So You Wanna Get into GunCAD
A Crash Course in Deterrence Dispensed and Making your Place in the Community
(Last Updated 3/7/23)
Howdy, if you’re reading this, that probably means that you’re a newcomer to the GunCAD community. This is more so an introduction to understanding and navigating the community spaces, as well as getting into dev work tiself. If you’re looking for information on getting started with GunCAD in general, read the CTRL+PEW Getting Started Guide.
A little about myself—I’ve been in the GunCAD community for nearly 5 months now—a far shorter time than most others, but I feel as though I’ve developed a solid understanding of how things work, as well as creating my own little group of friends and to collaborate, talk, and hang out with. I have noticed a number of people who’ve started printing guns struggling to find their place, or how to access certain resources and groups, or even where to begin with Dev work, as well as the community in general. If you are one of those people who have struggled in the confusion—this is for you
The Basics
The GunCAD Community is a decentralized network of various individuals across various different platforms. There are a lot of moving parts, people, and projects spread out amongst various websites.
The way I see it, there are various Development Hubs, where people share information, resources, as well as their designs. This is where the testing happens. From there files are released on various Distribution Sites. Finally, those designs are downloaded by people, who subsequently share what they make in various Community Spaces.
The one big distribution site is Odysee. If you haven’t already, make an account there right now. Whenever you’re browsing files, or get linked to a cool design you like, make sure to like the design and follow the creator. Doing so allows you to redeem LBRY as a reward, which is then used for posting and hosting your own content. There are other ways to get started on Odysee, but that is the best way for doing it without linking your account to anything external. This seems like a good time to mention…
For those who don’t know, the major DevHubs at the moment are Deterrence Dispensed, (DD/The Gatalog) Are We Cool Yet? (AWCY?) and Black Lotus Coalition (BLC).
I personally can’t say very much regarding AWCY? nor BLC, but here is what I do know. AWCY? has many cool designs, and a lot of wonderful stuff cookin up’. but they are a closed group, and one must pass selection to be a member. You can find more information on their website.
BLC has a closed testing group as well on Element. There are some requirements to get in—just like AWCY—but I think their vetting processes are different. They also have a public Discord Server is a community space to offer help and resources for people new to printing guns. It is a good starting point if you’re feeling lost, but do remember that it is Public. Check out that link, and/or reach out to Moderator Gage to learn more about what they’re up to.
Deterrence Dispensed
I’m sure you’re already familiar with DD from the Popular Front documentary. For those of you who don’t know, the If you’d like to learn more about it’s history, check out Ditto Nation’s episode on the GunCAD community here.
The one thing about DD that appeals to me the most is that is truly is a community for everyone—There is no “test” to get in. Anyone can make an account and start participating within the space and you’d be surprised the kinds of people you find working together to fight back against this dystopia we’re living in. That being said, bigotry, gifting, and drama aren’t tolerated within DD. To quote the rules page, “Were here for the guns. Everything else can fuck off.”
Everyone in there has their various skills, expertise, and interest, and they’re more than likely to share what they know to help you out. However, If you’re looking for a specific design or model, and no one seems to know if one exists, your best bet is to make it yourself, rather than asking someone else to do it. If you do ask, they’ll tell you to make it yourself. If you don’t know how to use any CAD software yet—its the perfect opportunity to start learning. Before you can do any of that, you must first log in.
The Tricks of the Trade
All of this operates on Rocket.Chat, and if you aren’t familiar, there is quite the learning curve.
If you’re new, the first step is making an account. I think the easiest method is to create a Gitlab account and use that as your login. From there, head to the Rocketchat. You should be greeted by this.
Once you click the button and enter your info, you’ll be on the home page. You’re going to want to immediately read the rules and FAQ, and once you’re done doing that you’re going to READ THE RULES AND FAQ and finally just to make sure you got everything…
READ THE RULES AND FAQ
Once you’ve internalized the rules look on over to the left. You should see the sidebar. That is where you’ll have quick access to different Channels and Betas (once you join them) as well as DMs.
At the very top of the sidebar will be your navigation tools.
The most important tools there are the directory and search function. The search options allows you to look up various channels or users by their names. The directory is similar, with the exception being all the publicly available pages are listed.
The different channels are organized by different prefixes, but at the moment there are only three different prefixes you need to worry about. The one exception being the z.beta channel. That is where the list of current (and past) betas are for easy access.
gen.
model.
beta.
The gen. and model. chats are publicly available, however to access a beta channel, you must first reach out to the owner. You can figure out who owns a beta based on the naming convention:
beta.username.channel
But before you do that, I’d recommend joining gen.general, gen.off_topic, as well as any channels you think you might be interested and getting a feel for the vibe. If the channel you’re interested in hasn’t seen any activity in a while, try posting there yourself—you may just bring it back to life.
Once you join a channel, it will then be added to your sidebar, and you’ll be able to participate in the discussions. If you send someone a DM, they too will be added to your sidebar. You can favorite channels and DMs in your sidebar, and that will place them at the very top of the list. You can also choose to hide channels you don’t want to see anymore. Once you become more acquainted with the space and start talking with others, they’ll come in handy as your sidebar starts filling up.
One more little known and underutilized feature of the rocket chat is the Off-the-Record (OTR) option in your DMs. To quote Rocketchat itself—
“Off-the-record (OTR) Messaging is a feature that allows users to exchange temporary, encrypted messages directly between each other. This happens by using the local, non-persistent session storage of their browser rather than storing messages on the Rocket.Chat server. After an OTR session ends and the session storage is cleared, the OTR messages are removed and can no longer be restored.”
Keep in mind that the admins can see your DMs (If they aren’t OTR).
They aren’t malicious or anything, but it is something to keep in mind.
Speaking of which…
Who to know
Don’t let the name deter you, @Dr._Death actually one of the kindest dudes in the community, and he’s more than happy to either help or point you in the right direction. If you have any questions about DD and the Beta Programs. If you also have a novel design you want to beta test for The Gatalog and you can demonstrate either successfully operates and/or outperforms what is currently available, send him a message and y’all can work the details out.
I think that Dr. Death embodies some of the best aspects of the community, and is a great example of…
However, he is not the only admin on DD, and far the from the only cool dude on the scene. You can also reach out to them on Rocketchat, and they can assist you if they are able to: @Atmac, @Freeman1337, @Gerald.Katz, @Ivan, or @tjb556. You may recognize some of the names, but if not, you should familiarize yourself (or put a name to) their incredible works.
There are plenty of other wonderful people in the Rocketchat who aren’t admins who can also help out. If someone has a design on the Gatalog, they probably know a thing or two. You can try reaching out to them for more information, but there’s no guarantee they’ll respond. If they post regularly they probably will though.
Some Notes on DevWork
When you finally decide to take the plunge and start your own project, there are some things to keep in mind.
I’d argue that DevWork in GunCAD can be categorized into three primary categories:
Novelties, Improvements, and Aesthetics
Don’t let the term fool you—Novelties are new and interesting ideas, or are simply the first adaptation of a Gun that currently has no 3D printer counterpart. Improvements generally take a design already available and either improves or or build upon the original. Finally, Aesthetics are simply changes to a pre-existing model to change its appearance without changing its mechanisms of function, or parts. There are many projects that share various traits, and I’d argue that some projects integrate all three—such as the Partisan-9 by ImmortalRevolt
It’s important to keep in mind that not every idea needs to be groundbreaking. Sometimes its nice to just make a stipple, a personal edit, or even a meme gun. Every project grows your skills and increases your potential. Plus, it’s fun to share things with people—who know who it might inspire?
It’s also important not to get caught up in the clout-race. The goal of Deterrence Dispensed (and most others in GunCAD) isn’t to have the most popular design—
it’s to fuck gun control.
“That’s what we do. Deterrence Dispensed. Fuck the Surveillance State, Fuck this Dystopia. We are fucking gun control.” —JStark
Developers in America have it incredibly easy in terms of parts availability—few countries come close. The FGC-9 Mk I was so revolutionary because for the first time ever anyone anywhere could easily build a firearm for personal protection at home by following his instructions. If you haven’t already seen it, watch this video of JStark talking about the original development process and the philosophy behind it. There have been plenty of advances in techniques and methods since then, but there is still so much potential for what we can make.
Why do people want everything to be fully DIY?——Well, why not?
You’re telling me we live in an age where we access an endless wealth of knowledge and resources, the line between at home FDM-printing and the Star Trek Replicator is getting blurrier and blurrier, and more people are interested in building firearms than before—that we aren’t pushing to have these tools available to everyone?
Why not make a full arsenal of DIY firearms, gadgets, and tools accessible to all?
Why not tell companies that refuse to sell parts kits: ”Fine, if you won’t sell them, I’ll make a gun just as heavy and unreliable for even cheaper just because I can!”
Why not we push the absolute limits of our machines, our modeling, and our materials to make the next generation of personal firearms at home?
Why focus on old designs, when we could make the future?
Ze Carioca is a Brazillian Dev, and the creator of the Urutau. Not only does he have the Urutau releasing on both The Gatalog and AWCY? in the near future—he already has a new design in the works for the for the Japu.
ImmortalRevolt is another Non-American dev, and those limitations are what pushed him to innovate and push new ideas and techniques. He’s currently working on the Partisan-9 MkII, and already has a number of other projects in his pocket including a compact fully DIY UMP. If theres a lesson to be learned here, its that limitations are what drive innovation.
These two have some incredible talent, and they’re doing a lot of heavy lifting carrying most of us in development. We need to be doing more to help them out.
Why should I Beta Test on The Gatalog rather than elsewhere?
Well for starters if your design gets approved for a beta, then when you decide that its ready for release it is hosted on The Gatalog.
For DevWork that is simply aesthetic, no beta testing is needed. (think accessories, furniture, stipples) but if you’re looking to design an actual firearm—there are a lot of variables going into it. There are going to be variations in the printers, materials, and skill of those looking to make it. Beta testing designs is crucial to ensuring the safety, durability, and compatibility of designs.
There are other spaces that offer beta testing programs, but there aren’t any as thorough and dedicated as Deterrence Dispensed.
Freeman doesn’t necessarily represent every GunCAD dev, but he certaintly is one of the most dedicated, and he consistently puts out interseting frame designs and helpful tools. The Rocket Chat has plenty of people willing and interseted in testing new designs, and they offer a wealth of resources and experience to help you as you go through the process. Seriously, if you think your design is good enough—message Dr._ Death or one of the other Admins.
3D Printing a Community
“…Do more. More nonsensical, more crazy, more machines, … Try and tickle something inside you, your “weird humor.” You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world…” —Sol Lewitt
Remember—GunCAD is not a monolith.
Beyond the scope of DevHubs, most of the community is spread out over Twitter, Reddit, and Discord. The good news is there is a ton of overlap between them. The bad news is… well, Twitter is Twitter, Reddit is Reddit, and finding a good Discord server is difficult. So basically, if you want to “get into” the community, you’re basically going to have to Do It Yourself.
If you’re saying to yourself “What the fuck Ruby this isn’t helpful at all!” just bear with me for a minute…
There is a large chance you arrived at this post through one of those three platforms, and are at least familiar with the other two. Some of you may be full time lurkers, but I’m guessing a large number of the people looking to this for advice have been in the community the whole time but have felt lost and confused as to what exactly is going on.
Even if you don’t know CAD yet or are still a novice, you still have a place within the community. No one person is just one thing, but we take on a variety of these roles in our interactions together. Each serves a purpose—especially the shitposters (Follow JNY if you haven’t already). The thing is, you need do the work yourself.
Comment on posts; Give encouragement; Post on the Rocketchat; Comment on twitter; Retweet a release; Make a video; Make propaganda; Share what you’ve learned; Answer questions; Help someone whose just getting started; Get involved in a Beta; dig through patents for ideas; Scour McMaster-Carr and AliExpress for potential parts Share a silly design idea with your friends and laugh about; Make that silly idea a reality and laugh even harder; Find others with similar interests; Talk to others with different interests; Start a maker-space Discord for you and your friends; Dunk on a gun grabber with your latest build; or even Use AI to make Joe Biden tell people to print give the American people a very special message…
There are plenty of important people in the community who don’t do DevWork themselves, but still contribute in key ways.
You’ll start running into the same people over and over again. This space is diverse, but it is niche. Reach out to other small accounts you get along with. odds are they’ll be delighted to make a new connection. Build your networks. Start your own Discord Makerspace. Bring in people with different skill-sets and backgrounds all sharing the same goal: to make our own Firearms and Firearm Accessories—to fuck gun control.
Because after all, isn’t that why we’re here?
Real Talk
After one of the recent drama episodes that occasionally happens, one of my pals—@vega_holdings—said something that really put everything into perspective for me:
Just, let that sink in for a minute.
Fun and jokes aside this is some real shit when you think about it. No matter how you may feel about it, this is something that is happening right now and you could potential have an impact that helps others secure their own freedoms.
If you’re Trans like me, you’re probably very scared right now—and for good reason. That’s also probably one of the reasons why you' came to GunCAD in the first place. If you’re still struggling to find connections within the community, reach out to @IamArizona. She’s been part of Deterrence Dispensed for a since the Keybase days, and has played a major role in helping organize and bring in other Queer and Trans People. She’ll be one of your best resources.
You’ll meet people in this community, and you may not agree with them on everything all the time. If that’s the case, ignore them, GunCAD opens up many possibilities for people all around the world to seize their freedom, and to protect themselves from tyranny. It’s also an incredibly useful and marketable skill. Taking the plunge and learning CAD can open up a whole new realm of possibilities for you—and may just be what you need to build a better life for yourself.
Another good starting point would be to join Humans Only. It’s a quasi-public discord server that is incredibly queer-friendly, as well as having a pretty solid established community. Even if you aren’t queer, it’s still a pretty solid GunCAD Discord Community. Just remember—It’s Public.
Make Sure to Pass It On
If you find any kind of success in the community, or manage to set up a successful makerspace—or even if you’ve been doing machining and CAD for most of your life and know the program inside and out—share it with others. Advocate for newcomers who put themselves out there and get along well with the rest of the community. If someone has a project related to what you know, reach out with them for a chat—you might be able to help them out. Help others find success just as you have. Every little bit of what we do here adds up to the total wealth of knowledge available. I know its fun to be secretive while things are in development, but once its released— share what you learned from it. It can only help.
If there is someone who inspired, mentored, or even just helped you along the way—make sure to give them credit, or a shout out. It eleveates others, as well as helping point others to potential resources and guidance.
TL;DR: Do it yourself.
With that, I leave you with these. They aren’t actually rules, but they are what I try and practice, and I have found a lot of success with them. But I’m not you—so you do you.
If y’all have any other questions, feel free to message me on twitter, or preferably the Rocket Chat. I’ll try and get back to you as soon as I can.
Rocketchat: @RubyGB
Odysee: @RubyGraceBuilds
Twitter: @RubyGBuilds
Fuck this Dystopia—Welcome to the Resistance.
—Ruby Grace
Thats huge! Thanks for the article, very informative.