Soon, you’ll be able to custom order a new gun, with parts manufactured on demand and to your specifications. The process is called additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3-D printing, and the particular technology is direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). I’ve seen prototypes of 3-D printed receivers with integrated, specialized optics mounts. 

To be sure, much has been made about the home printing of firearms, but industry is held to a much higher standard. While complete weapons are still under development, the 3-D printing of suppressors is in full production and has been for the past few years. This has kicked into even higher gear with NFA wait times significantly reduced. 

While the title of this article specifically calls out the firearms industry, the reality is that additive manufacturing is revolutionizing almost every industry. For example, it’s also used in the automotive and aerospace industries, where the advantages are resulting in more complex designs capable of higher performance and lower weights. New uses for 3-D printing are developed every day and quickly implemented because it doesn’t require special tooling. 

While the U.S. is currently suffering from a labor shortage, the transition to 3-D production hasn’t been to replace workers. Instead, 3-D printing offers the ability to produce intricate designs which traditional machine tools are incapable of replicating. In the case of suppressors, the tube, baffles, and end caps are printed as one piece so no more welds. 

If you can dream it in a Computer Aided Design environment, it can be printed. This isn’t the case with traditional manufacturing. I’m told that as designers begin to embrace the capabilities of additive manufacturing, they approach design from different directions than they would have in the past. 

You’d think that transitioning to additive manufacturing would be expensive, but it’s actually less expensive to purchase a printer than a new 5-axis machine. 

Instead of billets, forgings and extrusions, additive manufacturing uses powdered metal. So far, titanium and Inconel are being used for suppressors. Both of these materials are difficult to machine, resulting in excessive wear on tooling which requires frequent sharpening and replacement. But with DMLS, the powder is superheated by a laser and laid, layer upon layer, precisely where it is needed. This heating is akin to welding with seamless bonds. The printed item essentially grows over several hours, printed from the bottom up. Since the powder is as thin as 0.0008-inch, designs are extremely precise. 

DMLS printers are capable of producing multiple parts at the same time. I made a recent visit to Switzerland, where B&T AG showed me this plate that had been printed overnight at their factory. It depicts 36 suppressors, all manufactured at the same time and each with slightly different features — which means that a production line can truly build on-demand and not have to retool each time it runs a different product. When the printer is finished running, the parts are cut from the plate at their base and the plate is planed smooth for the next job. 

The limits to additive manufacturing are the size and number of printers available. Most manufacturers are running their printers 24/7 because they can be set up and will run on their own until completion. The operator only needs to monitor the process, ensure ample powder is available for the job, and remove and set new plates for the next run. 

The parts are then taken for finishing, which may include heat treating, threading for attachment systems, coating, and wire Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) to clean up edges and the bore (in the case of a suppressor).

While I’ve mentioned metal sintering, most people are familiar with 3-D printing using plastic filament. In addition to the small printers for hobbyists, many companies use larger, industrial printers to produce prototypes as well as production-quality parts. Often discernible by the lines produced as each layer is added to the item as it is printed, new industrial machines are so good that you can tell their products from those which are injection-molded. Once again, the 3-D printer can manufacture parts that are impossible via injection molding due to the process of bottom-up printing. 

Another advantage of additive manufacturing is that it can be used to produce replacement parts when none exist in the supply chain. The U.S. Navy has been doing this for several years on older ships with parts that are difficult to come by. Earlier I mentioned that the printers use CAD models. In the event one doesn’t exist, an old part can be scanned and a CAD model derived from that, or a model can be produced from measurements, which is more time-consuming. Viewing the CAD model in 3-D helps to visualize the part and its interaction with a fully finished good, but it also allows for performance modeling using other software. In this case, a designer can determine how a suppressor will perform against the attributes desired, such as sound and visual signature, particulate blowback, and how it will affect a projectile. 

Conversely, because parts can be printed when needed, there’s less need to maintain a large inventory of spare parts, which results in lower costs for warehouse space and operating capital being applied where it is most needed. 

Chances are good that if you purchase a new suppressor, it was 3-D printed. Overall, additive manufacturing is increasing quality and lowering manufacturing costs. It will continue to develop and will become ubiquitous not only in the manufacturing the firearms and accessories you rely upon, but in every aspect of your life.