3-D printed trigger photo courtesy of 3DEO
Firearm companies harness cutting-edge technology to improve quality or reduce price. When it comes to the 3-D printing of metal gun parts, they accomplish both.
It’s no DIY affair, though. The printers used in the process are exotic-car expensive, require advanced programming and the part isn’t finished until subjected to temperatures rivaling today’s forecast at the gates of hell.
3DEO was established three years ago and specializes in 3-D printing of metal firearm components. “We shipped 30,000 pieces in 2018,” company president and co-founder Matt Sand said.
Editor’s Note: Business is growing fast and the company is expanding according to this company press release.
The company’s customers today include somewhere around two dozen gun manufacturers, most small- and medium-sized firms. Sand is careful not to drop names, although at least one handgun currently available includes six 3-D metal printed parts.
“This industry is our priority,” the Air Force veteran and gun owner said. “We definitely found a home here….despite being located in California.”
Think again if you’re a handy gun owner who enjoys DIY projects. First, the machines are huge, and each of the eight 3DEO has in house (with another 12 available) rival the girth of today’s CNC machines. They’re extremely expensive, too, so much so that versions capable of crafting big items are the exclusive realm of the aerospace and defense industries.
Complex Process
The process is also complex. “Metal 3-D printing is really comprised of many different technologies,” Sand said. It starts with a layer of metal powder, a proprietary binder goes atop, then the layer is cut precisely, and the steps are repeated until the part is complete. “One of our early projects was a bolt release for a well-known gun company,” he explained. “That was 55 layers.”
A special powder is then applied, and it goes into a large furnace to bake at close to 1,350 Fahrenheit—just short of full melting point. The average density of a finished 3DEO component is 99.5, versus the average metal injection molding (MIM) results of 95 or 96.
There’s also less wasted material and, “It’s 35 percent below the cost of CNC machining,” Sand said. Tolerances are “Plus or minus 4 thousandths, but we’re upgrading and we’ll be holding 2 thousandths of an inch. That’s on par with the best of MIM.”
Although it sounds painstakingly slow, the machines can churn out 1,000 items a day and because, “We’re able to lay down one layer at a time…we’re able to validate the quality of the part,” he said. “If there are problems, we’re able to ID them.”
Once the stainless-steel product is complete, it can get a mirror or matte finish, black nitriding, polishing or tumbling. Computers monitor the process and “From the beginning we had a PhD software engineer who has written custom programs for us,” Sand said.
A printing process has another advantage. Changes in shape or dimension can be made overnight, unlike the expense and delay when doing so with MIM.
Antique/Discontinued Part
When asked if his company is exploring the possibility of making small, discontinued and impossible-to-find gun parts for collectors Sand said, “Undoubtedly, as our system becomes more automated.”
“Imagine someone that has a relic Colt Paterson revolver handed down through his family that sadly had lost a trigger or cylinder…,” Doug Wicklund, senior curator at the NRA National Firearms Museum commented. “With a 3-D printer, a missing minor component could be replicated.”
Another Advantage
Daniel Defense and SIG Sauer have already harnessed 3-D metal printing’s power in their suppressors. The former’s DD Wave is a one-piece baffle and tube constructed with a nickel-based superalloy.
John Hollister, national commercial sales trainer for SIG Sauer, noted another advantage showcased in his company’s new metal-printed ModX lineup. “In our SRD9 and SRD45 suppressor we used a titanium tube, steel booster components and all of the baffles are manufactured from 17-4 stainless for strength,” he explained As a result, the weight of the SRD9 comes in at 12.9 ounces.
“The MODX-9/MODX-45 Suppressors (which harness the 3-D printing technology) use similar steel components—the pistons from the SRD9/SRD45 are forwards compatible with the MODX handgun suppressors—but we forgo the tube and all the baffles are manufactured from titanium,” Hollister said. “By eliminating the already light titanium tube and making the baffles titanium, the MODX-9 only weighs 8 ounces, or a little under 2/3 the weight of the SRD9. Everyone that picks the MODX suppressors up comments on how light they are.”
The demand for 3-D printing of metal gun parts is there, and expanding, according to the experts. Improved quality, reduced cost, lighter weight and a potentially reliable supply of hard-to-find small parts makes it hard to argue with that conclusion.