Issue 14: Universal Pistol Frame, Printed M249 Box Mag, Super Safety Patent Trolling
We're entering the holiday season! Here's some new designs for your printer
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===== BREAKING: FOSSCADTOO BANNED =====
Literally minutes before I made this post live, I received the news that /r/fosscadtoo had been banned.
At this time, /r/3D2A appears to survive. I have been contacted by a /r/fosscadtoo moderator and we are attempting to diagnose the situation.
Rather than delay this already late post even later, I am publishing now to “clear the decks” so I can do a proper writeup on the second loss of a major guncad subreddit.
Stand by for more.
New Releases:
In this section, we cover new file releases that we find notable. If something catches your interest, go download and start printing!
Tiny-11 Universal Micro Pistol Frame
Starting off strong with a new .380ACP pistol frame release from Black Lotus Coalition! The Tiny-11 started life as a frame for Sig P238 parts kits, but during course of development it was found that the frame was also compatible with several other .380ACP pistols, such as the Kimber Micro and the Springfield Arms 911.
How is this possible? It turns out that all these guns are based on the Colt Mustang, and they share enough dimensions to allow the creation of a printed frame that works for all of them. Hence, we call it with some level of seriousness a “Universal Micro Pistol Frame.”
Even more impressively, this release also contains a 9mm variant, compatible with both the Sig P938 and the Springfield Arms 911 (9mm version)! These two guns are independent Colt Mustang rescales, so you wouldn’t expect the dimensions to match as well, but they apparently do.
This is a very cool accomplishment! Major props to Black Lotus Coalition for this release, and to my boy Print-A-22 who collaborated on this release!
Unseenkiller Glock Reference Models
While the rest of us have been messing around with Black Friday, unseenkiller has been a busy boy (when is he not though)! His most notable release is the pictured Glock reference CAD, which contains accurate reference models for several internal Glock parts, including barrels, slides, magazines and many small parts.
To be clear, this is a major accomplishment, on par with the famous DD2 AR-15 reference model release. Hard as it may be to believe, the guncad community has not had standard reference models for Glock hardware - until now!
Unseen takes pains to note that this is not the final version and that these parts may still have some small inaccuracies. These will be corrected however, and when they are, we’ll update you here!
Fantastic work as always Unseen!
Riptide Nylaug CQC Handguards
Riptide Rails continues to innovate in the Nylaug space, introducing a quad rail handguard! Now you can strip your Nylaug’s charming 80’s aesthetic and make it look like every other modern tacticool rifle at the range.
joking, joking. In truth this is a very cool release. It consists of a printable handguard, linked above, and a series of machined aluminum pic rails, which can be purchased at Riptide’s store. Note that you’ll also need to get his aluminum top rail to complete this build!
The Nylaug platform continues to grow in popularity and I support anything that helps support that! Go grab one from Riptide and tell him I sent you!
Updates:
In this section we will mention updates to major releases - fixes, new variants, etc.
Clearing Confusion about SMP40 Receiver Cut Templates
By the numbers, the SMP40 is probably the most popular kit I sell. Since its release in October I’ve received several messages about a misalignment between the receiver cut template and the actual receiver cover - specifically related to the rear notch that the charging handle locks into when pulled back.
In the original release, the template had you cut the notch forward of the slot in the actual receiver cover. In this case, the template had it right - the receiver cover included in the release was a beta version, which had the slot located further back. Stubbs corrected this and updated his version.
As such, anyone having trouble with their build should download Stubbs’ version of the SMP40, in order to get the correct receiver cover. For some reason the BLC version of the upload hasn’t been corrected, but I’ve reached out to Gage to correct this.
Curiously, Stubbs uploaded the receiver cut template as an independent release (which inspired this writeup), but it’s not clear why he did this, given that the problem was with the receiver tube cover, not the cut template. Regardless, it’s there if you want it.
26.5mm / 37mm Updated Collection:
New Year’s is coming up, which means that everyone should be prepping their launcher loads! User flaccidfish has gathered every 37mm and 26.5mm shell design he could find into one megapack. It’s over 1.8GB in size!
I’m actually a fan of megapacks like this, but standard disclaimers apply - check the providence of any file you find in here. Was it originally released by someone reputable? Is there evidence of testing? Do they pass the smell test for safety?
Launchers are fun, but they’re likely more dangerous than your average 3DP design. Stay safe, guys!
New Betas:
In this section we round up recently opened betas. Help support development by joining these betas and testing!
PL-RAY Gun Enters Beta
That was fast! Last issue we described the PL-RAY Gun project from Black Lotus Coalition entering alpha; it’s now in beta! Interested parties can DM ImposterArms or ModeratorGage to join the beta.
What is this beautiful thing? It’s a single-shot .380ACP pistol using a liner hammer, electromagnetic sear and “hardware store friendly bolt action carrier.” What’s that all mean? Join the beta to find out!
M249-Style Box / Drum Beta from BasicCombat
You know what the problem is with the LIMA Six upper? Running out of ammo too quickly. Developer BasicCombat solves that problem with these printable magazines!
There’s two versions: a “box” style that mirrors an M249 box, and a “drum” style. The “box” style uses an M249-style dovetail adapter (which means you’ll need the right mount on your gun in some way) while the “drum” style has a dummy “magazine” that slots into your AR’s magwell.
In either case, these items are really just hollow boxes that hold a coiled up belt of .223, but they look damn cool and that’s what matters. If you’re one of the lucky ducks who got a Lima Six upper, join the beta and help test!
Printable LPVO Attachment Pack at Gatalog
Meanwhile at the Gatalog, the Arizona-themed tramshpamda (not to be confused with the Trash Panda lever-action AR) is working on a “3D printable red dot and LPVO mount.” Commercial LPVO mounts can go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars - a printable one won’t give you the same quality, but it’s better than nothing! Join the beta at the Gatalog.
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!
Pillager Chassis - Invader for TX22
It was only a matter of time until someone made a chassis for the TX22, wasn’t it? Developer SilentSubject9458 is working on just such a design, which he’s calling the Pillager. Imagine the feel of sending a magdump of .22 downrange with this baby…
SilentSubject tells me he thinks he’ll release it in the next few weeks, and is seeking ideas / feedback. Hit him up with your thoughts!
Printed TP9 by ArmThyRightHand and TitusArms
Staying in the realm of PDWs, Titus Arms and ArmThyRightHand are collaborating on this printed TP9 design!
You can watch the video in the link for all the details, but discussion in the comments helped clarify a few things. Titus does plan to sell these as completed firearms, but the design will also be released open source for anyone who wants to print it. It appears that it will be using TP9 parts, but Titus is planning on OEMing them, so perhaps you’ll be able to buy parts kits from him.
The video states that, at this time, Titus will only make SBR options - but since the design will be released open source, theoretically it could be remixed to incorporate a brace, or turned into a rifle length design! In any case, it’s cool, and I’m happy to see it.
NagLite and SK9: New Designs Coming from Not-A-Glock Dev
Developer Ju5t3nc4s3 of the Not-A-Glock fame has some new designs in the works! The first is the above-pictured NagLite, a flashlight-styled single-shot .22LR build that appears to use a carbon fiber tube for the “flashlight body”, and sports a neat push-button trigger design. Just like the NAG, Ju5t3nc4s3 describes this as fully DIY!
Less detailed but more interesting to me is the “S-K-9”, what appears to be a 9mm PCC design. Only a video has been released and there’s very little commentary, but this appears to be another fully DIY design, which will put it in very rare company indeed!
As always I’ll be watching these with great interest. Let’s see where they go!
News:
In this section we’ll review major news events either originating in the 3D2A space, or particularly pertinent to this space.
Rare Breed Buys TwinBros Provisional Super Safety Patent
Strange things are brewing related to the Super Safety. I’m still researching this, but I’ll write up what I know so far.
About two weeks ago Hoffman shared the above-pictured declaration by “Cameron Smith”, filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on Halloween 2025, in which Cameron claims to have invented the Super Safety. The same Cameron Smith filed an application for a patent on the Super Safety in December 2024, which remain pending.
Comments in the Twitter thread indicate that Cameron Smith is the real name of TwinBros, the proprietor of a now-defunct webstore that sold Super Safeties and other FRTs.
The Cameron Smith declaration includes a docket number indicating the involvement of the infamously litigious Rare Breed Triggers. This, plus possibly other undisclosed information, leads Hoffman to believe that this declaration was filed in support of a sale of Smith’s putative IP rights in the Super Safety to Rare Breed.
What would it mean for Rare Breed to actually possess the intellectual property rights to the Super Safety? They could then prosecute anybody who sells Super Safety parts, posts Super Safety plans online, or even makes a SS in their own home. To be clear, this hasn’t actually happened yet, so don’t go freaking out on me.
Challenging this putative outcome would require demonstrating that Rare Breed’s ownership (or Cameron Smith’s transfer) of the SS IP rights is invalid, and consensus seems to be that this won’t be difficult given the volume of prior art Hoffman is able to demonstrate. Still, the question on everyone’s lips is: how could we have prevented this?
Many note that Hoffman failed to take any action to clarify the status of the Super Safety when he first published it, neither patenting it, declaring a license, or formatting the release as an intentional dedication to the public domain.
The claim is that he should have done at least one of these things to prevent the IP rights from being potentially sniped from under him, but these are very different solution. Which is the right one? Would any of them have stopped this from happening?
A public domain dedication is complicated. As for a defensive patent, it’s worth noting that TwinBros himself claimed that he himself was going for a defensive patent to “protect” the SS from yet another patent troll.
I’m not convinced that any of these things are the solution, or that things like this even have a foolproof solution. Regardless, I intend to research this further and provide more information in future issues.
Until then, note that regardless of the legal status of the super safety, technologically it cannot be stopped. Even in the absolute worst case legal scenario described above, Rare Breed can’t literally stop people from privately making their own Super Safeties. This above all else was the original goal of the 3D printed gun - that this technology would always and forever be available, accessible, regardless of the law.
At least in this practical sense, the Super Safety is truly public domain.
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.
DB Firearms has recently dropped an aesthetic Glock 17 frame, the orientally-named Gurokku 17. Looks cool to me! The “B” in “DB” must stand for “based” (it does not, but it should.)
Have you seen the Atrius Forced Reset Selector? I’m pretty sure we mentioned it in a previous issue. It nominally works with a milspec AR FCG, but developer @blagotago has identified binding issues. He’s released a grinding jig to help reduce this binding. Identifying a problem and then solving it - this is the way!
Developer Crawdad has been releasing printable camo stencils since forever. These are cool, but haven’t you ever wanted to make your own? Now you can with the Camo Stencil Studio from 3DP2A Stuff! I shudder at the stuff you guys will make with this.
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/3D2A, 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!
Rarebreed continue to be massive douches