Issue #4: PEN15 Launcher, Printable MP-40, TURD Super Safety
Celebrate Independence Day with launchers and full semi-auto!
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In today’s issue:
Help Us Rebuild:
Opening with some quick news about us: our Twitter / X account was suspended earlier last week.
We will rebuild - we have recreated two shiny new accounts:
A new account for 3D Print Freedom, now rebranded slightly to 3D2A: link
A second account specifically for the Guncad Digest: link
Could you please do us a major solid and follow both accounts? Thank you!
New Releases:
In this section, we cover new file releases that we find notable. If something catches your interest, go download and start printing!
Join the PEN15 Club - 15mm Summer is Here
The fantastic Printgunner, in partnership with AWCY, has released the much-anticipated PEN15 launcher! This 15mm “pen-gun” style launcher is the first novel 15mm design since the Captain America, and it’s a doozy.
The launcher itself has several different barrel options (including triple-shot and suppressed), a “nutsack” grip option with ammo storage, and even an underbarrel mount. See more details in the trailer, including triple-shot footage!
This said, I’m even more excited about the bundled 15mm Handbook, containing guides for making all sorts of 15mm shells, including bangers, flare rounds, smoke rounds, whistlers and more. Recipes and advice is provided for making all these mixtures and more, which is something I’ve wanted to see for literally years. Well done guys, well done.
Kits are available at Printgunner’s webstore! This is a dev that particularly deserves your support.
15mm is shaping up to be the new hotness this season. The firecracker-sized rounds print super fast so you can make a lot of them, and you can get surprisingly good performance from them. Get printing and join 15mm Summer!
Mini Breacher Release
New from Unseenkiller is the Mini Breacher, a cute little handheld Geneva Breacher launcher, meaning that it loads from a swing-out cylinder. Despite being mini, it still offers support for 26.5mm, 37mm and 40mm calibers.
It utilizes almost the exact same BOM as the original Geneva Breacher, so if you’ve got one of those kits laying around, it should work here as well. As can be seen in the pic above, it can be built as both a handheld launcher or as an underbarrel attachment for a rifle.
Unseen describes impressive testing results in his documentation, and on an all-PLA (no metal breech face) build at that. Good work guys!
KungPow33 Printable Tokarev
Fresh from the Gatalog comes the KungPow33, a printable frame for “Tokarev TT-33 style” parts kits. The “style” here is perhaps important - specific compatibility mentioned in the documentation is for the Norinco Types 54 and 213, and Zastava M57. It’s unclear to me if an actual original TT-33 parts kit will work with this frame, but if you have such a kit, you probably shouldn’t be wasting it on a 3D printed gun.
As with almost all 3D printed pistols, rails are required, which are available from Riptide.
It’s neat to see the first Tokarev work since 2020’s Nautilus - which, interestingly, is the earliest example of the “pistol frame on a PDW body” I’m aware of in guncad, an approach famously used later on the 3011.
Ergo-48 with PY2A Rails
The prolific Unseenkiller gets a second mention in this issue with his latest release in the Ergo series, this time supporting Glock 48. It is perhaps correct to describe this as a remix of PY2A’s Glock 48, utilizing the same PY2A rails.
Also included is an Unseenkiller remix of DannyMeatball’s printable Glock 48 magazine!
Updates:
New for Issue #4, in this section we will mention updates to major releases - fixes, new variants, etc.
REBEL-9 Update - Improved Feeding
The fantastic REBEL-9 was released back in March, but developer ImmortalRevolt has continued to make tweaks and improvements post-launch. The latest version (1.1) is an important one: it adjusts the magazine and feedramp position slightly to dramatically improve feeding performance.
This update requires reprinting the lower and upper, as well as the magazine follower. It also slightly modifies the ejector. We have updated our Machined Small Parts Bundle to contain this new ejector.
I’ll admit that I’ve long had feeding issues in my personal REBEL-9. This release seems to have cured it entirely. Major thanks to ImmortalRevolt for his tireless efforts!
Left-Handed VolkStubbsGewehr
An update that apparently somebody asked for, the VSG now has a left-handed version for all the southpaws out there.
Actually, this update was apparently released in March, but as of June several improvements applied to the original VSG have been backported to its left-handed cousin.
Good news, it uses the same BOM as a normal VSG, so our kits will work just fine for this version!
Nameless 26.5 v1.2.5 (Stock Update)
The great DannyMeatball continues to iterate on his Nameless launchers. Some time ago he replaced the receiver with a new version to support a better trigger, and with this v1.2.5 update he adds a locking stock onto this new receiver.
Thank you for your diligence as always Danny!
New Betas:
In this section we round up recently opened betas. Help support development by joining these betas and testing!
SMP40 Beta Live - Printable MP40
Our friend Stubbs seems determined to reproduce the entire Wehrmacht armory. His latest contribution is the SMP40, which uses an AR9 barrel and bolt and is fed by Colt / Uzi mags. These are housed within a Sten-like pipe receiver with custom cutouts, a common Stubbs technique.
After getting successful first shots, the beta is now open and can be joined by contacting either ModeratorGage or Stubbs (aka “the_gun_foogle”) on Black Lotus Foundation’s Element server!
And yes, we will have kits for these on launch.
Trigger Usage Reset Device (TURD) - Novel Drop-In “Fully Semi-Automatic” Device
From developer Kabuto Firearms comes the “Trigger Usage Reset Device”, a drop-in system for unmodified AR-15s and AR9s. The system appears to be a novel design, derivative of neither existing FRT designs or Super Safeties.
The basis of the design is a two-piece cam-and-lever system which, unless I am mistaken, simply drops onto the top of the selector and is held in place by its own geometry - no mounting pins required.
When the selector is turned to allow the CAM to move, the lever pushes down on the CAM during recoil operation to force the trigger to reset. Using this with a standard two-position AR selector will force “fully semi-automatic” functionality in semi-mode, but this release also provides a printable three-position selector (safe, semi, “fully semiauto”).
This is a true alpha - no documentation is provided beyond a (high quality) video showing intended operation, and it is clear that many optimizations remain to mitigate rapid wear and other issues. This said, initial testers are reporting success!
This is a fascinating new concept and I encourage readers to download the design and test it out. Give good feedback so we can bring this to launch!
Coming Soon:
This section lists announcements or previews for projects that have not yet hit open beta. Keep an eye out for further news about these projects!
MBAR / MPAC Bullpup Firearms
While the FOSSCAD community is home to a significant amount of DIY firearm production, it’s certainly not the only place this work is being performed. /r/gunnitrust is another place to keep an eye on, for projects such as this.
From developer johngalt42069, the MBAR and MPAR are distinct but related bullpup firearm designs. The MBAR is intended for intermediate calibers and uses AR bolts and barrels; it also uses several custom machined parts and is not intended to be DIY’d.
On the other hand, its cousin the MPAC is intended to be open source and DIYable. This version is chambered in pistol calibers and is advertised as being roller-delayed!
The “M” in both names stands for “modular”. As can be seen in the photo, several parts are interchangeable, and both platforms are multicaliber.
Neither of these projects have reached release status, but the developer is posting regular updates. Check out his Linktree to find where you can follow him. I will be following this with interest!
Update: an earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the MPAC as “MPAR”, and failed to mention the multicaliber aspect of this design. This has been corrected.
5.7 Mac That Looks Like A Mac
A post on Reddit recently teased a Mac design from Unseenkiller. The excitement around it seems to focus on the fact that it is chambered in 5.7x28mm, which is of course cool - but I’m far more interested in the fact that it’s a Mac build that actually looks like a Mac (the first one since Swarmtech’s Scarab)!
Guncad being guncad, the post was followed shortly by a second one claiming that Unseen “stole” the design from AWCY, who has apparently been working on it since 2022.
The Guncad Digest takes no position on this drama, but we would like to suggest that there surely must be some point past which an unreleased design should be considered up for grabs. Is three years long enough?
News:
In this section we’ll review major news events either originating in the 3D2A space, or particularly pertinent to this space.
Guncad Index Goes Gold - 1.0.0 Release
I am happy to report that the Guncad Index has received another big update, and has reached the point where developer Shittinator considers it “out of beta!” Shittinator and others have put a tremendous amount of work into this website, and I wish to offer a hearty thanks and congratulations to him for his work.
What’s in the new release? Several things:
Autocomplete search suggestions (including suggested corrections for typos)
Integrating Odysee view / like count, to better track and sort file “popularity.”
Improved tagging and discovery (more on this below)
A facelift to improve the look and feel of the website
What’s next for Shittinator? There’s certainly more work and improvements coming on the Index itself, but there’s also work being done on other, related projects that will be revealed in time. Stay tuned!
Tag Your Odysee Uploads for Guncad Index
I felt like this deserved its own section. Guncad Index has always provided functionality to automatically discover and tag guncad releases, but this new release improves this functionality.
First, to assist with channel autodiscovery, the Index will now index any channel with any single release tagged with either “guncad” or “3d2a.” If you want your channel to appear in the index, all you have to do is tag one of your releases!
Second, the Index will pick up release tags from the release description, meaning that devs can help the Index by providing these tags automatically. Unseenkiller shows the way by adding a section to all his descriptions - see his latest release as an example.
One of the biggest values of the Index is to provide the ability to search and sort by these sorts of tags - developers, please start adding these tags to your descriptions!
Other Links:
This section will collect any other links I find interesting. These may be older designs I want to share, releases I find notable but don’t have much commentary on, or anything else that catches my eye.
A Sphynx remix, the RoboSphynx, has dropped. This is of course a visual clone of RoboCop’s Auto-9. Make sure to test it one-handed at your nearest indoor range!
FOSSCAD user Dry_Wolverine_6863 shows off a DIY P90-style magazine for .380ACP rounds. The P90 mag has always seemed very complex, so it’s quite impressive to see DIY versions. I’m excited to see how this could be used in gun builds!
A clean and classy toy rifle, the ER-15, has dropped at Thingiverse. This AR-style rifle uses “slingshot action” to launch printed projectiles. Seems like a great toy for the kiddos to get them familiar with the AR’s manual of arms. See it in action!
About the Guncad Digest:
Thank you for reading this issue of the Guncad Digest! Please send us your feedback and suggestions for improvements on the issue.
The Guncad Digest is sourced using the very excellent Guncad Index, from /r/fosscad, and from readers like you. If you know of a project you think should be featured, send it our way!
This issue was compiled and authored by Alyosha from 3D Print Freedom / 3D2A. We sell high quality parts kits for some of the best DIY guns available - if you’re looking for your next gun build, come check us out!