A milling machine that allows customers to make the body of an AR-15 rifle has sold out in 36 hours. Despite costing $1,200, there was no shortage of buyers as clients wanted to build part of their own gun – with no serial number – in their own homes.
Defense Distributed, owned by gun rights activist Cody Wilson, managed to sell over 200 computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) milling machines – called Ghost Gunner – with 175 sold within 24 hours of going on sale.
Wilson was surprised at just how quickly his product sold. He had only intended to sell 110 machines, but such is the demand he now intends to employ more staff to give the public what it wants.
“People want this machine,” Wilson said, speaking to Wired magazine. “People want the battle rifle and the comfort of replicability, and the privacy component. They want it, and they’re buying it.”