World's Possibly First 3D-Printed Rifle Is Fired on YouTube

What's This?

By Dhiya Kuriakose2013-07-25 22:29:42 UTC

A video showing what appears to be the first completely 3D-printed rifle in action was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday.

The video shows the plastic rifle, called "the Grizzly," clamped to a workbench and the man who fires it (presumably the user who uploaded the video, ThreeD Ukelele) pulling a piece of string attached to the trigger for the test fire. The video's text indicates that the rifle employs the mainspring (the mechanism that causes the gun to fire) of Defense Distributed's Liberator, which is the first 3D-printed pistol. The rifle was printed on a Stratasys Dimension 1200es 3D printer.

See also: World's First 3D-Printed Gun Fired on Video

In the video, the Grizzly appears to successfully fire a Winchester Dynapoint .22-caliber bullet, but the process puts two-inch cracks on the detachable barrel, and similar fractures along the top of the receiver, which houses the weapon's operating parts. A receiver is typically made of steel or aluminum though, in this case, "like the Liberator, the only metal is a 1-inch roofing nail," according to the video description.

ThreeD Ukulele also wrote in the description that changes will need to be made to the next version of the rifle, though he did not specify what those are.

See also: Officials: Stopping 3D-Printed Guns Could Be Impossible

How do you feel about a 3D-printed arsenal? What sort of laws or regulation should there be around these weapons, if any? Let us know below and, for more, check out the video above.

Image: YouTube, ThreeD Ukulele

Topics: 3D printers, Gadgets, rifle, US & World, Video