Dude, those metal “printers” cost roughly one million dollars. You’re talking about major manufacturing technology. If the fact that mass producing manufacturing technology exists that allows people to reproduce exact parts (ie industrializiation) is news to you, then I’d like to introduce you to cell phones and the interwebs. Seriously, I mentioned in my first post on this topic (not even sure if it’s in this thread) that 3D metal printing was already a reality and had been for decades, but at that point, due to the nature of metal, you’re talking massive amounts of cash and worrying about people building factories. What annoys me the most also, is that yes, 3D printers may be news for you guys, but CAD design and 3D drafting has been around for decades. That’s how manufacturing is done! I’ve got a kayaking friend making $120k a year doing CNC machine work HS degree. Again, this stuff has been around for ages, but now all of the sudden people are freaking out like CNC is some new industry invented in 2012. I also don’t understand your point how an exact replica of a shit heap plastic throw away gun that may or may not blow your arm off built with a $12,000 printer is in any way a game changer over home building a 22 or 380 pistol out of copper tubing, a bicyicyle tube, and a nail that will actually work for $20.
Ok, so to analogize to another technology, computers in the 60s were massive and expensive. In the private sector they were principally used as company mainframes and cost millions of dollars. Then in the late 60s/early 70s the microchip came along and computers became small enough to actually fit in a normal sized room. However they were still far too large and expensive to be used in peoples homes. Well, somebody developed the microprocessor and in the '70s the first personal computers were available. The first PCs were expensive and could do very little, much like today’s 3d printers. We know what happened over the following 40 years.
To me, 3D printing in the home and small office is a major development. The printers are going to get better. New devices like this do not come along frequently. Unlike a Keurig or some other niche device, cheap 3D printing will have many applications most of which we cannot predict. Lastly, just because 3D printing is and has been expensive does not mean that will be the case forever. BS is basically looking at the past and assuming that is the future, and he’s not even a quant 
Ironic that you’re entire argument was built on a historical example. This is the sort of logic I’m dealing with.
What do you think is going to change that will cause similar shifts in the 3D printing market? Like I said, CNC and such (metal 3D printing) have been around since the 80’s with no progression in cost reduction like what you’re stating simply because working with metal requries machine characteristics that are fundamentally and will always be fundamentally expensive.
Do you think our understanding of plastics and plastic molding is infantile and likely to change? Where do you see this cost reduction and product improvement coming from? Or are you just making assumptions about technologies and firearms (two things you haven’t really offered any specific knowledge on).
Yeah, it’s tough to analogize to the future. I mean, I could analogize to fiction and say"3D printing is like the first cylon, there was only one, but then…" but it wouldn’t really be at all credible. Thought that would be obvious.
Have to run, but to post a major development quickly:
“A proof-of-principle project at the University of Glasgow, UK, in 2012 showed that it is possible to use 3D printing techniques to create chemical compounds, including new ones. They first concept printed chemical reaction vessels, then use the printer to squirt reactants into them as “chemical inks” which would then react.[38] They have produced new compounds to verify the validity of the process, but have not pursued anything with a particular application.[38] They used the Fab@Home open source printer, at a reported cost ofUS$2,000. Cornell Creative Machines Lab has confirmed that it is possible to produce customized food with 3D Hydrocolloid Printing.[54]”
I can’t wait to start printing authentic Philly cheesesteaks at home.
Even Zero Hedge is covering this. Yeah, this is obviously not a good thing.
I need to patent a 3d image capture device for body parts. Pretty sure people are going to scan their junk and make 3d print replicas at some point. Have to be down there on day 1.
Or computer viruses that instruct the printer to print out sarin gas ingredients when the microphone recognizes your voiceprint.
Possibilities are endless. I’d probably just print spatulas and spoons.
^ You are one kinky bastard!
^hehe… 8)… the spatula is safe and user friendly…
stayed with a good girl the other night… and we were listening to ol’ classic rock like Marshall Tucker…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCXQycyN_Vs
…well, she just ended up passing out on the bed, and snored a lot…
I made sure she was warm, and just read some sci-fi…
in the morn’ she says 'I drank too much… I was a bad girl…"
I says with whatever smile I could muster, "bad girl… hehehe’… the I slept for a few hours after she left…