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Solid Concepts 3D-Printed Browning M1911 Shows 3D Printing's Improvements

TMCnet Feature

November 11, 2013

Solid Concepts 3D-Printed Browning M1911 Shows 3D Printing's Improvements

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By Steve Anderson
Contributing TMCnet Writer

Although 3D printing is still regarded as a toy or a great possible start point for future developments, to some 3D printing is a great way to make unexpected items and deliver on some of those future developments. Solid Concepts, a firm in Austin, Texas, is one such firm looking to take 3D printing to a level that's proving both inspirational and outright disturbing depending on one’s point of view and has reflected this by creating a fully-operational replica of a Browning M1911 pistol.


 

To make the M1911, Solid Concepts turned to a breed of 3D printing known as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), which has been seen in several of the more impressive 3D printing developments like surgical implements or even parts in aerospace systems.  Though the weapon's springs were made in a separate process, the rest of the gun, meanwhile, was made directly by the DMLS process.

 

Interestingly, the M1911 in question wasn't made as a way to find a cheaper or faster way to make a firearm; it was rather made to prove a point about DMLS in general. Project manager Phillip Conner noted that many believe that parts made with DMLS are neither strong enough nor sufficiently accurate to be used in the real world, so Solid Concepts set out to prove those beliefs wrong. After construction was complete, a series of firing tests—both with the weapon mounted and held by hand—took place and appeared to pass said tests easily.

 

Of course, this isn't exactly a cause for alarm just yet. The Solid Concepts tests proved that DMLS was sufficiently robust a process to make such weapons happen, but getting hands on such a DMLS machine was actually out of line for most individuals. The kind of industry-grade machine required to perform such processes would require several hundred thousand dollars to obtain, and for those trying to do the job on a machine under $10,000, repeating Solid Concepts' success was unlikely.

 

This is actually a significant step up from earlier work done by Defense Distributed, who gave us the Liberator pistol earlier and largely opened up the floodgates as far as concerns over 3D printing being used in the manufacture of firearms. It's reached the point where laws are being considered regarding the ownership of 3D printers and the accompanying tools in a bid to prevent such firearms making into the hands of users.

 

Some may find these claims a bit hysterical—even Solid Concepts makes it clear that the kind of equipment needed to make reliable, accurate firearms requires six figure sums at least to acquire—but by like token, the history of technology in general poses an interesting question here. Yes, the technology required is a massive, expensive endeavor that can't be done by the average citizen without a lottery win first. But how long before advances in technology render this sort of thing available to the common man? Remember that computers in general took about 50 years to go from room-filling vacuum tube monstrosities to being slim enough to carry in a pocket. How long before commercial-grade DMLS is available for any nine-year-old’s budget?

 

Still, the rapid maturation of 3D printing technology is nothing less than staggering, and though such rapid development poses certain issues as to its place in society, the sheer gain of the technology—and the possibilities that gain represents—are enough to amaze nearly anyone.




Edited by Cassandra Tucker


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