March 27, 2015 11:55 AM EDT
3-D printing hobbyists have managed to print up a functioning Colt CM901 assault rifle, what’s said to be the heaviest caliber rifle to ever roll off the presses of a 3-D printer.
Hobbyists at PrintedFirearm.com posted an animated GIF of the 3-D printed rifle firing off several rounds at a shooting range, according to military blog War Is Boring.
The CM901 fires 7.62 mm rounds, a heavier caliber bullet than that of the AR-15. The gun also recoils with greater force, requiring gunsmiths to print up sturdier plastic parts that can withstand the stresses of multiple rounds. After a period of trial and error, the team claims the CM901 can fire off several rounds “with little to no issues.”
And the most unsettling part: the rifle can be printed using a $500 Da Vinci 3-D printer. That’s a bargain compared with the first 3-D printed firearm, which first rolled off of an $8,000 printer in 2013.
In other words, hobbyists in the 3-D printed arms race, for better or worse, are getting more bang for their buck.
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