Brave New World

What you’re looking at here is apparently the world’s first printed firearm.  It may look a little odd, but that’s because it’s the receiver for an AR15 semiautomatic assault weapon with a pistol barrel attached.

The receiver and its various components were created on a 3D printer.  The barrel is actual metal: you still needs mills and lathes for those. At least this week.

It’s been test-fired.  Nothing blew up.

Have Blue details the creation of this prototype in a couple of posts.

In Conventions of War, I had Caroline Sula begin an insurrection by distributing electronic blueprints for firearms, suitable for creation in a home workshop, over the local version of the Internet.  And now . . . voila!

Along with other massive paradigm shifts that will be brought to our world by this new technology— imagine a kiosk in every village in the developing world that can create any tool— we’ll also have machines that will print our drugs for us, and lots of cheap firearms for anyone who wants them.

Printing drugs will allow local hobbyists to create the stuff that will get us high, and put both the cartels and the DEA out of business.  Will printed firearms result in more tyrants being overthrown, or more massacres like Aurora?  My guess is the answer Yes to both.

I’m hoping someone’s working on printed body armor . . .