Trendsetter? 3D Printers Open Market for Company to Sell Printed AR-15 Gun Magazines

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by Ezra Van Auken

For pro-gun advocates, the opportunity to stock up on gun-related equipment just got a little more original and sweeter. A company called “Defense Distributed” or DefDist in Austin, Texas, is making strides after releasing its newest product, AR-15 magazines – but the catch is that these aren’t ordinary magazines. DefDist has created a 3D printed AR-15 gun magazine, fully capable of doing exactly what a normal mag does.

ExtremeTech.com explains, “After HaveBlue’s gun made the rounds, another company, Defense Distributed (DefDist), began 3D-printing gun parts.” The company’s overall goal is to create and operate a printable gun, of course using a 3D printer. DefDist isn’t far away from achieving their goal either. On January 12th, a promotional video was published to YouTube, which reveals their newest AR-15 magazine.

The video begins with a man asking, “How’s that national conversation going,” alluding to the debate over whether “assault” rifles (which the AR-15 falls under) should be legal or not to purchase. Ending the video, the individual says, “Welcome to the age of the printed magazine.” So, do you think the new age of gun manufacturing is here with the creation of 3D printers?

James Plafke of ExtremeTech notes, “So far, people have 3D-printed the receiver, and now the magazine. We still haven’t heard any word about a 3D-printed gun stock;” which could be seen sometime in the recent future. As RT’s Andrew Blake reported, “They are certainly breaking through and becoming for one thing, affordable.”

Blake detailed, “You make a 3D rendered image, you import it to a big machine, just like a big Xerox and you important different plastic or resin into it. Send the file through and within couple minutes, couple hours, maybe a couple of days, you can hold whatever is in your head.”

While gun debates brew, 3D printers become a trendsetter in the way gun parts and pieces are distributed.