Aug 9, 2016 | By Andre
One of the more popular surviving artifacts of Greek mythology is the tale of Pandora’s box. In it, the curious Pandora goes against her better judgement and opens a forbidden container that, unbeknownst to her contains all the evils of the world and is shocked when it can no longer be shut. Some others might say the cat is out of the bag or Eden's apple eaten; whatever the case there is no turning back on Pandora's ill-fated decision.
A few years ago Cody Wilson took the 3D printing world by storm with Defense Distributed, a not-for profit born around the idea of the free distribution of 3D printable guns (or wiki weapons as he called them). These files could in turn be downloaded by anybody with a 3D printer and, if produced in accordance to the material requirements necessary for the design, have a functional gun for essentially the raw material costs of 3D printed filament, a nail and a bullet.
While it’s true the publicity surrounding him and his philosophies have since died down, people around the world have continued along with what Cody had started. And if a assembled 3D printed gun found at Reno-Tahoe International Airport is any indication, Pandora’s box remains wide open when it comes to continued efforts to produce and transport 3D printed guns.
In this case, the 3D printed gun was merely a Pug 22 Mag replica and never intended to be fired. There was no discernible trigger mechanism and it’s unclear how the live ammunition found along side of it would ever be compatible, let alone not destroy the weapon (or worse) in the process.
But, with laws being what they are in certain pockets of the world, the owner was given a simple choice of checking the item or leaving it behind; so he left it behind and continued on his merry way.
At the end of the day the 3D printed replica will be forever kept, along with the 68 traditional firearms discovered in carry-on bags across the United States in the last week alone, in the safe possession of the Transportation Security Administration. So even though this may technically have been a false alarm, the fact is that people continue to 3D print guns at an alarming rate.
When asked about the 3D printed gun controversy ad nauseam over the past few years I would always reply that it is not a technological issue but instead one of human nature and the unpredictability therein.
Even though Pandora’s box was opened by Cody Wilson when it comes to people’s fascination with 3D printed weaponry there still exists the yet-to-be-mentioned moral of the Pandora’s Box tale. That is, when everything seems at its darkest with no light in any which direction there will always be hope. Hope that one day people will cease in their fascination with the possibilities of 3D printed weaponry and eventually leave all of its nonsense behind.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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andre you are just another anti gun dumb ass that will wish he she had a gun and new how to use it one day look up boyd workman on youtube if you want to see pandores box
RobinLeech wrote at 8/9/2016 10:26:53 PM:
Seriously? The hope is that people will realize the necessity of being able to defend themselves from predators and rogue governments and eventually leave all this nonsense of self defense being evil behind. Infringing on that right simply leaves good people vulnerable to the evil ones that will not be stopped or deterred by laws. The reality is that bombs can be and were once made out of (cow) urine and guns can be made out of a few pipes and simple hardware. So laws and regulations can't stop anyone unless you want to live in a cage guarded by wolves. You must be capable of accepting the risks/responsibility involved in using appropriate means/force to defend yourself. Government's job is to punish those that abuse these rights, not to infringe rights of those who haven't.
Rick T wrote at 8/9/2016 8:48:15 PM:
There is a reason gun barrels are not made of plastic. I hope the idiot that made this tries it out.
Mbc wrote at 8/9/2016 6:49:57 PM:
We've been killing each other since we stepped out of the primordial ooze, doing away with one form of weapons will not end that. Eradicating the reasons for killing, ignorance and lack of resources, will have much better results for our species.
Brian wrote at 8/9/2016 3:59:19 PM:
Good article!
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