Website Removes Instructions For Making Untraceable, 3D-Printed Plastic Gun
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The gun maker who posted instructions online on how to make plastic handguns that are printed by a 3D printer has been ordered to take the guidelines down.
In a follow up to her earlier investigative story, CBS 2's Tamara Leitner spoke to the gun maker on Friday.
The plastic gun in question that fires a single shot is untraceable, undetectable and accessible to any felon has turned the gun debate upside down. A hard-plastic firearm called "The Liberator" is the world's first entirely printed 3D gun. It fires standard .380-caliber bullets.
Senator Charles Schumer and Rep. Steve Israel have called for a renewal of a ban on undetectable weapons.
"I think it's a problem and the federal government has to address it," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
The gun was unveiled this week by Cody Wilson, a 25-year-old law school student in Texas, who was dubbed one of the 15 most dangerous people in the world.
Wilson put the instructions to make the handgun and other plastic gun parts on the Web, free for anyone to download.
And that's when the U.S. Government stepped in.
"The secretary of state sent me a letter requesting me to take down info on website. The information they want for us to take down is 3D printing files that could be taken form plastic and made into gun parts," Wilson said.
EXTRA: Read The Letter
Wilson told Leitner he has been ordered to remove the gun blueprints from his website. And to take down the files for nine other 3D-printable firearm parts, which include silencers, sights and magazine.
"It's just a gross assertion of authority in an unclear place," Wilson said.
Wilson said he had no choice but to remove the files. The government will review the online files to see if they violate something called the Arms Export Laws.
Apparently, when Wilson put these weapon specs on the Internet for anyone to access, including people abroad, he may have violated the law.
"Now we have to wait for them to make their determination," Wilson said.
Wilson argued that he's legally protected because his company is a non-profit and falls under certain exemptions.
"This conversation/fight has been had before and I was like it's coming again and this isn't going to be the last time," Wilson said.
The government's effort to censor the 3D gun may be too late. The file to make a certain handgun was downloaded more than a 100,000 times in just a few days, and it's still accessible on other websites outside of the U.S., CBS 2's Leitner reported.
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