An Overview of 3D Printed Polymer Frames for Firearms

America has always had a tradition of private gun manufacturing and ownership, and modern 3D-printed frames have made it even easier to produce quality weapons for target shooting, hunting, and self-defense. Polymer gun frames were initially welcomed skeptically into the American firearms family, but it didn’t take long for major manufacturers like Glock and Smith & Wesson to prove that lightweight resins were ready for use in low-stress gun parts. As technology advanced, the advent of additive manufacturing, commonly referred to as 3D printing, drew a lot of attention in the Second Amendment community as gun control initiatives seemed to increasingly target the rights and privacy of existing and would-be gun owners. It didn’t take long for firearms engineers and coding specialists to create a way for home gun makers to produce commercial-quality results in the comfort of their home workshop or garage.

How Can You Print A Firearm?

You can’t. At least not completely–not yet. Additive printers use thin polymer filaments to build a three-dimensional shape to precise design parameters according to the information coded into an attached computer. Files are widely available from reputable sources that act as schematic repositories for 3D printed frames, like Defense Distributed. 

This manufacturing process is perfect for frames because of the comparatively low pressures exerted on them when the gun is fired. The majority of the force is still funneled through a precision barrel to propel the bullet toward the target or back against the slide, bolt, or carrier group to expel the spent round and load a new cartridge into the chamber. Almost every polymer gun frame will need to be finished out with tools, quality metal parts, elbow grease, and skill before it actually becomes a gun that’s ready for use.

Why Would You Print a Firearm?

There are plenty of reasons people choose to make a gun for personal use in the privacy of their own home, and 3D-printed frames help them keep up with the designs and features available from commercially available models at their local gun stores.

• Privacy – Commercial gun purchases–and, in some jurisdictions, even private sales–are subject to an intrusive amount of paperwork that forces you to justify and verify why you wish to enjoy your Constitutional rights. This paperwork is judged remotely, sometimes by multiple agencies, with little explanation given if your rights are refused and a murky appeal process that allows even more scrutiny into the lives of law-abiding citizens. Making your own firearms for personal use is a legal way to handle your business while the government minds its own.
• Self Reliance – There is a satisfaction that comes with making something important to you and useful with your own two hands, and with 3D printed frames, you’re also joining a long American tradition of home gunsmithing. Whether you’re looking for bragging rights within your gun club or just the pride in a job well done, making your own polymer frame gun is a great way to find a new love for your shooting hobby.
• Familiarity – Building your weapon is a great way to get to know your gun from the inside out. 3D-printed frames let you build up from an unfinished piece of contoured polymer, working the materials and adding one part at a time until your gun is complete. This also gives you a unique opportunity to customize your firearm “on the factory floor” to get a shooting experience that can’t be matched with an off-the-shelf purchase at your local sporting goods store.

Using 3D-Printed Frames to Build a Gun

Polymer gun frames are easy to work with. Once your unfinished frame is in your hands, it’s time to get to work.

• Remove Excess Material and Drill Holes For Pins- 3D Printers are marvels of modern technology, but a little care and effort is required on the back end to clear the space for your barrel, clean up any selvage or sprues, and drill the holes for pins that will hold components in place. Tools kits and specialized jigs are available to help you finish out the receiver and make sure you get the precise fitment you want when every shot counts.
• Add Your Lower Receiver Parts – Lower receiver build kits for 3D-printed frames have everything you need to finish out your frame. This includes springs, pins, the magazine catch, and the trigger assembly. Once fully installed, you’ll have a functional lower receiver.
• Add The Slide and Barrel – Slides and barrels are inescapably metal, but that doesn’t mean they’re left out of the build process. Precision barrels are available to give you match-grade performance, and slides can be purchased pre-assembled or ready for assembly with a slide completion kit that includes your recoil spring and rod as well as the slide internals, like the extractor and striker assemblies. Once your slide and barrel are ready and on the frame, your gun is almost finished.
• Load and Go – Your 3D-printed frame pistol is now ready for precision optics, tactical lights, and other pistol accessories. Load up your magazine and head to the range.

Build Your Custom Gun With Quality Parts

Take your Second Amendment hobby to the next level by turning a 3D printed frame into a legal firearm for your personal use with quality parts you can count on to deliver round-after-round reliability at the range, in the field, or while on duty. We work with top aftermarket parts manufacturers to help you create a polymer frame gun you’ll be proud of. Sign up for our email list to get the top deals and new product announcements delivered to your inbox. Order your performance gun parts and accessories from JSD Supply today.