[zybler]

Right now I can understand why it's a gun control problem rather than a health care problem. But what about when one day 3D printer is everywhere? Printing of firearms would be made possible by high-quality 3D printer and it would be next to impossible to control. Just as it is impossible to control piracy. We have to deal with this problem, before it is deemed too late.

[tripa]

There's still a bit of time before we can print ammo. Gun control could evolve into ammo control.

[confusedNRA]

I don't mean to come off as insulting, but you do understand how incredibly easy it is to make your own ammo right?

Dye casting lead is peanuts, considering the low boiling point of lead makes for easy casts.

There is so much ammo already out there, new brass probably won't even need to be created, simply reusing all old brass that's out there would more than suffice for the needs of even a large squad.

So we have lead, and we have brass covered. Next is the explosive primer. That would probably be the weakest link in the chain, in that your average basement redneck won't be creating his own primer anytime soon, but it is possible. The problem is how little primer is actually needed per round; and you have guys that have put away in storage literally pounds of primer.

It might be possible, but I'm sure if it ever got to that point, it would be trivial to order primer online, just like how one can order not-quite-legal-drugs online and have them delivered right to your front door.

In this modern world, I don't think it is possible to regulate things like it used to be. Anyway, anything can happen, and thanks for reading.

[tripa]

I wrote that in a spirit of "put ingredients in the machine on one side, collect ammo on the other."

I just meant to say it's just as sensible to regulate ammo than it is to regulate guns, and (IMHO) easier. That doesn't mean home ammo is out of reach. Just like I don't think home-built guns are.

I admit not having considered it in as much detail as you did :-)

[dinkumthinkum]

That's a bit fantastic. Honestly, no disrespect to you, but it's an example of thinking that makes non-technical discussions on HN very odd. OK, if you had this magical 3D printer, probably we'd have Armageddon every other day. In fact, probably we'd only have them for a day because that's the day doomsday weapons would be created by anyone and everyone. I don't think we need to deal with that because it's just kind of crazy-talk. :)