Fears aroused by the end of the ban on printing 3D guns in the United States

After a legal battle that lasted four years, the state department decided that it would be legal to distribute instructions for printing homemade weapons.

This week, the US Department of Justice ruled that plans outlining how to make weapons. can be online again, but now legally.

The controversial decision was taken after four years of legal battle between the manufacturers of these designs (Defense Distributed Company) and the Department of State

The first firearm manufactured with a printer 3D was born in 2013. The instructions that show how to replicate the process have been published on the Internet and downloaded by thousands of users.

But shortly after the United States Government The United States ordered their withdrawal, on the grounds that they were violating the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which governs the military equipment authorized to export

Digital files that explain how to produce weapons in 3D printers were downloaded by thousands of people in 2013, before being banned by the government.

Distributed Defense does not surrender, and decided to join forces with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) – created in 1974 to defend the right to carry firearms – to prosecute the Department of State of Restrictions.

As a result, the Department of Justice has stated that Americans will be able to "use, discuss and reproduce" these data. In addition, he admitted that he will pay for the legal costs of the organization, product of the legal battle.

The era of downloadable weapons

"Not only a First Amendment victory in terms of freedom of expression, but it is also a devastating blow to the lobby of the Prohibition of Weapons ", said SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb

" For years, people who opposed the weapons argued that modern semi-automatic rifles at sporting use are "weapons of war" and, thanks to this agreement, the government recognized that they were nothing like it. "

CAD files (computer-aided design) will be again Online August, according to Defense Distributed, whose page also reads the announcement: "The era of downloadable weapons formally begins."

However, critics argue that the decision will bring an increase in so-called "ghost weapons" " a t term that describes these unregistered weapons strées, which are created without the knowledge of the government.

Since it's impossible to trace what each person prints at home, virtually anyone with a 3D printer can make their own gun.

Defense Distributed weapons are almost entirely made of plastic and may not be detected in security checks.

In the United States, about 27 people died each day from gunfire, according to a report from The New York Times .

The first weapon manufactured by a 3D printer was named "El Libertador", and it was published in 2013.

A country "less safe"

"The simple truth is that this decision makes our country less safe," said Avery Gardiner, co-chair of the Brady campaign to prevent violence. with weaponry, one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the country, and whose mission is " to create a safer America by halving the deaths by weapons of 39; here 2025. "

Gardiner believes that, by allowing "dangerous criminals to obtain weapons that are not registered, that are impossible to trace and that can not even be seen by a metal detector," he says. administration endangers innocent Americans ". Currently, the Brady campaign requires the Department of Justice to disclose all documents related to the new measure before the August 1 upload.

"If they do not, we will see ourselves in court," Gardiner said.

The "Liberator"

The first 3D printed gun model is the work of Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson.

He printed it in 2013 and called it "El Libertador"

so these weapons g helped sophistication, as materials to build them became cheaper and programs for their design continue to be perfected.

Distributed Defense also has a well known milling device available on its website such as Ghost Gunner – which can convert various easily accessible parts online, into a perfectly functioning gun.

Wilson stated that his web page is to facilitate the access of those who are interested in making their own weapons to information that otherwise they should search for the so-called "deep internet", which is badociated with criminal activity.

Last year the American magazine Wired included Wilson among the "most dangerous people" of [19659]] Internet " with President Donald Trump and the Islamic State (ISIS).

BBC