Does anyone know a formula to figure out how dense abs plastic would have to be to withstand the pressure of a 9mm round, I want to find out for sure if a silencer can be made with a 3d printer. Any Input would be helpful. I believe if the abs plastic is dense enough even a barrel can be made but i don't know the formulas to figure it out for sure.

kamilavalamp wrote:Does anyone know a formula to figure out how dense abs plastic would have to be to withstand the pressure of a 9mm round, I want to find out for sure if a silencer can be made with a 3d printer. Any Input would be helpful. I believe if the abs plastic is dense enough even a barrel can be made but i don't know the formulas to figure it out for sure.

No standard ABS wont handle it.

Why would want to half ass a suppressor with plastic, its quite a waste of a stamp since you can replace it.

Plastic barrel. Seriously?

I don't care if its half assed or not, I just wanna prove it can be done. Two friends of mine bet me that it couldn't and I wanna prove them wrong.

I imagine you could shoot one round through it. Whether or not you eat a bunch of plastic has yet to be seen....

Would have to be mega thick. Look up hoop and axial stress on a pipe or tube. Find the material properties on matweb.com

I would make stainless rings with threads and press fit them into the plastic to create a threaded tube. Then make caps with metal rings as well.

kamilavalamp wrote:I don't care if its half assed or not, I just wanna prove it can be done. Two friends of mine bet me that it couldn't and I wanna prove them wrong.

And you are willing to pay for a $200 tax stamp and 7 month wait to find out?

Tango2249 wrote:

kamilavalamp wrote:I don't care if its half assed or not, I just wanna prove it can be done. Two friends of mine bet me that it couldn't and I wanna prove them wrong.

And you are willing to pay for a $200 tax stamp and 7 month wait to find out?

Exactly my point.

Bendersquint wrote:

Tango2249 wrote:

kamilavalamp wrote:I don't care if its half assed or not, I just wanna prove it can be done. Two friends of mine bet me that it couldn't and I wanna prove them wrong.

And you are willing to pay for a $200 tax stamp and 7 month wait to find out?

Exactly my point.

If his bet was for more than $200 he stands to gain here.

People do stupid things from taking bets.

kamilavalamp wrote:Does anyone know a formula to figure out how dense abs plastic would have to be to withstand the pressure of a 9mm round, I want to find out for sure if a silencer can be made with a 3d printer. Any Input would be helpful. I believe if the abs plastic is dense enough even a barrel can be made but i don't know the formulas to figure it out for sure.

The pressure output from a 9MM round is available as are the breaking
limits of plastics. If you do not yet have the minimum level of mathematical
skills to use the data we heartily hope you refrain any experimentation
as we hate losing potentially long time members.

Do you not think that cost cutting manufactures would not be using plastics
if the the materials could take the stress? Read past articles on carbon fiber
suppressors, a material much stronger than the wide range of plastics.

Caption under a cartoon from a field manual on Claymore Mines so long ago:
"Which way does this arrow tell me to point this thing and should I remove the pin now
or later?"

Anecdotal reports over the years from LEOs have told of gang members, with the I.Q's
the outside temperature in Centigrade, using plastic milk cartons or soda bottles stuffed
with all sorts of crap.

One genius did supply the arresting officers
with much needed comic relief as they escorted him to the ER to remove
plastic shrapnel from his face and eyes naming him " 00-.5" - a half wit.

This response is made out of an initial respect that your question was sincerely asked.

In reprise, stay safe.

kamilavalamp wrote:Does anyone know a formula to figure out how dense abs plastic would have to be to withstand the pressure of a 9mm round, I want to find out for sure if a silencer can be made with a 3d printer. Any Input would be helpful.

okay, here goes:

don't bother.

Not only is ABS not made for higher temperatures but its middle of the road in terms of strength as far as plastics go.

You might get a Peek baffle to last a couple of shots but even that would be a great task in terms of R&D which you cannot do unless you are registered as a manufacturer.

I've seen a peek baffle set collapse after 10 shots of CCI standard velocity in a walther p22. I have a hard time believing ABS is going to withstand any 9mm shot

Ok guys you convinced me. 2 grand ain't worth getting myself mangled. Thanks for all the help.

Doesn't glock already make one and sells it in South Africa?

jnitti1014 wrote:Doesn't glock already make one and sells it in South Africa?

Not ABS, and only to last a mag or 2.

kamilavalamp wrote:Ok guys you convinced me. 2 grand ain't worth getting myself mangled. Thanks for all the help.

How much does a SOT cost? is it less than 2 grand?

I think your odds of success are good. 1" schedule 80 pipe can handle 630 PSI. There are youtube videos on how to make PVC silencers out of pipes rated to 300 PSI. You could easily get ahold of ABS tubes 2x as strong. Put a tube within a tube to build yourself a tank.

If you are using a printer you could probably make the pipe even thicker. Print up a dozen tubes and test half of them to the point of failure. Then wear a face & neck shield or use a string to pull the trigger when you test the silencer.

Bendersquint wrote:

jnitti1014 wrote:Doesn't glock already make one and sells it in South Africa?

Not ABS, and only to last a mag or 2.

but what fails?

guessing its baffle wear.

The problem is heat.

wacki wrote:

kamilavalamp wrote:Ok guys you convinced me. 2 grand ain't worth getting myself mangled. Thanks for all the help.

How much does a SOT cost? is it less than 2 grand?

I think your odds of success are good. 1" schedule 80 pipe can handle 630 PSI. There are youtube videos on how to make PVC silencers out of pipes rated to 300 PSI. You could easily get ahold of ABS tubes 2x as strong. Put a tube within a tube to build yourself a tank.

If you are using a printer you could probably make the pipe even thicker. Print up a dozen tubes and test half of them to the point of failure. Then wear a face & neck shield or use a string to pull the trigger when you test the silencer.

Muzzle pressure of 9mm are quite a bit higher than 630psi. May hold up for a couple rounds but would burst after.

Bendersquint wrote:Muzzle pressure of 9mm are quite a bit higher than 630psi. May hold up for a couple rounds but would burst after.

My gut says the pressure thing could be solved (short term) but I don't have the numbers needed to run the calcs. And yes I know the printed AR receivers had issues but I've seen high pressure tubing made out of all sorts of plastics.

As for heat.... 1 round an hour? :-p

Another issue..... I don't know how ABS fails. HDPE fails in threads/unraveling which is why they use it in pyrotechnics. PVC fails like shrapnel.

ABS tubes may be very dangerous (hint Lethal) when when exploding.

Emilio wrote:The problem is heat.

Just shoot the ice bullets
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119709/

Here's something that says a big fat no on .223 w/ ABS plastic

http://sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=573

Not without 1/2" thick walls anyway.

Bendersquint wrote:Plastic barrel. Seriously?

Bender, will this change your mind?



Full plan for 3D printing to be released soon:


http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenbe ... ium=social

If you can make a gun, then a silencer should be easy. Lifespan will be an issue but that's not going to be a big concern with those that are printing plastic cans.

The plastic from 3D printers is not fiber-reinforced like good injection molded plastic. So it can just shatter.

wacki wrote:

Bendersquint wrote:Plastic barrel. Seriously?

Bender, will this change your mind?



Full plan for 3D printing to be released soon:


http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenbe ... ium=social

No it doesn't change my mind.

You can do anything ONCE. If we were discussing something as an last ditch silencer then its doable only a couple rounds, that barrel I am sure would last 2 or 3 rounds tops.

Don’t know about Barrels but I have already made quite a few Cores using different Plastics (including ABS) and they work OK but last for few shots: The only one that is still “alive” is a MonoCore built out of PA220 (¿?). It’s already 120 shots and looks fine. 22LR not 9 mm, thick walls in MonoCore format. 90% of the tries gave up on the Blast due to heat so wonder if building a SS or Alu insert will help to last longer for some of them. I already have my first Celazole printed Cores. At finger touch, it looks like very, very strong.