Type Semi-automatic pistol Designer John Browning Produced 2013 | Place of origin United States Manufacturer Solid Concepts | |
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Designed 1911 (original design) / 2013 (3D printed version) | ||
The Solid Concepts 1911 DMLS is a 3D-printed version of the M1911 pistol. It was made public around November 2013 and was printed via the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) method. It was created by Solid Concepts. A Solid Concepts Browning M1911 replica fired more than 600 rounds without any apparent damage to the gun. The metal printer used to create the weapon cost between $500,000 to $1,000,000 at the time the gun was created as of November 2013. The first gun, version 1.0, is made up of 34 3D-printed 17-4 stainless steel components.
Contents
Specifications
It weighs 2.25 pounds (1.02 kg) when it is empty i.e is not filled with a magazine and the trigger pull weighs 5 pounds-force (22 N). The width is 1.3 inches (33 mm) wide. The sight radius is 6.4 inches (160 mm) and consists of a standard GI with a square notch rear. The ratio of the twist is 1:15.8; at 6=Lands 6=Grooves. The gun used Inconel 625 (a nickel-chromium alloy) material and stainless steel via the Direct Metal Laser Sintering method.
The Solid Concepts Browning M1911 replica, version 2.0, will be composed of 34 Inconel 625 components, (not including grips). The two carbon-fiber filled nylon 12 grips were also 3D printed. Unlike early 3D printed plastic guns, the barrel of the 1911 was rifled. None of the parts machined during production and assembly took less than seven minutes once the parts have been de-supported and cleaned.
Printer
The German EOSINT M270 Direct Metal 3D Printer printer used to create the weapon cost between $500,000 to $1,000,000 at the time the gun was created as of November 2013 and uses a commercial-grade power source. The printer requires argon and nitrogen gas
Capability and firing tests
According to Sky News, during the initial test Solid Concepts stated: "It functions beautifully. Our resident gun expert has fired 50 successful rounds and hit a few bull's eyes at over 30 yards (27.43 metres)". In subsequent tests it fired more than 600 rounds without any damage to the gun. The chamber can handle the pressure of more than 20,000 pounds per square inch (140,000 kPa) generated when the gun is fired. The Solid Concepts Pistol fired its 5000th round on 6 September 2014.