3-D printable guns could be available starting Aug. 1, after the U.S. government reached a settlement with the Second Amendment Foundation earlier this month.
SAF sued the Department of Justice on behalf of gun advocate Cody Wilson in 2015 after the State Department told Mr. Wilson his blueprints violated International Traffic in Arms Regulations in 2013.
The legal battle began in 2013 when Mr. Wilson posted plans for “The Liberator,” a handgun that could be made with a 3-D printer, CNN reported on Friday. The only two parts not made by the new technology are metal elements, including the firing pin, which were added to make the product comply with the Undetectable Firearms Act.
Defense Distributed, which sells 3-D printing products and software for downloadable guns, was also caught up in the lawsuits.
The tech company will release the printed-gun plans, named DEFCAD, on August 1. Ten different related products are promoted on the DEFCAD webpage.
Mr. Wilson’s counsel, Josh Blackman, shared a July 10 press release explaining that the government agreed to waive the 2013 decision against the 3-D plans, pay part of the plaintiffs’ legal fees, and reimburse Defense Distributed $10,000 in State Department registration dues.
“Significantly, the government expressly acknowledges that non-automatic firearms up to .50-caliber — including modern semi-auto sporting rifles such as the popular AR-15 and similar firearms — are not inherently military,” the statement read.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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