A federal judge in Washington state has blocked blueprints for 3-D-printed guns from being shared online by a pro-gun group until the matter is resolved in court, reports the Wall Street Journal. The preliminary injunction came in response to legal action by 19 states seeking to block Texas-based Defense Distributed from distributing files it had posted online earlier. The purpose of sharing the files “is to arm every citizen outside of the government’s traditional control mechanisms of licenses, serial numbers, and registration,” said U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik. “It is the untraceable and undetectable nature of these small firearms that poses a unique danger,” he added. The lawsuit by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on behalf of the states challenged a settlement between Defense Distributed and the U.S. State Department that allowed the blueprints to be posted online.
Cody Wilson, who runs Defense Distributed, called the ruling “hilariously bad and an obvious injustice,” and said he would appeal. Wilson said, “You don’t get to abridge the freedom of speech.” Other gun-rights groups have already posted the files on separate websites.The groups argue that the judge’s ruling doesn’t apply to them because they aren’t party to the continuing litigation. Ferguson says “anyone who posts downloadable guns to the internet is violating federal law.” Federal law generally permits individuals who aren’t otherwise barred from owning firearms to make them for their own personal use. Some firearms experts played down the danger of these guns, saying most 3-D printers use materials that aren’t strong enough to produce a reliable firearm. Given the limitations of 3-D printers, criminals may be likely to buy a more reliable gun on the black market or build one from sturdier parts.