Computer-controlled CNC milling machine makes untraceable semi-automatics

Cody Wilson, the self-styled libertarian behind the world’s first 3D printed gun, has returned with a computer-controlled CNC milling machine capable of creating a semi-automatic rifle free of serial number. Ghost Gunner – as the mill is named – sold out in the first 24 hours and it can fabricate an AR-15 rifle at home with no expertise. 

Wilson claimed to have initially planned on selling 110 units before cutting off orders, but has allowed orders to reach in the excess of 175. A few days later, Wilson indicated that his organization, the libertarian non-profit Defense Distributed, will produce another patch priced at $1299 at unit or $100 more than the initial offering. Publicity stunt or not, this move should come as no surprise given Defense Distributed’s release of 3D-printable pistol CAD files earlier this year, a move that wrought the organization in both fame and infamy.

Undoubtedly, the question arising on everyone’s mind is: how can something like this be legal in the first place? The answer lies in the rifle’s lower receiver, a component which connects the stock, barrel, magazine, and other parts of the gun together; it’s the sole component legally considered a firearm in the U.S. on its own.  The Ghost Gunner CNCs a semi- completed version of this component and transforms it into a working piece that can be assembled into a working weapon when paired with the remaining components. The entire situation exploits a loophole in which lower receivers that are less than or equal to 80% percent complete are considered legal.

Currently, no U.S. state has yet to outlaw the practice. When California state senator Kevin De Leon recently attempted to issue a bill that would outlaw firearms without serial numbers, government Jerry Brown vetoed the bill. As with consumer drones, this situation may be another example of technology evolving faster than the law. Time will tell whether the Ghost Gunner is a ticking time bomb or an acceptable part of one’s 2nd amendment right, though the lack of oversight may point to the former. 

Via Wired