Concept’s pistol was made with industrial-grade 3D printers using the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Direct Metal Laser Sintering techniques (DMLS). Both DMLS and SLS use lasers to melt metals, even titanium, at temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The 3D printers work by laying down a fine layer of powder and then using a laser to fuse granules together, building an object layer by layer from the ground up. The difference between the two techniques is that DMLS tends to be used with alloys. Here's a Solid Concepts video about the gun: “The industrial printer we used costs more than my college tuition (and I went to a private university),” Kent Firestone, Solid Concepts’ Vice President of additive manufacturing, said in a statement. “The engineers who run our machines are top of the line; they are experts who know what they’re doing and understand 3D Printing better than anyone in this business. Thanks to them, Solid Concepts is debunking the idea that 3D Printing isn’t a viable solution or isn’t ready for mainstream manufacturing.” 3D printers that use metal sintering techniques function differently from desktop 3D printers that use stereolithography, which melts plastic filaments and pushes them through a small extruder to build objects layer by layer. Solid Concept’s gun is composed of more than 30 3D-printed components. The slide, frame and many of the internal components are made of stainless Steel. The main spring, the hammer and part of the upper grip’s handle was made with nickel-chromium-based alloy called Inconel 625. Solid Concepts’ pistol is composed of more than 30 3D printed parts (Image: Solid Concepts) “Laser sintering is one of the most accurate manufacturing processes available, and more than accurate enough to build the 3D Metal Printed interchangeable and interfacing parts within our 1911 series gun,” Solid Concepts said. “The gun proves laser sintering can meet tight tolerances.” According to the company, 3D metal printing means fewer porosity issues than are seen with the traditional method of casting metal parts. Solid Concept said its gun’s barrel experiences chamber pressure above 20,000 psi every time the gun is fired. By comparison, a factory-made M1911 pistol is rated for 17,000 psi chamber pressure. “We’re proving this is possible, the technology is at a place now where we can manufacture a gun with 3D printing,” Firestone said. “As far as we know, we’re the only 3D-printing service provider with a Federal Firearms License (FFL). Now, if a qualifying customer needs a unique gun part in five days, we can deliver.” History of the earlier gun As its name suggests, the Colt M1911 pistol became the military’s sidearm in 1911, after legendary gun designer John Browning developed it more than a decade earlier. Since that time, many manufacturers have copied the design. Solid Concepts demonstrates its ability to 3D print an M1911 .45 caliber pistol. The barrel of any modern gun contains rifling—helical grooves that put a spin on a bullet as it is fired. The cork-screw movement of a bullet increases its accuracy. Solid Concept’s pistol’s rifling was built directly into the barrel using 3D printing. The gun was in no way machined, as guns are traditionally made. “We did not machine this gun,” the company stated. “It’s born this way.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson1647545504 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stampede Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 (edited) WOW!!! Did not know they were working on printing metal. Stampede. Edited January 27, 2014 by Stampede Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyM3rC Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Cool proof of concept. 1911s are pretty finicky to begin with, how are all the botique manufacturers going to sell their $35 mags and $2000 1911s now?!? They better get a ninja-operator to endorse the laser-printer pistola so the fanboiz can put in their orders. But realistically, I wonder how the sintered metal holds up compared to forging. And lol at 17000psi chamber pressure! Oprah farts harder than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBaustert Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Cool proof of concept. 1911s are pretty finicky to begin with, how are all the botique manufacturers going to sell their $35 mags and $2000 1911s now?!? They better get a ninja-operator to endorse the laser-printer pistola so the fanboiz can put in their orders. But realistically, I wonder how the sintered metal holds up compared to forging. And lol at 17000psi chamber pressure! Oprah farts harder than that. Ford and Honda have been using Sintered Steel Connecting Rods for years now, not really the same application, but just gives you an idea of how strong it can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjjxlr8 Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 We have one of the direct laser sintering machines at work. The material for the laser sintering machines are big $$$$ - not mention the price of the machine! You can make some neat things but it's much cheaper to make a gun the old fashioned way. The sintered parts are not going to hold up like a forged part, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve R. Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 http://youtu.be/u7ZYKMBDm4M?t=1m25s The Action of this weapon is smooth and consistent. :jerkit: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fubar231 Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 http://youtu.be/u7ZYKMBDm4M?t=1m25s The Action of this weapon is smooth and consistent. :jerkit: Did you see the 500 round test they did with it? They blast through the mag as fast as possible at the end and it looks just like any other gun to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve R. Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 Did you see the 500 round test they did with it? They blast through the mag as fast as possible at the end and it looks just like any other gun to me. No, and to be honest I'm not going to watch it based on the first 5 shots of hand held firing. It's a neat show piece at this point, but who is going to buy a gun that needs firing 500+ times to have a smooth operation. Now maybe they are trying to prove a point by testing it and braking it in like they have. Maybe they will finesse the parts before retailing them. You know others were thinking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 No, and to be honest I'm not going to watch it based on the first 5 shots of hand held firing. It's a neat show piece at this point, but who is going to buy a gun that needs firing 500+ times to have a smooth operation. Now maybe they are trying to prove a point by testing it and braking it in like they have. Maybe they will finesse the parts before retailing them. You know others were thinking it. Well, you can't expect a homerun your first time to bat. Like most things, it'll get better and cheaper. I mean, hell, people were just up in arms over a 3D printed plastic single-shot gun not too long ago and now they're already doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted January 28, 2014 Report Share Posted January 28, 2014 Well, you can't expect a homerun your first time to bat. Like most things, it'll get better and cheaper. I mean, hell, people were just up in arms over a 3D printed plastic single-shot gun not too long ago and now they're already doing this. Which still boggles my mind. People are generally pretty fucking retarded. 1. building your own gun is not illegal 2. A "plastic" gun, still has metal parts in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Which still boggles my mind. People are generally pretty fucking retarded. 1. building your own gun is not illegal 2. A "plastic" gun, still has metal parts in it. 1. Nope. It's why I was able to build all those crazy looking pieces growing up. I can understand where some people's fear can come from over this, but eh. Oh, and by "up in arms" I really meant people got all excited about it both positively and negatively. My real point was the quick evolution of it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avenger1647545502 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Looks like the rest of the piece has a fairly rough finish, bet the feed ramp is rough too. That could cause that failure to feed if the mag lips were tight too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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