3D-Printed Rifles Now Can Fire Even Bigger Bullets

March 27, 2015 11:55 AM EDT

3-D printing hobbyists have managed to print up a functioning Colt CM901 assault rifle, what’s said to be the heaviest caliber rifle to ever roll off the presses of a 3-D printer.

Hobbyists at PrintedFirearm.com posted an animated GIF of the 3-D printed rifle firing off several rounds at a shooting range, according to military blog War Is Boring.

The CM901 fires 7.62 mm rounds, a heavier caliber bullet than that of the AR-15. The gun also recoils with greater force, requiring gunsmiths to print up sturdier plastic parts that can withstand the stresses of multiple rounds. After a period of trial and error, the team claims the CM901 can fire off several rounds “with little to no issues.”

And the most unsettling part: the rifle can be printed using a $500 Da Vinci 3-D printer. That’s a bargain compared with the first 3-D printed firearm, which first rolled off of an $8,000 printer in 2013.

In other words, hobbyists in the 3-D printed arms race, for better or worse, are getting more bang for their buck.