DEFCAD Newsletter - Printable Bloop Tube, New FGC-9 Model and More
July 04, 2022
Happy Independence Day to all gun printers worldwide! Creating your own firearms is one of the most profound ways for free men to assert their independence, and the guncad community continues to supply fantastic designs for this purpose. In this newsletter we share several newly released designs, including a printable M79-esque signal launcher, a new FGC-9 variant that uses a 16” ecm’d barrel, new Invader PDWs, new Mac designs and a new printable firearm from Yoshitomo Imura.
NT79 - Printable Bloop Tube
Ready just in time for Independence Day is the latest launcher design from AWCY: the NT79! Clearly patterned off of the famous M79, this is a break-action single-shot 37mm signal launcher. Also included is a full collection of DIY 37mm rounds, including DIY chalk rounds, net rounds and more!
The DIY 37mm signal launcher relies on the divine coincidence that commonly available fenceposts have an inner diameter of almost exactly the right size for both commercial and DIY signal rounds. All signal launchers released so far - the Thump ‘n Grind, the GU-37, and now the NT79 - utilize a fencepost as the barrel. Beyond that, each one differs in its particular design: the TnG uses a swing-out chamber and is designed to mount under a rifle, and the GU37 is a break-action design meant to be attached to an AR upper. Now the NT79 appears as a dedicated break-action launcher not designed in some way to be attached to anything - again, clearly invoking the M79 aesthetics!
DIY signal launchers can, of course, use commercial rounds, but one of the most exciting aspects of this part of guncad is the plethora of DIY round designs, made for use with black powder. The NT79 release package includes what is likely the most up-to-date collection of these designs and this in itself is worth checking out.
There are a significant number - at least four, by my count - of 37mm signal launchers being worked on, and the NT79 is the first of these to reach release status. Expect to see the others arrive at other points over the summer!
FGC-9 Stingray - 100% DIY Rifle-Length Firearm
When first popularized in 2020, the ECM process for making barrels was designed for pistol lengths, but developers quickly started work on new techniques for rifle length or beyond. These techniques have matured to the point of viability, and the FGC-9 Stingray by Gatalog’s hotsauce, based of course on the original FGC-9 Mk2, is a platform designed for a 16” ECM barrel - one of the earliest, and possibly the first rifle-length 100% DIY firearms.
The updated ECM process by ImmortalRevolt (c0ld_d8rk_h8nd on Odysee) introduces several changes to the original process released by IvanTheTroll - perhaps most notably by pulling water through the barrel instead of pushing it through, which has been found to produce better results. It is this process that enables the creation of the DIY 16” barrel.
The Stingray has modified several pieces of the FGC-9 to support this rifle-length barrel, but it still manages to maintain significant backwards compatibility with earlier FGC-9 versions. Many parts kits pieces (like bolts) can be reused. All of this is detailed in a highly detailed set of documentation rivaling the length of the original FGC-9 build guide, a testament to the high documentation standards maintained by Gatalog.
DigitalNimbus Invader PDW v3 Release!
We covered DigitalNimbus’ Invader PDWsfor Glocks in a previous newsletter, and we are happy to revisit these designs for their v3 release! This is in fact not just one release, but six different PDW designs for the G17, G17L, G19, G19X, G20 and G34. These are improved in both form and function - if you’ve been waiting to build an Invader, now’s the time!
As noted in our initial PDW writeup, the Invader series is by far the most popular printable PDW design available today. A printable PDW attaches an aftermarket Glock barrel / slide / parts kit to a printable frame with several additional features, like a brace, a foregrip / mag carrier, a picatinny rail and more.
Prior to this release, DigitalNimbus’ G17 Invader had gone through at least two major iterations, and the G19 was on its first. These are brought up to the most recent standard with the v3 release, and the other platforms - the G20, the G34 - are introduced for the first time. Also included in the release packages are both the Menendez and DMB printable Glock magazines!
Profile 9 - New Imura PDW
Yoshitomo Imura is one of the earliest guncad developers, becoming active shortly after the release of the Liberator pistol in 2013. He remains active to this day and this month brings us another release, what he calls the Profile 9 PDW.
The Profile 9 is a 100% DIY firearm requiring only printed parts and parts purchased either from standard hardware stores or fabricated at home. It is listed as a PDW, which here means that it is a pistol-caliber carbine firing 9mm with a magazine size of 20 rounds.
Imura is developing his designs in Japan: in his own words, “this model is developed in the world's most unfavorable environment for gun activity, so operation cannot be guaranteed.” His intent with this release, then, is more to share ideas than to provide a proven operational platform. Proceed with this in mind if you choose to try to build this firearm.
New Macs in Different Calibers!
The Mac platform has been very popular in guncad, but up until now almost all Mac designs were 9mm. This month saw the release of two Mac designs in different calibers: the Mac22 Mk2 in .22LR, and the Big Mac in .45ACP which uses a Mac-10 upper / barrel.
The “Big Mac” by EggPrint is, to my knowledge, the first Mac-type printable firearm chambered in .45ACP. Its design is very similar to the classic Mac-11 type designs such as the Mac ‘n Cheese - it utilizes an optionally-braced chassis with an AR FCG and grip, and a separate magwell designed for use with Glock mags. The upper for this design is the Mac-10-style VMAC45, which may be a little easier to find than Velocity’s 9mm uppers - for now!
The Mac22 Mk2 by HulkHoganHH is now entering its second public beta phase - builders are encouraged to submit their feedback! Note that despite the Mac appellate this firearm is not a parts-kit replacement but a 100% DIY platform with a DIY bolt, DIY barrel and so on. As the renders show, this is a very cool looking gun! Coincidentally, Hogan has also nicknamed this design the “Big Mac”, but it is a separate design from EggPrint’s. Builders should read the included documentation very carefully before starting this build!
Printable Gun Parts
We’ll wrap this newsletter up by noting some recently-released accessories: from MiddletonMade comes the Apple Pie grip for AR-15s, providing a more aggressive grip angle than standard A2 grips, and from DannyMeatball comes the Triangle Stock System, a set of stocks and braces for AR and AK platforms!
MiddletonMade is the sort of designer who takes great care in his releases - every release is very carefully designed, tested, retested and refined until it is perfect. This feels to me to be the case with his Apple Pie grip. It comes in both standard and textured versions - Middleton recommends the textured version if printing in PLA+, but notes that the non-textured version is still plenty grippy if printed in more abrasive filaments, like nylon.
DannyMeatball’s triangle stock system, as the name implies, is not just a single stock, but a whole set of stocks and braces for the AR and AK platforms. Included here are fixed versions, folding versions, versions with cheek risers and more. This will allow you to customize your build as you see fit! If you’re looking for a solid stock for your rifle, aftermarket or 3D printed, definitely give this one a look.
If you count by number of sections, this has been our largest newsletter yet. This feels appropriate for the 4th of July, a holiday that is about nothing if not celebrating firearms, but it is also yet another indication of just how much the guncad community continues to grow - the new designs just keep coming, and show no sign of slowing. The DEFCAD newsletter will help you stay on top of these, so keep an eye out for our next issues, and remember that you can find all these designs and more on DEFCAD.
