The race to upload 3D-printed gun blueprints online has officially come to a halt.
The website that provided the blueprints, Defcad, went dark Tuesday night after a federal judge in Seattle, Washington, issued a restraining order that temporarily blocked the government’s settlement with its owner, “Crypto-anarchist” Cody Wilson.
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The order, handed down Tuesday evening, was the result of a multi-state lawsuit brought by nine attorneys general on Monday came just hours before Wilson’s unofficial roll-out date of Aug. 1, although he had already uploaded thousands of blueprints for at least seven different guns, including an AR-15.
Wilson, 29, and his company Defense Distributed, — which operates Defcad — quietly settled a yearslong lawsuit with the State Department in July, which cleared the way for him to resume publishing his blueprints online. The multi-state lawsuit sought to reverse that settlement.
Wilson did not respond to VICE News’ request for comment, but judging by his website, he’s not ready to give up the fight just yet.
Although the blueprints for his printable guns have disappeared, in their place, Wilson urges his fans to become members to help fund legal battles.
“This site, after legally committing its files to the public domain through a license from the U.S. Department of state, has been ordered shut down by a federal judge in the Western District of Washington,” a banner on Wilson’s website Defcad.com currently states. “Join us to uncensor the site.”
Clicking on the words “Join Us” navigates to another page that invites visitors to join “LEGIO,” “Defense Distributed’s political and technical fraternity.”
“Legionnaires do more than “protect the Second Amendment,” the website states. “They fund its direct, material expansion with Defense Distributed.”
Gun control groups are claiming victory — for now.
“It is immediately obvious to anyone who looks at this issue that 3D-printed guns are nothing short of a menace to society,” wrote Avery Gardiner, co-president of the Brady Campaign, a gun control advocacy group. “The efforts of these Attorneys General throughout the nation have helped strike a powerful blow against the scourge of 3D-printed guns, but we know this fight is not yet over. We will continue to do everything in our power to make sure that this temporary halt in publication becomes a permanent one.”
Cover image: Cody Wilson relaxes at his Austin home with the first completely 3D-printed handgun, The Liberator, on Friday May 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Austin American Statesman, Jay Janner)
