this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2025
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Summary

Americans are posting videos about 3D-printed guns on the Chinese video app RedNote, despite the content being illegal in China.

While some users are uncomfortable with the topic, others see it as an opportunity for cultural exchange.

The future of TikTok remains uncertain as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the ban.

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[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 45 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

3D printed guns are a meme. Most of them require parts of functional guns such as the barrels, And they require regular ammunition.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 27 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Electro chemical machining can make a barrel.

But, idk how any of what you said makes them a “meme”. You can buy a barrel online for cheap, also ammo, and I don’t have to go through a government check. That’s what a lot of these people want to avoid.

[–] scoobford@lemmy.zip 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In most countries, the barrel or other pressures bearing parts are the regulated piece. We are the weird ones for regulating receivers instead.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 0 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Well, the article references Americans, I’m American, so okay?

Europeans can also get guns mailed to their front door, are we just comparing gun laws?

[–] Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Europeans can also get guns mailed to their front door, are we just comparing gun laws?

I mean, there’s a lot of context surrounding licensing and pre-approval to get that mail order heater in Europe. Local laws vary, yadda yadda

And if you collect old guns and have a C&R license, you too can get guns delivered to your door in America.

[–] RaoulDook@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In the UK you can also purchase a pistol with bitcoin on the dark web and have it delivered to a train station locker, but that is not legal at all.

[–] Jumpingspiderman@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

This sounds interesting. Tell us more.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh yeah, 1000%. Also, with a C&R license, you’re not legally purchasing a “firearm”. It’s a curio or relic, but yeah, point still stands.

Also, none of that has anything to do with the discussion at hand, which was sorta my point.

[–] nerdyshades@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I have my 03-FFL, and "Curio & Relic" is a classification that firearms can fall into, defined as firearms manufactured 50-years or more ago. Legally, by definition, you are still purchasing a firearm. You've just had more background checks to bypass some of the rules in most states about transfers, if the firearm you are buying qualifies as a "Curio & Relic".

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] nerdyshades@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Reading my comment back makes it sound more dick-ish than I intended, my bad. You just happened to mention a special interest of mine that I know a lot about.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago

No worries dog. I was also tired of semantic battles at that point and also wasn’t having it, so also came off as a dick. I also have my 07 FFL and SOT, so, trust me, I get it, I was/am wrong. The correction is warranted. Just not at all the conversation I was trying to have lmao

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It mentions sending videos about them to China. Where most of those videos are useless because the parts and ammo are not sold there.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Okay so a lot of work to create the barrel, but the gun still takes 9mm ammunition. And if someone in China can get their hands on ammo they can get their hands on a gun.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago

Okay? I don’t know what you’re arguing here? 3D printed guns aren’t a meme. Some don’t require any regulated parts. I don’t care if the average Chinese person can or will get their hands on one. You can just say you didn’t know what you were talking about when you said 3d printed guns are a “meme”. It’s not that deep

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Electro chemical machining can make a barrel.

Yes, but that's not 3d printing any more.

It's a separate process requiring separate tools, materials and skills.

[–] Jumpingspiderman@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

But you can make anything with that additional process. SO it's going to be difficult for a government to lock down those additional processes.

[–] mycelium_underground@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I can make barrels and stuff like that on a milling machine and a lathe. Not just shitty parts but better than most big manufacturers put out. Government can't control manufacturing.

Still not 3d printing.

edit: Typo

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Barrels require rifling. It is fairly difficult to manually create the groove as it requires a lot of tooling. Not impossible. But not something people will do to create a single gun. Only the barrel would be more work than assembling the rest of the gun.

Purchased ammo and other parts are specific to the US. 3D printed guns give people the illusion that they can make the entire gun using a 3d printer and off the shelf consumer parts. But most 3d printed guns are made by buying all the required metal parts for guns and printing out the exterior.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world -3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, that is a lot of tooling and a lot of work.

[–] Hathaway@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago

It’s really not.

[–] nooneescapesthelaw@mander.xyz 2 points 2 weeks ago

All you need is a hydraulic tube for the barrel. to make the rifling you need some copper wire, electricity and water

[–] Jumpingspiderman@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

I'm thinking that an octagonal x-section barrel with a twist could be done by electro-machining.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago

The part you can easily print, however, is the receiver.

The receiver is the part that's legally a firearm. While I think it's neat I can customize my firearms, I do acknowledge that someone who is prohibited from owning a gun can very easily print a receiver and order the rest of the parts from Palmetto State Armory to get a perfectly-functional firearm without any background check being performed.

I also don't know the solution to the problem though. As 3D printing, desktop CNC, and other forms of DIY manufacturing improve in quality and decrease in price, it will be very hard to regulate home-brew weapons.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

You could print an entire functional gun if you only intend for it to be fired successfully once. And no shit they require ammo. Ammo is easier to source than filament for the 3D printer. I can't walk into a Walmart and buy printer filament; but I can get ammo.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

You can buy ammo in the US but not in China. Or virtually anywhere else in the world.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So it's just a meme in China is what you're getting at?

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world -3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

A meme anywhere in the world. Except for the US where guns are rampant.

3D printed anything implies not needing specialized parts to create said thing.

Heat set thread inserts are specialized parts, but in many many 3d models for printing.

That said your point still stands, I'm just being pedantic.

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Idk man when I was living abroad it was pretty easy to get a gun and a license for it in most places. The real difference is how long it takes to get the license — months to a year instead of a few days for the NCIS check.

Once you have the license, ammo was easy to purchase.

[–] demonmariner@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

Ammo is regulated in California. Requires a background check.

[–] lorty@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 weeks ago

Which you can get without the same screening process for buying an actual gun.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 0 points 2 weeks ago

I like my ghost guns intangible as well. /$