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Are gun designs open source?
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this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2024
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Some are kinda, yeah. The AR-15 is for sure, and most 3d printed lowers would be, and iirc gen 3 glocks (I think, because that's what all the 80% and 3d print glock lowers are), and I think colt SAA by now, but many designs are still owned by the original company.
Well everyone here loves piracy so ride this goalpost with me, it's sustainable mass transit
I’m not an expert in 3D designing, but it seems to me that the AR-15 is a popular 3D print rifle from a practical perspective more than anything else.
The lower isn’t under extreme stresses, it can be thickened and reenforced without impeding function, and it snaps in modularly to factory made uppers. It helps a lot that the AR-15 parts market is diverse and easily accessed.
There's a reason that I listed ARs and 3d printed lowers separately. ARs themselves are basically open source, nobody "owns" the design, so say Hodge, Noveske, Colt, SOLGW, Radian, etc, can all produce lowers etc, MIM industries can produce all the lpk bits, but so can NBS etc, cerro forge and Brass Aluminum Forge Co can both make identical "milspec" uppers, the only thing that is really "trademarked" on any of it is the branding, or an advancement like Geissele's maritime bolt catch (which similar knock offs were produced immediately, anyway.) If you started making and selling say a2 parts (except lowers, but that's just because you need a licence to manufacture for sale) tomorrow nobody could stop you.
Interestingly, Glock is another one that there's strong 3D printed support for. It's likely because Glock was designed to be polymer, and there's very strong aftermarket support for them, so you can print the serialized part and make it work as a firearm with no real problems.
I was just thinking out loud more about why you don’t see printed AKs or at least not nearly as much. The AR-15 layout just seems practical for printing.
Yeah the Plastikov does exist but is definitely less popular and a bit more involved. They also have printable CETMEs now though too lol. Basically any cheap parts kit someone is probably working on a solution if one doesn't exist, and they're doing cool shit like the 3011.
ARs and Glocks are also some of the most popular purchased firearms (like through an FFL), so I'm not surprised they'd be the most printed, they're basically the Toyota Camry of guns, easy to work on, dependable, and last long.
A printed CETME is too adventurous for my blood.
Understandable lol, they do work though! Ivan made the file.