FGC-9

FGC-9
Type	Semiautomatic carbine
Place of origin	Europe
Production history
Designer	JStark1809 of Deterrence Dispensed
Designed	2018–2020
Produced	2019–present
Specifications
Mass	2.1kg (4lb, 10oz) without magazine
Length	520 mm (20.5 in)
Barrel length	114 mm (4.5 in)
Cartridge	9x19 mm
Action	Closed bolt blowback action
Feed system	Glock magazine, including custom extended variants
Sights	Picatinny rail

The FGC-9 is a physible, 3D-printable semiautomatic pistol caliber carbine, first released in early 2020. Using the Shuty AP-9 by Derwood as the basis, the FGC-9 was designed and first manufactured by a pseudonymous European gun designer named JStark1809. The designer created the pistol with the self-imposed constraint that its creation would not require a single potentially regulated (according to E.U. laws) firearm part in order to enable people in countries with restrictive gun control to manufacture it. The weapon is a mix of fabricated 3D printed parts, easily manufactured metal pressure-bearing parts, and readily available springs, screws, nuts, and bolts. The total cost of production, assuming the user already owns a 3D printer, is less than USD$400. The FGC-9 is noted for its deep and thorough documentation, included in the release, which make construction and assembly fairly simple for anyone. The documentation has been translated into several other languages since it was first published.

The files for the firearm's manufacture are widely available across the internet, and as of October 2020, it has not run into specific legal issues, unlike Defense Distributed's Liberator Pistol.

As of December 2020, the Mk. 2 revision has been available for download. In addition to revising the building process to make it simpler and including materials for home production of steel barrels, the Mk. 2 design includes additional accessory attachment points, an integrated sling loop, and a new bolt designed to be both more reliable and easier to construct.

Etymology[]

The gun's name is an acronym for "Fuck Gun Control", with the "9" referencing its 9mm cartridge.^[1]

Origin[]

The FGC-9 was originally designed and manufactured between 2018 and 2020 by JStark1809, a pseudonymous European gun designer, with contributions from the "guerrilla 3D-gun file development group" Deterrence Dispensed, and was released on March 27th, 2020 by Deterrence Dispensed and JStark1809. The core mechanical design elements are based on an earlier 3D printable design, the Shuty AP-9 pistol by Derwood, with a multitude of mechanical, ergonomic and constructive changes and improvements having been done to the AP-9 foundation.^[2] The "Shuty" relies on several factory-made or extensively machined gun parts (like the barrel) in order to be completed. This poses a challenge to would-be builders in jurisdictions that regulate and restrict such components or those without access to a machining workshop. The gun is also influenced by Philip Luty's SMG designs.^[3]

Cross section of the FGC-9 design.

The FGC-9 eliminates the need for factory-made gun parts or reliance on the advanced fabrication skills of the maker. The FGC-9 is designed with Europeans in mind; fasteners and build materials use the metric standard and are available from hardware stores. The magazine can be 3D printed, and the entire design works without needing any regulated, commercial gun parts. The FGC-9's barrel can be completed in several ways, including the easily adopted method of electrochemical machining.^[4][5] The electrochemical rifling process was pioneered by designer "Jeffrod" and later refined by "Ivan The Troll". These simplifying factors, as well as JStark1809's detailed instructions on how to build the weapon, make building an FGC-9 simply attainable for users unfamiliar with firearm manufacturing.

Mark II[]

An extensively updated design, the Mk. II was first announced on October 23, 2020 by En Bloc Press. Designer JStark1809 produced the MkII with help from designers "3socksandcrocs" and "Ivan the Troll".^[3] It was released on April 16th, 2021 on Odysee by user "The Gatalog".^[6] The updated weapon uses a H&K MP5 style charging handle, an improved electro-chemical machining process to make the barrel, and some ergonomic improvements as well. The release was the final package in a string of multiple smaller releases, which included the improved barrel ECMv2.0 process, and the Menendez Mag v2.0, and the Common Sense Fire Control Group AR-15 printable trigger, all created by Ivan The Troll in preparation for the FGC-9 MkII release.^[7]

Materials[]

Unassembled components of the FGC-9

The upper and lower receivers of the FGC-9 are fully 3D-printed, as are the pistol grip and stock. The structure of the magazine, based on the Glock magazine, can also be printed. For the Mk. I, an AR-15 or modified airsoft trigger system is needed for the fire control. In the Mk. II release, the developers released a package to 3D-print the AR-15 trigger. The barrel can be rifled polygonally through electrochemical machining. Designer IvanTheTroll estimates the tooling cost for a completed FGC-9, including the price of the printer (~$200) and electrochemical machining equipment (~$100), at $500;^[8] and JStark1809 estimates it takes 1.5 to 2 weeks to build.^[9]: 12:34

Availability[]

The gun's 3D-printing files were released in open-source onto DEFCAD by JStark1809 and then onto various hosting platforms by Deterrence Dispensed.^{[citation needed]}

Media[]

Play media

FGC-9 Firing Footage

In December 2020, JStark1809 was interviewed about the FGC-9 and 3D printed guns by Jake Hanrahan of Popular Front. Hanrahan and JStark1809 also shot the FGC-9.^[9] The interview has been viewed over 2 million times as of July 2021.^[9]

See also[]

• List of notable 3D printed weapons and parts
• Ghost gun

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FGC-9.

External links[]

• https://ctrlpew.com/fgc9-file-drop-2/