3D printed gun project halted after printers confiscated

Like it? Share it!

3D printed gun project halted after printers confiscated

Wiki Weapons is a controversial project with the aim of cataloguing and creating high quality 3D printed parts for guns. Meaning with this information, most of a full working weapon can be downloaded around the world, printed out, and with some minor additions, create a working firearm. But the program has been hitting snags as printers are confiscated. It’s as if some are uncomfortable with the idea of being able to download and print out guns.

The controversial Wiki Weapons Project, which aims to create and compile a database of 3D printable firearms, has suffered yet another setback. The 3D printer that project owner Defense Distributed rented from Stratasys has been confiscated by the company due to legal concerns about the project. Last week, project director Cody Wilson was contacted by the company who stated “It is the policy of Stratasys not to knowingly allow its printers to be used for illegal purposes,” and sent contractors to retrieve the printer from his residence.

The project also faced difficulties in late August, when IndieGogo shut down the project’s campaign, citing a terms of service violation regarding the sale of firearms. Unphased, the group turned to Bitcoin and raised $20,000 to rent the Stratasys 3D printer and begin printing an operational pistol. Wilson, a law student at the University of Texas at Austin maintains “nothing we do violates the law.” Moving forward, Wilson told Wired that he’s considering working within the system and obtaining a license to manufacture firearms, and may attempt to rent another 3D printer to continue the project.

Via