At the end of July, we looked at a 3D printed assault rifle, and asked ourselves whether it is time to be afraid or not? The answer proved to be more comforting than worrying, but it seems that not all is hunky dory with the world of 3D printed weapons. Word has it that Defense Distributed, a collective headed by UT-Austin law student Cody Wilson, managed to actually raise $20,000 over the Internet in order to have the necessary funds to develop the world’s first, true blue, 3D printed gun, which he has dubbed to be the Wiki Weapon.
Assuming the project ends up as a success, he will build the prototype and share the design of the 3D printed gun on the public domain, basically enabling anyone who owns a 3D printer to print their own pistol. However, the company who loaned Defense Distributed its 3D printer is not too thrilled at the prospect of a successful project, and mentioned that “it is the policy of Stratasys not to knowingly allow its printers to be used for illegal purposes” while taking note that Wilson does not have a federal license for manufacturing firearms. What do you think of this situation?
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