Defense Distributed has successfully fired its 3D-printed gun on video, just days after announcing its existence to the world.
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The handgun, which the non-profit group claims is the first in the world to be entirely 3D printed (the only non-printed part is a common nail, which is used as the firing pin and guarantees the gun stays within the constraints of the Undetectable Firearms Act.), is called the “Liberator” and appears to be as much a political statement as a weapon.
Forbes documented the test firing in the Texas desert, which reportedly involved multiple remote pulls of the trigger using string, before Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson took over. Wilson came away from the firing unscathed, while the gun only suffered a crack in a pin used to secure the barrel.
According to Forbes, a possible secret behind the gun’s stability is the fact that it’s been treated with “a jar of acetone vaporized with a pan of water and a camp stove,” something which could potentially help smooth the bore.
Wilson, a self-described radical libertarian and anarchist, says the intent Liberator isn’t so much as putting dangerous weapons into the hands of ordinary people (his home country, the US, is hardly restrictive in that regard) but illustrating how technology can be used to render governments obsolete. “I recognize that this tool might be used to harm people. That’s what it is — it’s a gun,” he tells Forbes. “But I don’t think that’s a reason to not put it out there. I think that liberty in the end is a better interest.”
We would suggest avoiding an argument with Wilson in case he flips out and decides to “liberate” you. You know, just to be on the safe side.
