‘Ghost gun’ linked to Luigi Mangione shows how far 3D printed weapons have come

More than one A decade after the emergence of 3D-printed guns as an icon of libertarianism and a nightmare for gun control, police say one of those homemade plastic guns has been found in the hands of perhaps the world’s most notorious alleged killer. . To the gunsmith community who have spent years perfecting those printable firearm models, in fact, the one police claim Luigi Mangione used to fatally shoot United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson is as recognizable as the now-famous alleged shooter, and shows how practical and deadly those weapons have become.

In the 24 hours since police released a photo of what they say is Mangione’s gun following the 26-year-old’s arrest on Monday, the online community dedicated to 3D-printed firearms has rushed to identify the suspected murder weapon as a particular model of printable weapon. “ghost gun” – A homemade weapon with no serial number, created by assembling a combination of commercial and DIY parts. The gun appears to be a Chairmanwon V1, a modification of a popular partially 3D-printed glock design known as the FMDA 19.2, an acronym representing the libertarian slogan “Free Men Don’t Ask.”

The FMDA 19.2, released in 2021, is a relatively old model by 3D-printed gun standards, says a gunsmith named John and online handle Mr. Snow Makes. But it is one of the most well-known and tested printable ghost gun designs, he says. The Chairmanwon V1 remix that police say Mangione had in his possession when he was arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s varies from the original FMDA 19.2 design only in that another amateur gunsmith, who uses the pseudonym Chairmanwon, added a different texture alarm. grip.

“For someone who has been making firearms like this for five years, it’s a bit of an odd choice. We’ve been building nicer models,” says Snow Makes, who organizes an annual ghost gun shooting competition. But he adds that “this is one of the first 3D printed glock styles that was extensively tested and successful in creating a functional and reliable firearm.”

New York authorities charged Mangione on Monday with Thompson’s Dec. 4 murder, in addition to weapons charges and other alleged crimes in Pennsylvania. TO handwritten “manifesto” Police say they found in Mangione’s person after his arrest that he regrets the practices of United Healthcare and the U.S. health insurance industry in general. Bullet casings discovered at the scene of the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in Manhattan were reported to be emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend,” “depose,” likely criticisms of care industry practices. medical.

The fact that even a relatively early model of 3D-printed firearm allegedly allowed Mangione to repeatedly shoot Thompson on a Manhattan street (certainly the most notorious shooting ever committed with a ghost gun or 3D-printed gun) shows How far DIY gun technology has come, says Cody Wilson, founder of the gun rights group Defense Distributed. Unlike early 3D-printed gun models, the FDMA 19.2 can be fired hundreds or even thousands of times without its plastic components breaking.