Review: illegal 3D Printed Guns in Europe by Popular Front (video)

 

Screenshot from youtube video cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

 

The 26 minute video is an interview by Jake Hanrahan of the Popular Front, and a demonstration of the FGC-9. The video is on the way to becoming one of his more popular productions. As of November 23, 2020, it had  over 70,000 views, basically in the first day.

The video starts with commentators obsessing over "ghost guns" in the United States. This may be clever editing to keep Youtube censors off the track.  The concern over untraceable guns in the United States is ludicrous. There are hundreds of millions of untraceable guns in the United States already.

 Link to video on youtube

The premise of the video is an interview with JStark1809, the primary designer of the 3D printed FGC-9 semi-automatic 9mm pistol/carbine.

The interview was conducted at some point in Europe: JStark1809 agreed to an interview with Jake Hanrana of Popular Front.  From Popular Front:

Popular Front is conflict journalism done differently. We report on the parts of war big media rarely acknowledges, and talk to people they'll never find. We don't have corporate bugmen trying to dictate what we do either. This is all independent, funded by members through subscriptions and sponsorship. 

Popular Front is detailed, niche, and for everyone. You don't need a PhD or an invite to a journo dinner party to be in on this. We do serious work, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. We want no frills, and no elitism.

The video shows a workshop which may be in an apartment, but could be in nearly any occupied space.  Reloading equipment is shown set up on a work table. Perhaps it was set ups specifically for the interview. For security purposes, that would be prudent.

Much of the interview is explaining how JStark1809 worked to create a self sustaining, distributed network to create and distribute information on how to print and assemble practical, self made firearms. The Internet was the primary means to gather and use the  information. 

Some time is spent on how difficult it would be to stop this distributed, anonymous information sharing network.

The central point is anyone with a few hundred dollars, starting with very little skill and one and a half to two weeks of work, can make the FGC-9 in a bedroom.

Hanrahan  says the technology is incredibly dangerous.  The United States stands as a counter-example.

JStark1809 says he is willing to give up a little security for a lot more freedom. 

JStark1809 says he stands for Freedom of Speech and the right to keep and bear arms.

The scene then moves to a place deep in a forest. A suppressed FGC-9 is fired repeatedly to show the effectiveness of the semi-auto design.

Hanrahan tries to make the point that power should not be had by the wrong people. Who decides who the wrong people are? Keeping guns away from most people, to attempt to keep them from some, has not worked. 

Access to guns has not increased crime in the United States, or in Switzerland. Removing easy access to guns has not reduced murder rates in Europe, India, Brazil, or elsewhere. One of the commenters at the site states the argument succinctly. From the comments: 

The argument isn't, and has never been, about whether people should have guns or not, that pandora's box was opened long ago. It's about WHICH people should have guns and in that case, the only just answer is everyone.

In the United States, suppressors are tightly controlled. In much of the rest of the world, they are not. A suppressor is shown and used on the FGC-9.

Some comments about the suppressor on the FGC-9:

Asking where he got the suppressor but not where he got the gun components? Just follow the thought process to its logical conclusion.

 

Most suppressors are perfectly legal in Europe. You can buy them with no paperwork even in the police state called the UK.

 

(snip)

 

same here in NZ, even after the new asinine gun laws. The assumption is that you already legally own the gun you’re attaching it to, so there’s no reason to restrict them.

Suppressors can be made on 3D printers. Most of the ones I have seen have been for .22 rimfire. 9mm suppressors could be 3D printed, but might require a hybrid technology similar to the FGC-9 design to last for very long. 

Firearms are 500 year old technology. People have been making their own as long as firearms have existed. 

The FGC-9 is an example of the futility of attempting to keep firearms away from someone who is determined to have them. 

The video is worth watching to see the FGC-9 in action, and to see a European's distrust of ordinary people having access to common firearms. 

©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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