January 17, 2013

New York Rep. Wants Ban on 3D-Printed Gun Magazines

When University of Texas Law School student Cody Wilson published a YouTube video last month of an AR-15 he’d made with the assistance of a 3D-printer, Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) sprang into action. He announced new legislation (actually a reauthorization of the 1988 Undectable Firearms Act, which expires at the end of the year) that he said would “stop so-called ‘wiki-weapons.'” As I reported at the time, Wilson’s response was fairly understated. He believed his plan to make and test guns made with printed plastic parts—and then post all of the instructions online—was legally sound, and had no intention of backing down.

Last week, Wilson published a new video. This time, his AR-15 is outfitted with a different printed plastic component—a 30-round magazine, the same kind President Obama proposed outlawing in his new gun control package. Take a look:

Israel’s response: ban plastic magazines too. Wilson’s response:

WikiWeb DevBlog/Tumblr

If nothing else, it should make for a fun set of hearings—if it gets that far.

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In this month’s Summer Membership Drive, we’ve got to raise $200,000 to support more crucial investigations. This is a pivotal moment in our nation, with democracy on the line, and we can only do this work because readers like you step up. Every donation, of any amount, makes a difference here. We cannot do this work without you.

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