3D Printed guns

News and events in the media and political arena relating to firearms.

3D Printed guns

Post by Zappa » 18 Jan 2026, 10:59 am

https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/ ... 9ef751f931

You would have to be one courageous soul or lack braincells to fire one of these off. Might good for a one shot wonder, 2nd would be a hand grenade. Looks like someones got some mild steel pipe and used it as a barrel.

However, Metal printing technology has evolved so much that they're printing metal barrels is almost affordable. The fire control units, mags are no challenge and designs are easily found and downloaded. But the forged barrels remain a challenge due to the metal density.

This is the future problem and we'll hear more and more of these things popping up. If they become prolific expect all metal printers to be regulated in this country or at least be neutered to not print firearm components. Which is prone to fail cause they can easily be hacked and bypassed.
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by Wapiti » 18 Jan 2026, 11:22 am

As is what seems to be happening under Albanese's demands, ammo will become the thing you won't get.
He will stop supply to sellers, and effectively strangle more businesses.
I bet in the not-so-distant future, you will have to account for each round. Think that's BS? Today's evil politicians don't care what is impossible or not, they just dribble out new laws.
Ammo will be the new gold standard on the black market, hence why police are raiding people who say online about their stashes.

Maybe now, people will stop laughing at the fanciful Mad Max movies where shotgun shells are worth hurting someone over and gold is worth jack.
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by bigrich » 18 Jan 2026, 12:12 pm

Wapiti wrote:
Maybe now, people will stop laughing at the fanciful Mad Max movies where shotgun shells are worth hurting someone over and gold is worth jack.


ya can't eat or drink gold . in that scenario food, fuel and ammo, not necessarily in that order . ya know if a computer virus crashed the internet worldwide , no commerce or trade, no food in the shops . it'd go mad max very quickly . bartering would be the new normal like in the early middle ages , the total lawless just take what they want with sword and axe . hey , fanciful i know , but city people have no idea how to survive if the system of society crashed .

after i clean my 222 i might go watch the "nightrider" chase seen from the first movie :D
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by No1Mk3 » 18 Jan 2026, 6:12 pm

Zappa wrote:https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/police-warn-of-serious-risk-as-3dprinted-guns-seized-in-tasmania/news-story/18030b096607e7a2be072b9ef751f931

You would have to be one courageous soul or lack braincells to fire one of these off. Might good for a one shot wonder, 2nd would be a hand grenade. Looks like someones got some mild steel pipe and used it as a barrel.

However, Metal printing technology has evolved so much that they're printing metal barrels is almost affordable. The fire control units, mags are no challenge and designs are easily found and downloaded. But the forged barrels remain a challenge due to the metal density.

This is the future problem and we'll hear more and more of these things popping up. If they become prolific expect all metal printers to be regulated in this country or at least be neutered to not print firearm components. Which is prone to fail cause they can easily be hacked and bypassed.


Fully functional 3D printed handguns are already on the black market, the advances in polymer technology even in only the last 2 years has been phenominal, and barrels are not printed but turned out of 4140 and button rifled. The home workshop mill/drill is quite capable of producing components and these are showing up in Forensic Labs. Importation is still an issue and until Govt agree to invest more in border security and increase screening we will continue to see illegal arms entering the country.
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by Zappa » 31 Jan 2026, 1:55 pm

This is just getting ridiculous.

"Hardware stores would report customers suspected of building 3D-printed guns to the authorities under fresh calls for corporate Australia to play a role in thwarting access to the deadly weapons."

Trying to buy a galvanised water pipe at Bunnings and you could get arrested.

Printing a speedloader can be construed as illegal ? Why stop there? Why not ban moonclips and ammo carrying belts ?


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-31/ ... tent=other
" The best form of government is the government that governs least "
Limited government and Individual liberty.

- Henry David Thoreau 1849
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by Wapiti » 31 Jan 2026, 3:46 pm

If it's on the Gaybc it's a deliberate social engineering attempt so I'll NEVER give them another view number to support their university activist crusade. I'll take your word for it.
Imagine the fool who'll make a firearm from galv seam-welded Chinese waterpipe and set off a 50,000psi cartridge next to their face? Maybe a slam-fire shotgun, but how pathetic. At least with a bat you've got unlimited swings, instead of a single-shot monstrosity that ends up in your head getting stomped. Darwinism at work here.

Sure, you could use 4130 or 4140 to make a barrel, but don't forget Newton's law either. Every action has an opposite equal reaction... that easy-at-home made barrel (which it ain't) needs a locked up bolt, locking into an action made of the same steel capable of holding that pressure...
if a government thinks spending heaps looking at very few people capable of doing that is worth anything instead of it's border control or even, driving the masses into penniless starvation through total incompetence, well, remember that at the election or suffer even more deserved pain.
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by deye243 » 31 Jan 2026, 5:03 pm

Simple just use low pressure loads like 45 ACP and 38 spl
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by Wapiti » 01 Feb 2026, 10:11 am

It's still all BS to me. In any state in Aus, you need a valid firearms license to buy any ammo.
Chasing a drop in the ocean of people trying to pull off illegal practices of this nature.
It's all another political smokescreen to mask failure from "our" politicians in all our other walks of life.

Let's set up a special taskforce to look around for people 3D printing hand-shattering self-immolating bombs. Not why people are in tents, there aren't any houses, businesses are going to the wall in a market crying out for their services, and the deliberate importation of non-assimilating terrorism.
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Re: 3D Printed guns

Post by Flavius Maximus » 03 Feb 2026, 6:23 pm

Zappa wrote:This is just getting ridiculous.

"Hardware stores would report customers suspected of building 3D-printed guns to the authorities under fresh calls for corporate Australia to play a role in thwarting access to the deadly weapons."

Trying to buy a galvanised water pipe at Bunnings and you could get arrested.

Printing a speedloader can be construed as illegal ? Why stop there? Why not ban moonclips and ammo carrying belts ?


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-31/ ... tent=other

So what if you have an old military bolt gun, or one of them Winchester 1895s the Ruskies used, & had no choice but to print stripper clips? I mean, everywhere & everyone i ask says 3d stripper clips are legal as they're not a part, nor can they used to make a gun, but it takes just 1 cop having a bad day...
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