Defense Distributed announced yesterday the release of the third iteration of their “Ghost Gunner,” a mini-CNC mill capable of completing “80 percent” AR-15 lower receivers, blank 1911 frames, and AK-47 receivers, among other products.
The Ghost Gunner 3 (GG3) removes material five times faster than the Ghost Gunner 2 and features twice the build space, automatic leveling, an illuminated workspace, and a specially designed closed-loop digital VFD.
“It took us five years to figure it all out,” Cody Wilson, Defense Distributed’s former CEO, told the Washington Free Beacon. Wilson left the company in 2018 after being charged with paying an underage girl for sex but has since been invited to return after striking a plea deal in his case.
“But, you know, if we had like an unlimited time and budget to design this machine, this is what this would look like. Only like six parts, I think, are carried over from the previous generation. It’s completely rebuilt. It’s a totally different animal,” Wilson continued.
Defense Distributed plans to ship the machines in January but began taking pre-orders on October 23. A $500 deposit ensures a customer will receive one of the 500 units in the initial run, and the total price is $2,100 (before shipping).
The machine is illegal to purchase for residents of New Jersey and New York, since both states criminalize the possession of unregistered “assault weapons.”
As of this writing (12:00 p.m. 10/24), 318 pre-orders remain.
SEE ALSO: BREAKING: Cody Wilson Steps Down as Head of Defense Distributed Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Defense Distributed has been hit with several federal and state lawsuits since the company began publishing gun-related CAD and 3D printed files on the internet. Wilson, who has long advocated for the free exchange of gun designs, believes his own legal troubles don’t preclude him from resuming some of his responsibilities at Defense Distributed.
“It just has been my cause,” Wilson told the Free Beacon, referring to the free speech fight he’s been leading for the last six years. “I don’t know how public I need to be anymore. If it hampers the cause like I thought it would last year, I’d definitely depart. But I’ve been invited to return and, if our people still want me to be there, I’m definitely going to be there.”
Like the older models, the new GG3 does not require any background or experience in running CNC machines. Users simply plug the Ghost Gunner into a computer, install the company’s software, and use the desired design file and 80 percent receiver.
SEE ALSO: Defense Distributed on Beating Back DOJ Censorship of DIY Firearms: ‘The era of the downloadable gun has formally begun’
GG3 employs a horizontal milling format, a 9,000 rpm ER-11 collet unibody machined spindle and has a machinable area of 9.52″ x 3.50″ x 3.11″, optimized for machining AR-15 and AK-47 receivers.
The unit is also meant to accept files beyond the company’s own .DD format, including TinyG code from any CAM program. The platform is open and the plans and files will be disclosed to the public domain, according to Defense Distributed’s website.
Click here to learn more about the GG3.
Would like to see one in motion(actually working) and how much horse power?