A group that intends to publish, for free, the design of a firearm that can be completelyproduced by 3-D printing, has run into difficulties. Defense Distributed hopes to make it possible for anyone, world wide, with access to a 3-D printer, to manufacture one's own life and liberty preservation tools ("guns," in more prosaic parlance). Unfortunately, according to Wired.com's Danger Room, the makers of the high-end 3-D printer to be used for the project have decided to cancel Defense Distributed's lease of the printer:
Cody Wilson planned in the coming weeks to make and test a 3-D printed pistol. Now those plans have been put on hold as desktop-manufacturing company Stratasys pulled the lease on a printer rented out for Wiki Weapon, the internet project lead by Wilson and dedicated to sharing open-source blueprints for 3-D printed guns. Stratasys even sent a team to seize the printer from Wilson’s home.
Video: The Wiki Weapon
Stratasys claims that the reason the lease was revoked is that the "Wiki Weapon" project would be illegal. One quite plausible theory is that the company acted under pressure from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). Manufacturing a firearm at home, without any kind of licensing, is quite legal, as long as the gun is itself not subject to heavy regulation under the National Firearms Act (machine gun, short barreled rifle or shotgun, etc.), and as long as the gun is never sold or transferred to another party.
The only apparent legal obstacle is the all plastic construction. Under provisions of the "Undetectable Firearms Act," an all plastic firearm is probably illegal (for now--if the law is not renewed, it will "sunset" in December, 2013--something to keep in mind when voting for those who presume to write our laws).
The all plastic construction is also one of the largest mechanical challenges, and the primary reason that this firearm would be limited to the low power of a .22 rimfire, and even so will likely only survive one shot (as the barrel will likely melt after the first). As such, the gun's only use as a resistance weapon would be in the same role filled by the "Liberator" pistol of WWII, but less capable.
That, though, is largely beside the point. The Wiki Gun project is more a proof of concept than an attempt to produce practical firearms right now. This is something we have discussed before, and will be the death of "gun control." The "government monopoly on force" so beloved of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is becoming idle fantasy.
Not a moment too soon.
'via Blog this'
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