Gun Rights

Cody Wilson: The Future of Gun Control and U.S. Politics

The man behind 3D-printed guns talks about beating the ATF, his abiding interest in cyberpunk culture, and what comes next for "practical anarchy."

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This is the audio version of The Reason Livestreamwhich takes place every Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern.

The guest for this week's livestream was Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed, the creator of the 3D-printed "Liberator" gun. We talked with Cody about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which is trying—and failing—to shut down Defense Distributed's ability to sell unfinished gun components; the philosophical roots of his crypto-anarchist project and interest in cyberpunk thinking; and his predictions about the future of gun control and American politics as we enter the 2024 presidential cycle.

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