CAD recommendations for designing firearms
Hello Community,
New to the CAD community and I'm looking for recommendations that would be suitable for firearm design.
I'd like to learn what I'm gonna be working with for long-term use and would like to get started on something professional.
I appreciate your time and value all input.
Thanks and have a wonderful day,
Dennettic
Accepted answer
I agree with Carlos. Any CAD program will work for firearms. Solidworks folks will say Solidworks is best. Creo folks will say Creo, and Inventor folks will lean towards Autodesk inventor. They all do the same thing. Which is better...Window, Mac, or Linux? Its what your used to using that is best for you. Just start with a free parametric modeler like Fusion 360, and you will then be positioned to transition to any 3D cad platform. Some are more intuitive to learn than others, but in the end they all do the same thing. I use Solidworks, Creo, and Inventor on a daily basis. Solidworks is the most intuitive to learn, then Inventor, and nothing is easy in CREO.
Creo is the most click intensive, deep dive menu driven CAD software there is. Its very powerful yes, but not efficient or intuitive. I can do in 2 clicks in Solidworks, what takes 10 min in Creo in most cases. Creo folks are gonna bleed all over me for saying that, but I'm well versed in both, and have 20 years+ experience modeling. I actually bill more hours to do jobs in CREO because it takes me longer even when I know the software.
3 Other answers
As all of the CAD applications are just tools, the mind of the engineer is way more important than any cad tool, all of the main ones can do the job. But why design or make more firearms, The US, in particular has way too many firearms out there, many in the hands of crazy people and nutcases. Why not become involved in the design and manufacture of something useful instead.
lawrie I agree, there too many firearms, the same applies to "many" killer drones, killer missiles, killer knives, killer vehicles and more to mention in the hands of nutcases. Designing something "useful" is in the hands of the beholder. If we are going to to stop designing and engineering marvels because of a few nutcases then more than 50% of the GrabCad models would not be considered useful. And for all of that said, I am not firearms person but I do respect and fell safer by having my neighbors or anyone else that carry firearms for defense and recreation.
I think any program that can do solid modeling can be used for this process. The design in the example is made by Solidworks
