The Role of 3D Printing in Gunsmithing

3D printing has taken gunsmithing by storm in three areas: additive manufacturing, replacing unavailable parts, and prototyping. 

Additive Manufacturing

Printing objects from plastic or inconel allows both economical small runs without jigs, molds, or fixtures, and making of forms that are not physically possible with subtractive machining. Polymer receivers and lowers are one area, inconel sound suppressors are another. While metal printers are extremely expensive, access to them can be rented. Especially with harder materials and more detailed forms, building up an object without wasting 90% of a forging as metal chips or dulling multiple cutters can be more economical, even with the high start-up cost. 

Replacing Unavailable Parts

More relevant to gunsmiths doing repairs or upgrades, parts replacement through printing becomes far more practical than trying to locate scarce objects or manufacture them in traditional ways. With metal, additional machining is sometimes necessary. With polymer parts, surface smoothing and cerakoting to make finish conform to the rest of the gun’s materials may be required. Examples of printed parts would be magazine release buttons, sights, muzzle devices, mag well inserts to allow more common magazines to be used, and many others. 

Prototyping

Prototyping actually benefits from the relative softness of printing polymers: they can be reshaped or fitted easily, and wear patterns may be observed in case of interference fit with other parts. By making one-off firearms, gun designers can test out functionality and ergonomics without breaking the bank. 3D printing is gradually becoming as common a manufacturing method as machining, with each method offering its own advantages. 

Written by: Oleg Volk, Firearms Photographer