3D printing has opened up a world of opportunity and this niche tech market is set to explode in the coming years. One of the very cool things about 3D printing is that it allows those with the know-how to be able to print just about anything they want, although the technology is still very expensive. Solid Concepts has recently shown off its latest 3D printed creation, and it is in fact the first ever 3D printed metal gun.

We have seen a plastic pistol before, but this is the first one to be metal thanks to the DMLS (direct metal laser sintering) technology Solid Concepts used. Named the 1911 series, this is the real deal and has already fired off 50 rounds and is working as new. Of course, in these times a product like this throws up some controversy, but the guys at Solid Concepts ensure us that this technology is years away from being able to be replicated by a member of the public.