My thoughts...
(just a note as background, I learned how to use a number of firearms
before my 5th birthday, I learned how to drive a couple of tanks and fly
a single engine aircraft before I was ten (my interests in crypto came
much later) so take what I say with a grain of lead, or salt, etc.)

Some input I've received from some folks in the weapons and concealed
carry communit(ies) in the USA, that you may already have seen or heard
but repeated here (not word for word but generally speaking) - note the
words in quotes below are not my remarks but just passing some thoughts
along (however, I have some responses to these reactions below, which
I've included as my own notes in parentheses):

"it....doesn't look like a machine built (for) extended use"

(My thoughts... should it be made to "look" tougher? Its purpose and
anticipated lifespan is pretty clear and it sells well. But a more
"tougher" looking machine (that also has parts intended / designed to
prolong the Ghost Gunner lifespan) might also be helpful to future
runs.)

"(Why not just) buy in-state private party"

(Not all states have the option to do this and by trying to put the
focus on private party sales in the context of a legal sale, the
important question of who is able to engage in production of what is
sought WITHOUT seeking permission or licensing, is excluded. The issue
here is not who something is bought from, it is the idea of liberating
aspects of production, which is what tools like the Ghost Gunner
accomplish.)

"lack of machining quality (...) cosmetic eye-candy"

(The impression visually is to at least some who are long-term gun
owners and concealed carry folk is that durability is an issue with the
Ghost Gunner. They'd rather see something hard that can withstand
punishment (probably a drill press) than something that looks like a
standard computer printer. Again this is a matter of perception and
it's possible that future iterations could be ruggedized (involving
changes to shape and exterior materials, for example) to ameliorate this
concern. Here is an example of a ruggedized toughbook laptop (I have a
couple of these at home actually), that has a mark in it from being shot
at:
http://www.product-reviews.net/wp-content/userimages/2007/02/tbtoughbook.jpg
One of my toughbook laptops has been fired at or launched upon (not by
me) and it still functions fine. some joker tried to drill into it
onetime and it withstood getting drilled into... again, still works
(though it runs too slow to use for many things I'm interested in now).
My suggestion is simply this: Make the Ghost Gunner more rugged. Or at
the very least more rugged looking, or both rugged looking AND
ruggedized.)

On 2014-10-04 08:42, Cody R Wilson wrote:
> I like this analysis. Though there are likely ways to finish the piece
> that
> interfere with forensics.
>
> Also, I expect there to be variations of the workflows for the same
> files.
>
> crw
> On Oct 4, 2014 1:16 AM, "Troy Benjegerdes" <hozer@???> wrote:
>
>> Okay, I went over-the-top with the pre-trojaned silicon stuff. I still
>> think it's a big issue, but not the biggest one here.
>>
>> Ghostgunner is great for freedom to make stuff. But please do not
>> imagine it is 'anonymous'. What about the toolmarks?

Being as 80 percenters can also be finished by hand with a router (see,
for example, an example product line at
http://www.80percentarms.com/products/80-ar-15-easy-jig - but this can
be done without going to a vendor such as 80 percent arms and frequently
is) in addition to a slightly more expensive alternative (things like a
Porter Cable drill press which mounts easily on your bench), and any of
these things (example, porter cable drill press) are always subject to
whatever kind of drill bits, etc. will work for the application and are
locally available.

Often there are also "old dudes" around here (at least from who I am
familiar with in the USA) who are happy not only to show you how to do
this (as described above), but who are also capable of working with and
showing you how to do welds, use crucibles, and who are happy to teach
others the fine art(s) of casting, reloading, and related endeavors.

Base cost for equipment depending on what you buy is somewhere around a
couple hundred bucks and can be done with equipment people already have
as indicated above.

Even so, a machine such as Ghost Gunner that eases this process and
makes it interesting to more people is really revolutionary, especially
considering the following:

1) It connects direct to your computer, thus enabling some automation of
major tasks involved with finishing a receiver whether it comes from a
80 percenter you have bought or from a 80 percenter that you have
prepped from a 100 percent block.
2) The machine's parts are based on open source hardware concepts
3) The plans for the machine and the files for the parts will ultimately
be released so as to make the means of production quite nearly free for
those who are really into such an endeavor and believe me there are.

Quite frankly I do consider the Ghost Gunner a revolutionary device.
Furthermore it hybridizes certain ideas related to machines, e.g. when
someone sees or hears about a "3-D printer," they do not typically
imagine something which is intended to be used to finish something
already partially built. In that sense a Ghost Gunner is really no
different than a router or a drill press, but it is just a bit more of a
tool. Indeed, the Solar Sinter is an example of how focused solar
energy can be used to make 3-D objects out of sand. Shall we ban the
Sun next? Decentralization of production (including by whatever means
ensure that more people are able to produce and use their own tools for
purposes that they desire) is vital, no-one should ignore how meaningful
this is.

Speaking particularly to the anonymity or lack thereof, though,
regarding a receiver made from your drill press at home (or your Ghost
Gunner), effectively no-one knows whether you have it, purchasing
history is another matter, because most purchasing options are conducted
without the benefit of anonymity unless someone is using cash cautiously
or is carefully experimenting with stealth or anonymous crypto (a very
small set of users at the moment). Even with that said, though, it is
plain that releasing new concepts for tools that also enable people with
plans for such tools to make them on their own independent of
traditional means of production and sale, is a liberative and empowering
process.

>>
>>
>> http://www.dfs.virginia.gov/laboratory-forensic-services/firearms-toolmarks/
>>
>> The CNC is going to leave a LOT of evidence on which ghost gunner mill
>> made which receiver in the form of tool marks. Whats worse is that
>> since
>> so few people understand tool marks, the government hired 'experts'
>> can
>> just make shit up and juries will buy it.


See my above replies to this.

>>
>> If you really want to choke the totalstate bastards you need to
>> provide
>> some good forensic science on how to defend against fake toolmark
>> matches.
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Thank you Cody et. al. Well done.

-Odinn