Print at YOUR OWN RISK, Neither the creator of this object nor thingiverse.com is responsible for anything that happens because you printed this object!
UPDATE UPDATE (updated 7-Oct-2011 by KingLudd)
Please see:
blog.thingiverse.com/2011/10/03/deadly-weapons-on-thingiverse/
UPDATE
It is clear that the answer to King Ludd's question "Is it OK to post functional weapons and weapon components to Thingiverse" is a resounding YES! Thingiverse's operators broke their silence on the whole weapon issue only to make one smug and irrelevant remark here:
thingiverse.com/thing:11730
Of course, this was after they proudly sent two recent weapon-related links over to their friends at boingboing.
King Ludd's only humble request of Thingiverse is that they remove item 5 from the Guidelines on the upload page. Item 5 states "Please don't upload weapons. The world has plenty of weapons already." The actions and official policy of Thingiverse are in clear contradiction to this line item. This self-contradictory message serves only to confuse users and foment conflict between those that like weapons and those that do not.
If Thingiverse is happy to host weapons, and it is clear that they are, then they should have the decency to present a consistent message to that effect.
With that out of the way, King Ludd would like to say that he is really happy he posted this file. It is something he has been thinking about since crank posted his magazine follower way back when:
thingiverse.com/thing:6646
The Ludd has learned a lot from the many (seemingly well-informed) responses.
Favorite new thing he has learned about? This AR-15 Lower Receiver milled out of a plastic cutting board:
youtube.com/watch?v=3chSzLxPuzU
King Ludd is looking forward to seeing the first 3D printed AR Lower in action! Bonus points if you design it in openscad, and please post videos from the firing range!!!
CREDIT FOR SOURCE FILE
The source file came to King Ludd in a torrent package that contained much firearms related material. The source filename is ar15lwrmach_asm.igs and the author was not attributed. It was converted to STL by King Ludd. After comparing the source igs file to the AR lower found on cncguns, it is clear that while the filename and size are slightly different, the solid geometry is identical, so all credit should go to the good folks at
cncguns.com. Please visit them if you are interested:
cncguns.com/downloads.html
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For those unfamiliar with the American cult-of-the-firearm, an AR-15 is a popular semi-automatic rifle that can easily be purchased by well-behaved citizens in the United States. Enthusiasts are drawn to it because it is nicely engineered, reliable, versatile, highly modular, and good for many legitimate civilian uses.
The Lower Receiver is the frame that holds together all the other pieces of the firearm. In the States, all the other pieces can be purchased without a permit - over the counter or through the post. The Lower Receiver is the only part which requires a background check or any other kind of paperwork before purchase.
Typically this part is made of aluminium. A rifle with a Lower Receiver made of plastic can be perfectly functional.
King Ludd is posting this part as a response to all the people claiming that crank's nicely done AR magazine over here is harmless:
thingiverse.com/thing:11636
If it is OK to post a magazine, is it also OK to post a Lower Receiver? After all, it is just a hunk of plastic, right?
What about the other components? What about a high-capacity magazine? What about parts for a full-auto conversion? At what point does Thingiverse classify something as a weapon? Personally, King Ludd does not care where the line is drawn, but he thinks it would be nice if Thingiverse clarified where that line is.
Please enjoy the file. Do not attempt to make this part unless you are certain you are not breaking the law.
