3D Printed Shotgun Shells Now A Reality

Where 3D printers are concerned, two things are certain: prices are continuing to plummet, and people are going to continue creating some amazing stuff. Just yesterday, we talked about how a 3D printed splint was created to help save a baby's life, and I'm certain that won't be the last time we hear of such a thing. This past December, a 3D printer was used to create an exoskeleton for a little girl, which allowed her to regain use of normal movements, such as picking something up.

Of course, 3D printing can be used for fun and interesting things as well, such as creating an LP, a case for your smartphone, or, as we can now see, a shotgun slug.

The topic of 3D printed guns are nothing new, with Defense Distributed, creators of a blueprint for a 3D handgun, currently facing some serious conflict. With that gun, bullets aren't taken care of, but with this latest YouTube video from user Taofledermaus, it's clear that creating those would be no problem, either.

Equipped with a Mossberg 590 shotgun, three different 3D printed bullets were tested with, albeit one of them being a bit silly on purpose. The first two fired bullets looked like normal shells, both of different sizes. The first slug managed to go through a dart board and a jug behind it, while the second, despite hitting what looks to be a 2-inch thick board sideways, managed to go right on through.

While the bullets were created with the help of a 3D printer,some prep work still needs to be done. You still need a primer and a metal slug at the end in order to help keep the direction straight. Even with their designs, one bullet managed to spin until it reached its destination, although the internal design of the bullet wasn't solid (rather, it had a fine honeycomb-like design). Still, it's a very impressive proof-of-concept, and as we're only in the early days of 3D printing, there's no doubt that the formula is going to be perfected over time.