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3D printers never cease to amaze me. Both the technology and the people who are very passionate about it have found such ingenious ways to either alter or revive objects and mechanisms into completely new or restored items. Reddit user IvanTTroll has made a 3D printed Walther PPK frame which he is currently using as a proof of concept for a more aesthetic build somewhere down the road.
DIY Guns: Testing a 3D Printed Walther PPK 32ACP Frame
Ivan began this build with a Walther PPK parts kit. The frame isn’t exactly a perfect replica of an actual PPK frame but Ivan has a method to his madness. The reason it looks odd is because the original fire control mechanism apparently didn’t hold up inside the original plastic frame he printed for it.
In either a last ditch effort to salvage the project or in a stroke of genius (its hard to tell with 3D printers sometimes) Ivan took the design a bit further and converted the frame to take an AR-15 fire control group by using a cut down hammer.
DIY Guns: Testing a 3D Printed Walther PPK 32ACP Frame
The Project was printed using PLA+. PLA+ differs slightly from standard PLA printing filament in that it tends to have a better sufrace quality, nearly double the strength, better mechanical qualities and also tends to have better color quality. The frame in the video above has lasted 50 rounds so far and Ivan plans to continue using the frame until it breaks.
DIY Guns: Testing a 3D Printed Walther PPK 32ACP Frame
After this frame breaks he plans on refining the design and making it look more visually appealing. Ivan’s current built has wire-wrap reinforcement around the barrel mount and Ivan is hoping that it will last to at least 250 rounds. If that doesn’t work then Ivan thinks he can safely conclude that 3D printing won’t be a good choice for this project.
The particular kit Ivan started this project with is made from an original early-war Nazi PPK parts kit which means that the frame was destroyed by order of law and the rest of the gun was sold off as a parts or repair kit. So before any of you history buffs get cranky about someone modding a piece of history just know that Ivan’s build doesn’t require any of the original parts to be modified in any way and doesn’t push the parts beyond their design limits. Ivan, in my opinion is tastefully reusing parts from a historically significant gun in a modern setting.
