The topic of 3D-printed "ghost guns" has always been one of the highest-caliber discussions worldwide — both in and out of the United States, where gun ownership is chambered in the Constitution. Things are a bit different outside the U.S., as detailed in an interesting exposé in Bloomberg — ownership of guns is highly restricted in other countries, and their manufacturing, even more so. The write-up is interesting for anyone interested in 3D printing or guns, as it details the evolution of the concept and the people behind it.
The original 3D-printed gun design was the Liberator, a one-shot pistol that would likely crack after you shot it. However, as 3D printers and their respective materials advanced, the concept of printing a "ghost gun," as they're often called, reportedly isn't nearly as difficult as it was before. These days, a decent printer, filament, and an extra few metal components are the only requirements.
Evolving gun designs to fit the mold of 3D printing was necessary, and a key element was the now-popular FCG-9 carbine, which released on October 2020 by Jacob Duygu (aka JStark1809), a now-deceased German-Kurdish member of the Deterrence Dispensed online group. This design is chambered in 9 mm and obviates the need for any factory-made gun parts — employing fasteners and other small parts using the metric standard. The only tricky bit seems to be the barrel itself, though there are multiple well-documented ways to build it.
Other evolutionary or inspired-by designs popped up soon after, such as the Rogue 9 by Immortal Design, which can have a telescoping stock and needs even fewer tailor-made metal parts; or the FGC-9 Mk II Stingray, which adds a longer barrel and definitely looks like a Serious Gun (at least, to a layman). Perhaps the most interesting of these, though, is the Brazilian-designed Urutau, which was released in August 2024 by José Carioca (aka Joseph the Parrot).
The Urutau was designed in collaboration with U.S. gun enthusiasts, as Joseph purportedly never built one himself, relying on external testing and feeback to evolve the design. It's a bullpup design that's reportedly able to fire in full-auto in its latest revision, published very recently. Among other things, its documentation includes a guide on good OpSec practices and multiple ways to build the requisite steel parts. It's estimated that one of these costs just $150 to produce.
Bloomberg's article also delves into the political side of each of the gun designs and the people around them. Needless to say, although there's a common thread in the designers' and enthusiasts' reasons, the opinions on the respective approaches aren't as universal as one might think, particularly when profit is involved. It's quite an informative read and sheds light on the rather impressive evolution of firearm 3D printing and home manufacturing throughout the world.
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