Thousands have already downloaded plans for 3D printed guns

Plans for 3D printed guns have already been downloaded thousands of times, days before the blueprints were supposed to be posted online, according to the BBC.

The plans were not supposed to be made available to the public until Wednesday, according to the terms of a government settlement with a guns rights activist. Plans for nine different models of guns were uploaded online on Friday, the BBC reported.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s (D) office confirmed to CNN that more than 1,000 people had downloaded the plans to 3D print AR-15-style semiautomatic assault rifles as of Monday.

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Defense Distributed, led by guns rights activist Cody Wilson, reached a settlement with the government late last month to allow the 3D printed gun plans to be posted and sold online.

The government had initially ordered Wilson to remove the plans when they were first posted in 2013, saying they violated restrictions on the export of defense materials.

He complied at the time, but sued the government in 2015.

Several states sued on Monday to block the plans from being posted, arguing the settlement infringes on their rights to regulate firearms and will put untraceable guns in the hands of criminals.

President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that he is “looking into” the 3D printable gun plans, saying the concept “doesn’t seem to make much sense.”

I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018