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How dangerous are 3D Printed Guns !!! ?

Harshith Mallya, a seasoned and very enthusiastic correspondent from “Yourstory.com” , while profiling on Altem Technologies posed me a question on possible darker side of the 3D Printing which led me to do some research and thinking 3D Printed Guns. It came as no surprise to me that the 3D Printed Guns & firearms would not be as effective as conventional one as the following BBC Video, based on the studies done by School of Engineering, Warwick University illustrates.
Even if one were successful in Printing a high quality gun on a high end Professional Additive Manufacturing System, They can be used only to fire a few bullets before it overheat and stop functioning. While this curbs the threat of 3D Printed firearms being used by extremists or perpetrators for any crime, the real danger is posed by teenagers, kids and rogue hobbyists who can easily download the 3D Printable design online and Print these stuff.

The more effective way to control would be ensure that these designs (3D Printable Gun designs) are not available online. Few of the websites have already stopped publishing these designs, but unfortunately there are quite a few unauthorized sources still persists..By the way, one can view the Yourstory.com coverage of Altem Technologies

http://yourstory.com/2014/12/altem-technologies-stratasys-dassault-systemes/