14 DAY TRIAL // 3D printed guns aren't really a threat to anyone, but that's not stopping people from getting all worked up about them. Finally though, some actual data from people who should know what they are talking about is surfacing.
The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives built and tested a couple of copies of the infamous Liberator 3D printed gun. What it found should be surprising to no one, the guns only lasted a few rounds or none at all before blowing up.
The ATF built two guns, one out of the material dubbed Visijet, a proprietary plastic from 3DSystems, and the second built from standard ABS plastic.
The Visijet gun exploded on the first test, so the gun is basically useless. The ABS version did manage to shoot off eight rounds before meeting the same fate, proving that it can, in theory, hurt someone else apart from the shooter.
The ATF has released a series of videos of the tests to highlight the fact that these guns can be manufactured and that they can work, but that they are in no way reliable. The agency also put out a FAQ regarding 3D printing with some sane advice.
