AMGOA Staff
Pennsylvania


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A judge in Seattle extended a ban on publishing instructions for 3-D printed guns during state litigation over the controversial practice, handing a procedural victory to gun-control advocates.

The ruling, handed down in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, marks the latest chapter in the ongoing battle over 3D-printed weapons.

Defense Distributed, a non-profit defense firm, had planned to offer the blueprints for download starting Aug. 1 following a multiyear legal battle with the federal government.

However, in late July U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik stopped the release of the blueprints. President Donald Trump has also voiced his concern over the weapons.

Advocates for gun control have argued that 3D-printed guns could also pose security challenges as they pass through airport X-ray machines.

Speaking to Fox News in July Defense Distributed director Cody Wilson described current 3D-printed guns as "mostly curiosities," and said that the "big" and "bulky" characteristics of the weapons would help identify them. "I doubt seriously that it’s a real problem," he added. "If it is a problem, then the [security] norms will have to change."

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/08/27/3-d-printed-gun-ban-extended-by-judge-pending-state-challenge.html