3D gun files still available to public despite judge’s ruling
Pushback: Despite a judge’s apparently unconstitutional ruling that banned the free give-away of the plans for printing 3D guns, the company that is producing them has instead made them available for purchase, at any price the buyer designates.
The ruling was intensely shaky and a jab to both the First and Second Amendment, so naturally Democrats were aroused.
But their celebration was premature.
Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson crushed their short-lived happiness during a Tuesday press conference where he revealed that he actually won’t be stopped from sharing technical data; he will simply sell the files via his website, defcad.com. (Yes, he can do this.) “This judge’s order, stopping us from simply giving things away, was only an authorization that we could sell it, that we could mail it, that we could email it, that we could provide it by secure transfer. I will be doing all of those things, now,” announced Wilson.
“A lot of this to me was about principle,” he continued. “For many years, I just chose not to sell these files, because I’m an open-source activist. I believed in demonstrating that there was a right to commit this information to the public domain.”
“But, this is my opportunity to correct the media all in one place. To read headline after headline about how you can no longer 3D-print a gun, you can no longer have these files, this is not true. This has never been true. I now have to demonstrate this to you, forcefully, to deliver the point.”
There is no set price for the material; patrons are asked to give whatever they’d like in exchange. Wilson said the money would be used for further legal fees.
The judge’s ruling was completely bogus, especially since the Trump Justice Department had already settled the suit that the Obama Justice Department had brought. Moreover, since when can a judge ban the publication of any information the U.S.? His ruling appears to violate the First Amendment, and possibly the Second Amendment as well.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Pushback: Despite a judge’s apparently unconstitutional ruling that banned the free give-away of the plans for printing 3D guns, the company that is producing them has instead made them available for purchase, at any price the buyer designates.
The ruling was intensely shaky and a jab to both the First and Second Amendment, so naturally Democrats were aroused.
But their celebration was premature.
Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson crushed their short-lived happiness during a Tuesday press conference where he revealed that he actually won’t be stopped from sharing technical data; he will simply sell the files via his website, defcad.com. (Yes, he can do this.) “This judge’s order, stopping us from simply giving things away, was only an authorization that we could sell it, that we could mail it, that we could email it, that we could provide it by secure transfer. I will be doing all of those things, now,” announced Wilson.
“A lot of this to me was about principle,” he continued. “For many years, I just chose not to sell these files, because I’m an open-source activist. I believed in demonstrating that there was a right to commit this information to the public domain.”
“But, this is my opportunity to correct the media all in one place. To read headline after headline about how you can no longer 3D-print a gun, you can no longer have these files, this is not true. This has never been true. I now have to demonstrate this to you, forcefully, to deliver the point.”
There is no set price for the material; patrons are asked to give whatever they’d like in exchange. Wilson said the money would be used for further legal fees.
The judge’s ruling was completely bogus, especially since the Trump Justice Department had already settled the suit that the Obama Justice Department had brought. Moreover, since when can a judge ban the publication of any information the U.S.? His ruling appears to violate the First Amendment, and possibly the Second Amendment as well.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
This is for the software. What is the cost of the 3D printer?
Just asking!
This is a BS issue.
What is to prevent anyone who has the technology from designing their own 3D printed gun in any CAD program and pushing the button? Just put in your specs. Its a modern version of a zip gun, one shot. Yes, its plastic but the bullet is still made of metal. Any machinist today could build a fully functioning (Choose the gun you would like) with basic machine shop equipment. Go to a CNC and do it 1/4 of the time and extremely high quality.
https://youtu.be/pq1TXEE_QK4 These guys make them in the jungle with files and hacksaws.
Its just a non issue being fear mongered and pumped in the media. Some day there will be affordable machines and you will push the button and out will come a fully functioning (Choose the gun you would like).
A machine that could print todays version I am sure you could buy for under $5K, maybe less.
I have a Berretta PX/Storm 9mm compact – what in God’s name would I do (or want) with a single shot plastic zip gun with no range or reliability, let alone the inherent safety issues.
Much ado about nothing?
The sad thing is I could make a gun very much like this out of blocks of nylon plastic.
One block for the barrel. Glued to a block for the receiver and a grip glued to that.
The hammer is a specially cut and shaped block of plastic with a metallic firing pin.
I don’t need a spring I would use a rubber band.
No trigger needed just pull the hammer back and let it go.
I have left out one important safety part but it doesn’t get glued in.
I could even make a metal rifled barrel that WOULD get through TSA x-ray checks. And that would let me be deadly at ranges farther that 10 feet.
I would have to do some real work on the bullets but thats coming together as we type. The US military is developing light weight fully plastic cases and bullets.
By the way, I already know I could do this so I have no need or intent to try any of this.
A loved the idiot judges reason for stopping the publishing of the plans. It was something like ‘the plans might get into cities and states that do not allow firearms.’
I guess he doesn’t know what the dark web is.
These guns do not violate ITAR and the fact they are on the internet does not violate any US state law or regulation. They are not stolen corporate copyrights so no problem there.
And quite frankly the design pretty must stinks. It could be better.
In the Alternative Universe, this mastermind Judge (and his entire extended family) would be disappeared off shore. Just who exactly, does he think he is?
Yes– much ado about nothing. This File has been freely available since 2013.
Cody Wilson & Glenn Beck
March, 2013
https://youtu.be/HK6-kbdHE2A
9:51
Includes the infamous “..under who’s conception, under which paradigm?…” retort by Wilson.
And so if you all agree with me that begs the question. Why the mass hysteria?
I will assume it is for 1. To set the atmosphere to pass some law that hampers these technology uses and 2. To further pump the hysteria in the media, it sounds terrifying to some, a new issue to be outraged about and to fear.
They have no idea what already exists in the real world forget about the coming level of affordable technologies to do pretty much what you like.
To my point, an example: https://formlabs.com/store/us/form-2/buy-printer/
It is perfectly legal to build your own firearm. From the Bureau’s website
Does an individual need a license to make a firearm for personal use?
No, a license is not required to make a firearm solely for personal use. However, a license is required to manufacture firearms for sale or distribution. The law prohibits a person from assembling a non–sporting semiautomatic rifle or shotgun from 10 or more imported parts, as well as firearms that cannot be detected by metal detectors or x–ray machines. In addition, the making of an NFA firearm requires a tax payment and advance approval by ATF.
[18 U.S.C. 922(o), (p) and (r); 26 U.S.C. 5822; 27 CFR 478.39, 479.62 and 479.105]
Last Reviewed November 6, 2017
So unless it is an automatic (“NFA”) or “undetectable” (burden of proof of such on the government) weapon, go for it. (Presumably the NFA approval and tax payment info is for someone who is building a prototype – otherwise no one could respond to a military or law enforcement requirement for such a weapon)
Question about this design, doesn’t it require a metal barrel and breach to withstand the pressures involved ? So would be detectable ?
Use a very low pressure round. Nothing over a .25ACP,.32ACP, .22rf,.22short or 22longrifle. Anything bigger and the gun goes boom.
Without rifling the bullet will not stabilize and might tumble inside 3 feet. Thus useless.
It would only be good at a touch type weapon. Push it in their ribs and fire.
I think too many of the commenters here are missing the point. The issue here isn’t the gun, it is the chutzpah of a single judge deciding he, and he alone, has the right to ban what can or cannot be published. The 3D gun might be crap, but so what? If the precedent is set that a judge can ban the publication of anything he or she dislikes, the first amendment is lost.
This is why the maker of these software files made them available. He wished to tell that judge to go to hell. That is the point.
Yes, lest we become obsessed with the practicalities of technology the Zman’s point is superior.
The technology controversy is but a BS vehicle for the legal system to set some legal precedent to take even more freedom of communication and rights from the people.
Phill O–
When he (Wilson) originally printed the version-in-question (2013) they used;
“an $8,000 second-hand Stratasys Dimension SST 3D printer” …”Fifteen of its 16 pieces were printed, the only non-printed piece is a common hardware store nail used as its firing pin.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/05/05/meet-the-liberator-test-firing-the-worlds-first-fully-3d-printed-gun/#4efc545052d7
Forbes also notes, “the CAD file was downloaded from Wilson’s Defense Distributed over 100K times in 2013.”
We’re not un-ringing that bell, no matter what mr. judge-man says.
Mr. Z. is right on this one; I think we can all agree that this would be a sub-optimal weapon for ordinary use. It’s the factoid that this Judge thinks he can regulate the information contained in this file, ostensibly merely because it is the modern digital equivalent of a blue-print for a “gun.”
Most people don’t grow their own tomatoes, or grow their own weed, or synthesize their own methamphetamine, or make their own handguns, although it is well within the capability of the average person.
The full brief from 2017 is here:
“Defense Distributed v. U.S. Department of State”
https://www.cato.org/publications/legal-briefs/defense-distributed-v-us-department-state
This is a suppression of the freedom of speech and sets a dangerous precedent for censoring the publication of more mundane manufacturing methods that have existed for centuries.
Would the Democrats support the censoring of books that detail how to engage in direct action activities? Those have caused far more damage to society than homemade guns.
Cotour
August 28, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Any machinist today could build a fully functioning (Choose the gun you would like) with basic machine shop equipment. Go to a CNC and do it 1/4 of the time and extremely high quality.
I would say don’t give them any ideas but the efforts to censor this guy are probably part of a larger effort to use the precedent of this case to go after self builds and regulate machine shops.
You can not un-ring this bell.
My question is, if, if the judge, the courts, and our legislators find a way to outlaw this plan, just how do they plan on stopping the dissemination of the information over the internet?
They can’t even stop music pirating and the music industry is financing a HUGE portion of the effort to do that.