Spain, US lead in downloads of 3D plastic pistol blueprints

Los Angeles, May 10 (IANS/EFE) Spain and the US are the two countries with the most downloads of the 3D blueprints for homemade plastic pistols that were posted on the Internet this week by the Defense Distributed company with the aim of facilitating access to firearms out from under control by the authorities.

According to what the firm said Thursday, Spain was the country from where the most download requests were received for the "Liberator" pistol during the first two days its blueprints were available online.

Between Monday and Wednesday, 100,000 download requests were received worldwide via the company's web site and Mega.co.nz, operated by the controversial German-Finnish Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, known for his ability to prevent the authorities from tracing the activities of Internet users.

On Thursday, the US surpassed Spain as the country from which the most pistol plan download requests had been received, and the two nations are currently followed by Brazil, Germany and Britain.

Cody Wilson, the 25-year-old founder of Defense Distributed, performed a demonstration this week of the operation of the plastic - but deadly - pistol he developed that has sparked requests in Washington to implement better control over weapons defined as undetectable.

The Liberator incorporates into its design a piece of metal with the sole aim of allowing the weapon to be detected by magnetic screening devices, which are the key instruments used to provide airport security.

--IANS/EFE

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