One expects some drama in regards to the 3D Printer Gun Project.
One that caught my eye and worries me is this:
The Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance wrote to Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson demanding the designs be "removed from public access" until he could prove he had not broken laws governing shipping weapons overseas by putting the files online and letting people outside the US download them.
So much for innocent until proven guilty. Why is the burden of proof not on the "Office of Defence Trade Controls". They do not have court authority. This looks like a civil liberties case in the brewing, and as I understand having loosely follwed these guys for a while, that is the prime intent. It is about rolling back government arbitrary intrusion into daily life.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
Yup. That Genie is not getting back in the bottle. Taxpayer dollars 'well' spent again on useless government activities fuled by leftist stupidity and self-absorbed agendas operating outside the bounds of constitutional intent.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
ladajo wrote:So much for innocent until proven guilty. Why is the burden of proof not on the "Office of Defence Trade Controls". They do not have court authority. This looks like a civil liberties case in the brewing, and as I understand having loosely follwed these guys for a while, that is the prime intent. It is about rolling back government arbitrary intrusion into daily life.
I'm wondering how much this interaction with the fed is being hyped by the media. It's probably prudent of DefDist to remove the plans while working out the paperwork. ITAR fines are pretty steep. Regardless of politics of gun control, I do think ITAR needs some reform and being beholden to it's regs myself I can see why this would be a gray area with regards to enforcement. This is just another example of the huge ship of state trying to get out in front of a technology it didn't anticipate.
On the larger issue I agree though: the cat's already out of the bag. If direct laser metal sintering ever gets cheap enough for a small business or maker group to own it'll make these DefDist weapons look like toys.
I agree on both counts.
I am also wondering how much mischaracterization is in the reporting on this. However, the basic facts remain. They posted the file. They were asked/told to remove the files. IMO the burden of proof is on the government to get a court injunction to have the files redacted. Without the court, I do not see the authority.
Now if they removed the file of their own violition, then that is another thing. It does not seem to read that way though.
The whole thing is silly as noted.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
The Machinery of Government looking like morons once again.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
Well.. honestly... Something's gonna have to give, sooner or later, as far as home fabbing goes. On the one hand you have 3D printers, on the other you have the internet. Or is there something else?
You can do anything you want with laws except make Americans obey them. | What I want to do is to look up S. . . . I call him the Schadenfreudean Man.
It's stupid hysteria generated by people who don't bother to think most of the time. I saw a video just a few days ago of a shotgun made with 2 pipes (readily available at Home Depot) and a firing pin. Insert shell, point, fire. With a 26.5" barrel (longer if you'd like) it's surprisingly accurate. Loud as all get out, but it gets the job done.
Guns aren't that hard to make. Bullets are. For some reason people flip out when they see a crudely made/used weapon (anyone remember not being able to carry fingernail clippers on a plane?). It's ridiculous, pointless, and dangerous for everyone else.
Bullets can be cast from lead, or more easily obtained today zinc.
Brass casings can be reloaded, or there are firearms that don't need them. Reloading cases generally involves replacing a primer cap.
Which leaves the gunpowder, which a chemist/pyrotechnician could come up with a workable mix using unregulated source materials. There are recipes on the web, but I expect many are dangerously unstable.
The daylight is uncomfortably bright for eyes so long in the dark.
Skipjack wrote:Why is this in news? Admins, can we please put this into general? It is not fusion related.
To be open and clear, I did intend for this to go into General, and thought I did, but realized after the fact it landed in news. My lack of attention to detail.
Sorry.
I have no issue if it moves to general, which is where I meant to put it anyway.
All that said, DeltaV has a point as well...
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
