3D Printed Liberator Pistol: Video, more angles, loading detail

[Dean Weingarten]

In this YouTube video, more details are revealed about the first pistol to be completely produced by a 3D printer. There is one metal part, but it is made from a common nail, and is so ubiquitous that it does not offer any impediment to the creation of these pistols.

Interesting details in this video include how the pistol is loaded. As I thought previously, the .380 ACP, 9x17, 9mm Kurtz, or 9mm Corto, all different designations for the same cartridge, is pushed into the chamber of the barrel by hand, then the barrel is simply snapped into place in the frame of the pistol.

If more than one barrel is printed, relatively fast reloading is possible because the cartridge case need not be extracted. Each barrel would be loaded before use. To reload, the fired barrel would be snapped out of the frame with a rapid upward tug of the off hand. A new loaded barrel would be snapped into place. With a little practice reloading should be possible in 2 seconds.

The video shows that four barrels were printed for the pistol.

As the pistols do not appear to be expensive to make once the 3D printer is available, the common custom from the days of military single shot pistols could be adopted, and a brace (pair) of pistols could be carried.

From the front angle of the video, after the shot, you can see the dark spot of powder residue in the end of the barrel.

YouTube Video link

Dean Weingarten Defense Distributed Distributor

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/05/3d-printed-liberator-pistol-video-more.html

 

[rcmodel]

NOT a Liberator pistol!



And NOT THAT GUY again!!

I am seeing his face in my dreams at night after all the news coverage from the anti-gun news media coverage he is getting!

He even made a azz of himself to the other side on 'America's Gun, The AR-15' the other night by coming across as a nut-case anti-government anarchist.

(Although a well spoken, and not too crazy-eyed and drooling one.)

rc

 

[Dean Weingarten]

The designers and makers call it a "Liberator", in honor of the original.

 

[AlexanderA]

"Zip guns" have been around for a long time. The difference now is that we have high-tech ("3D printed") zip guns instead of low-tech ones. It seems to me that as long as we have "real" guns available, by legal or illegal means, zip guns won't be much of a factor. Heck, even teenage delinquents don't resort to zip guns any more. They don't have to. Crude, homemade guns are a rather quaint and antiquated idea.

 

[rcmodel]

The designers and makers call it a "Liberator", in honor of the original.

Nothing honorable at all about calling a plastic one-shot zip-gun a "Liberator" in 'honor' of a gun at least one man died for while manufacturing them at government request to help try to win WWII.

This guy is slightly wacko, in a computer genius sort of way, IMO.

Regardless of his intent?
He is doing the gun debate more harm then good, at just the wrong time!!


IMO: He should be flying under the radar until he comes up with something worthwhile that really works.

Right now, it appears to me he is more concerned with getting his face on TV and Youse-Tubes, then with our gun rights!

rc

 

[pikid89]

they seem to me to be doing it the right way, since Defense Distributed did just get a manufacturers FFL

 

[General Geoff]

The guy is a self-admitted 'free market anarchist.' That doesn't make his contributions to the RKBA any less astounding. Inventing a printable firearm is very much analogous to the invention of the printing press, and just as the printing press revolutionized the written word, so too will printable guns revolutionize the right to keep and bear arms.

 

[Texan Scott]

I'm waiting for a printable black powder blunderbuss. Then, no need to buy ammo either!

 

[Kiln]

Nothing honorable at all about calling a plastic one-shot zip-gun a "Liberator" in 'honor' of a gun at least one man died for while manufacturing them at government request to help try to win WWII.

This guy is slightly wacko, in a computer genius sort of way, IMO.

Regardless of his intent?
He is doing the gun debate more harm then good, at just the wrong time!!


IMO: He should be flying under the radar until he comes up with something worthwhile that really works.

Right now, it appears to me he is more concerned with getting his face on TV and Youse-Tubes, then with our gun rights!

rc

I disagree. The point behind this thing is to have a gun used for only a couple of shots (like the original) intended for people under socialist control.

I don't think it could be more ironic at a time when socialists have more power than ever in the USA.

 

[Inebriated]

NOT a Liberator pistol!

Dangit rc, I wanted to post that!

 

[hnk45acp]

The media has had a field day with this guy but I think his argument is a sound one. Put the power back into the people's hand. The argument that it will make it easier for criminals to get guns is BS, they get guns anyway and probably much more cheaply. It takes the control of an object out of the hands of the government and that's always a good thing

 

[AethelstanAegen]

Put the power back into the people's hand.

Well let's be honest here though. Really it's "Put the power back in to the people-who-can-afford-a-$8000-3D-printer's hand." I don't think this really gives your common man a more viable resistance weapon that they couldn't build more effectively with a pipe and a handful of home improvement supplies. Really, it does just seem to rile up everyone, perhaps creating pressure for increased regulation on homemade firearms and really in no way gives your average citizen of totalitarian-land a means of resistance. I do kind of think he's a guy with access to some fun technology that has managed to create a storm in a tea cup for his own fame.

 

[essayons21]

There is a certain amount of skill required to set up and operate most of the 3d printers on the market. Just like you can't plop someone down in front of a CnC mill with no training, these printers aren't exactly plug-n-play. However, as costs come down and technology improves I think you will see cheaper, more user-friendly models with the same resolution.

The media and the left is all in a tizzy over this for some reason. I guess they don't realize that someone with zero mechanical knowledge can go to a hardware store and make a 12ga shotgun in a few minutes, for less than $20 in materials, and with nothing but a hacksaw.

The anti's view guns as some sort of evil magical beings, and don't understand that they are among the simplest of modern machines.

Anybody with any sort of machining or shop experience and access to a drill press could do much better than this 3D printed gun for much less money.

I could care less about this new "Liberator." 3D printing is an immature technology and I'm not ready to bite. In 5-10 years it will be a different story.

However, I think what Defense Distributed is doing by hosting these CAD files of firearms and accessories is great. It is the ultimate example of why gun control will never work... the knowledge is out there. If the products are no longer available from the factories, the factory will just shift to our garages and workshops, which is where all industry began in the first place.

 

[gc70]

As I thought previously, the .380 ACP, 9x17, 9mm Kurtz, or 9mm Corto, all different designations for the same cartridge, is pushed into the chamber of the barrel by hand, then the barrel is simply snapped into place in the frame of the pistol.

I did not see rounds being loaded in the linked video and the range on which the gun was tested was marked ".22 Rimfire Only."

Could you provide links to stories or videos about the calibers in which the gun has been made.

 

[barnbwt]

The media and the left is all in a tizzy over this for some reason

Many in this country fear the idea of people being able to do stuff themselves, and hate the means to do so.

*snark hat on*

"Yawn, wake me up when it's perfected, proven for 10+ years, and won three wars. Then we'll know if it's worth getting excited over. This guy's gonna do nothing but ruin the sweet gig us home-builders have by exposing the legality of making our own guns. He should wait to release these prototypes until after they're accepted by everyone, everywhere."

*end snark*

TCB

 

[junyo]

Well let's be honest here though. Really it's "Put the power back in to the people-who-can-afford-a-$8000-3D-printer's hand." I don't think this really gives your common man a more viable resistance weapon that they couldn't build more effectively with a pipe and a handful of home improvement supplies. Really, it does just seem to rile up everyone, perhaps creating pressure for increased regulation on homemade firearms and really in no way gives your average citizen of totalitarian-land a means of resistance. I do kind of think he's a guy with access to some fun technology that has managed to create a storm in a tea cup for his own fame.

Defcad's target device is a Reprap 3D printer, which can be bought/built for in the neighborhood of a grand. And it's a LOT easier to use than a CNC mill.

And the point isn't a viable weapon, the point IS to get people riled up. Hippies do think guns are produced by evil NRA wizards pronouncing secret incantations on a temple underneath Mt Doom. These guys, more that any letter writing, phone calling, BS political process are demonstrating to those hippies that gun control is now beyond their grasp.

God, I get so sick of people crapping on someone that's actually punching the opposition in the face. If the guy had printed a Glock 19 I swear there'd be people complaining that it was useless until he could print a 1911.

 

[tarosean]

Really it's "Put the power back in to the people-who-can-afford-a-$8000-3D-printer's hand." I don't think this really gives your common man a more viable resistance weapon that they couldn't build more effectively with a pipe and a handful of home improvement supplies.

Pretty much... I can buy a topshelf handgun, shotgun and AR or AK for about the same money that will last my lifetime. Or a thousand disposable ring of fire / hi points..

Heck even a mini lathe is only about a grand.

 

[jerkface11]

You guys are living in the wrong century. The printers get cheaper every year. And they aren't $8000.

 

[pikid89]

Try $499

http://portabee3dprinter.com/shop/

 

[Dean Weingarten]

Here is an article with a lot more detail on how the pistol works. It references the .380 ACP.

http://www.examiner.com/article/defense-distributed-declares-government-monopoly-on-force-obsolete

 

[bigbayou87]

I agree with junyo. The message is more powerful than the gun itself.

 

[c4v3man]

I wish he would come across a little more professional. I suppose it's very likely that he intends to portray himself as a little wacky, dangerous, etc since it's obvious that's the greatest way to get the media to show up.

I just wish he would have used a ransom rest, over a chronograph, with a target, etc to demonstrate safe usage of an untested process. Pulling the gun up and firing basically un-aimed at a berm just comes across as sloppy and haphazard.

That being said, the technology exists whether or not Distributed Defense brings it to the media's attention. While it may not be the best representation, it's hardly the worst.

 

[Tanasie]

When it was introduced during WW2 it was called a 'Liberator" pistol..they were produced to fire the .45 cal. acp cartridge, they didn't have an extracter and were issued with a short wooden dowel to push the spent casing out. They were air dropped to guerilla forces in S.E. Asia.

 

[AethelstanAegen]

Try $499

That 3D printer you linked is only $500. That was not the 3D printer these things are built on and not all 3D printers are created equal. At the moment it's really only the high end stuff that they've been able to successfully do this on. I don't particularly care one way or the other what he's doing, but he's certainly not proving the point that gun control is impossible or in some way providing anything you couldn't provide with just an MS paint file on how to build a gun out of some piping. The importance of the project is WAY over inflated.

God, I get so sick of people crapping on someone that's actually punching the opposition in the face.

I don't think he's really proving any points with the opposition at all. They don't see this as a situation where "gee, this makes our gun control useless" they see it as "Holy cow, we need to really step up our gun control plans and regulate home construction because are printing these out now."

 

[CoRoMo]

I'm going to wait until they get all the wrinkles smoothed out before I get one. Usually the first model hits the market with a few kinks that need to be corrected. Ruger will surely recall it soon and then it'll be gtg. Does anyone know if they are using MIM parts in this model?