Gun Rights Coalition Posts 3D Print Code Despite Judge’s Order, Says ‘Code Is Free Speech’

Gun and speech rights advocates posted 3D print codes Wednesday despite a judge’s order restraining Cody Wilson from posting his files for public access.

Wilson’s files were viewable and downloadable on July 27, 2018, but ARS Technica reports they “went dark” after US District Judge Robert Lansik halted their dissemination.

Wilson was scheduled to share his files broadly on August 1, 2018, as the result of a settlement with the State Department. However, Judge Lansik said, “The proliferation of these firearms will have many of the negative impacts on a state level that the federal government once feared on the international stage.”

Despite Lansik’s ruling a group of gun and speech rights advocates posted code for computer-assisted design of 3D guns online Wednesday. NBC News reports that the advocates said, “We intend to encourage people to consider new and different aspects of our nation’s marketplace of ideas — even if some government officials disagree with our views or dislike our content — because information is code, code is free speech, and free speech is freedom.”

The advocates said their goal is to “promote the collection and dissemination of truthful, non-misleading speech, new and evolving ideas, and the advancement of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.”

On Tuesday’s CBS This Morning, Cody Wilson spoke about 3D gun files and said, “I believe I am championing the Second Amendment”:

It wasn't supposed to happen before midnight tonight but it turns out the founder of a radical pro-gun group has already posted online blueprints for using 3D printers to make guns.

Wednesday on @CBSThisMorning: We’ll hear from Cody Wilson (@Radomysisky). pic.twitter.com/tpm8BlkHPq

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) July 31, 2018

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.