As 3D printers go mainstream, one Texas law student has created the schematics for a 3D printable single-use gun, making them freely available online.
Cody Wilson, a 25-year old University of Texas law student, has created a non-profit organization called Defense Distributed. In April, Wilson was able to acquire a Type 7 Federal Firearms License (FFL), making him a federally licensed gun manufacturer.
The firm is now showing off the world’s first 3D printable gun just days before they release the CAD files online.
Wilson calls the single-shot handgun “the Liberator,” and it’s comprised of 16 pieces of printable ABS plastic.
The move has courted much controversy in the US, as anyone who prints a Liberator is not subject to background checks or any of the other regulatory hurdles set in place to protect citizens.
Every component of the gun, save one metal pin, can be downloaded at Defcad.org and printed on any 3D printer. The metal nail acts as the firing pin and, according to Forbes, was added to make these free guns detectable at airports and security checkpoints.
However, once the blueprints are downloaded from the Internet, users can edit and modify the plans and could even remove this pin.
In an interview with Forbes, Wilson said: “You can print a lethal device. It’s kind of scary, but that’s what we’re aiming to show.”
New York Congressman Steve Israel is one of Wilson’s most outspoken critics and is already pushing for legislation to ban the Liberator and other printable handguns.
In a statement released on Friday, Israel addressed what he believes to be the chaotic and disruptive potential of handguns like the Liberator.
“Security checkpoints, background checks, and gun regulations will do little good if criminals can print plastic firearms at home and bring those firearms through metal detectors with no one the wiser,” said Israel, according to Forbes.
“When I started talking about the issue of plastic firearms months ago, I was told the idea of a plastic gun is science-fiction. Now that this technology is proven, we need to act now to extend the ban [on] plastic firearms.”
In an interview with the BBC, Wilson described himself as a crypto-anarchist and claimed the high demand for guns and the power of the Internet has superseded what the government can and can’t control.
When confronted with the likelihood that his product could be used to harm someone, Wilson said, “I recognise the tool might be used to harm other people – that’s what the tool is – it’s a gun. But I don’t think that’s a reason to not do it – or a reason not to put it out there.”
Watch a BBC video looking into the controversy surrounding the device here:
