Cody Wilson became the first person to fire the world's first fully 3D-printed gun yesterday. The gun, named the "Liberator," was designed by Wilson's non-profit organization, Defense Distributed.
Wilson, a 25-year-old University of Texas law student, took test shots with the Liberator over the weekend. The gun's makeup is mostly plastic, but consists of a metal firing pin, according to Forbes' Andy Greenberg, who witnessed Wilson's test run. In order to comply with the Undetectable Firearms Act, Wilson has added a six ounce piece of plastic that serves no purpose in the gun's functionality, which means less complicit gun printers can forego it.
Last fall, Wilson made headlines when his plans became known to Stratasys, the maker of the 3D printer he was using to make the gun. The company seized the leased printer. After the setback, Wilson bought the same Stratasys model printer second hand for $8,000. The law student, who is described by Forbes as a radical Libertarian and anarchist, was determined to see his plan come to fruition.
"You can print a lethal device. It's kind of scary, but that's what we're aiming to show," Wilson told Forbes. "Anywhere there's a computer and an Internet connection, there would be the promise of a gun."
The Defense Distributed website gives an even clearer idea of the mission behind the printable firearm, and Wilson's potentially anarchist leanings. "This project might change the way we think about gun control and consumption," a statement on the site reads. "How do governments behave if they must one day operate on the assumption that any and every citizen has near instant access to a firearm through the Internet? Let's find out."
Sen. Charles Schumer is emerging as a vocal objector to Wilson and his non-profit's mission. On Sunday, the New York senator called for an outright ban on printable weapons, according to CBS New York. "A terrorist, someone who's mentally ill, a spousal abuser, a felon can essentially open a gun factory in their garage," Schumer said in his argument against the firearms.
The blueprint for the gun is already available for download online and could therefore be manufactured by any individual with access to a quality 3D printer. Meanwhile, Schumer and Rep. Steve Israel are set to introduce the Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act to curb the legality of such printable weapons.
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