More than a decade after the advent of the 3D-printed gun as a symbol of libertarianism and a gun control nightmare, police say one of those homemade plastic weapons may now be in the hands of perhaps the world's most high-profile alleged murderer. Has been found. For the community of DIY gunsmiths who have spent years honoring Those Printable Firearms Models Are, In Fact, the Handgun Police Claim Luigi Mangione Used UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomson shot It's as recognizable as the now-famous alleged shooter himself—and shows just how practical and deadly those weapons have become.

In the 24 hours since police released a photo of Mangione's gun following the 26-year-old's arrest on Monday, an online community dedicated to 3D-printed firearms has created an exclusive printable model of the suspected murder weapon. Has accelerated identification. “Ghost Gun” – A homemade weapon with no serial number, made from a mix of commercial and DIY parts. It appears this gun is the Chairmanvon V1, a variation of a popular partially 3D-printed Glock design known as the FMDA 19.2 – an acronym that stands for the libertarian slogan, “Free Men Don’t Ask ” is for.

The FMDA 19.2, released in 2021, is a relatively old model by 3D-printed gun standards, says a gunsmith who goes by the first name John and the online handle Mr. Snow Makes. But it's one of the most well-known and well-tested printable ghost gun designs, he says. The ChairmanVon V1 Remix, which police say was in Mangione's possession when he was arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald's, differs from the original FMDA 19.2 design only in that another amateur gunman, who goes by the pseudonym ChairmanVon Has added a different texture to the gun. grasp.

“For someone who has been making firearms like this for five years, it's a bit of an odd choice. We're making good models,'' says Mr. Snow Makes, who hosts an annual ghost gun shooting competition. But he adds that “this is one of the earliest 3D printed Glock styles that was extensively tested and succeeded in creating a reliably functional firearm.”

Authorities in New York charged Mangione on Monday with Thompson's murder on Dec. 4, as well as weapons charges and other alleged crimes in Pennsylvania. A Handwritten “Manifesto” Police say what they found in Mangione's possession after his arrest prompted outrage at the practices of UnitedHealthcare and the American health insurance industry more broadly. Bullet casings found at the scene of the shootings outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in Manhattan were reportedly emblazoned with the words “deny,” “protect,” “remove”—likely criticisms of health care industry practices.

The fact that even a relatively old model of 3D-printed firearm allowed Mangione to repeatedly shoot Thomson on a Manhattan street—certainly the most high-profile attempt ever made with a ghost gun or 3D-printed weapon. The profile shooting — shows how far DIY weapons 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 breaking its plastic components.

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