Wired has sparked controversy by releasing a video tutorial detailing how to construct an untraceable 9mm “ghost gun” identical to the one used by Luigi Mangione in the UnitedHealth CEO shooting. The outlet frames the guide as a call to “stomp out injustice,” seemingly evading YouTube’s content rules that typically restrict such instructional content.

This blatant disregard for platform standards highlights a double standard, where corporate media outlets like Wired appear exempt from the scrutiny applied to smaller creators. The video’s step-by-step instructions for building the copycat weapon have raised alarms about the potential misuse of such content, especially given its provocative framing as a tool for social activism.

Infowars.com reports: “So, armed with a shopping list and a credit card, we ordered everything we needed. A 3D printer, plastic filaments, and household products like epoxy were all just a few clicks away on sites like Lowe’s or Amazon. And the more specialized components were available on sites that sell gun parts, just not the guns themselves,” Wired’s Andy Greenberg explained to viewers in the video. 

Greenberg continued, “A few days later, every ingredient I needed to make Mangione’s gun arrived in the mail for the grand total of $1,144.67 plus shipping. And that includes the price of the 3D printer. This is like Christmas Day. This looks like a slide, very much like an obvious gun part. Kind of crazy that you can just order this.” 

The video then spent five minutes showing viewers the printing and assembly processes. He outsourced the assembly of the pistol to YouTube Print Shoot Repeat. 

After assembling the 3D-printed pistol, Greenberg took it to a shooting range and fired several magazines through it; the weapon performed as expected.

Meanwhile, YouTube explicitly prohibits content that provides instructions on manufacturing firearms, including ghost guns. 

The policy even states:

“Don’t post content on YouTube if the purpose is to do one or more of the following: Provide instructions on manufacturing any of the following: Firearms.”

Meanwhile, independent firearm enthusiasts regularly get their videos pulled, age-restricted, or demonetized for far less. The double standard is obvious: if you’re mainstream media, you get a pass — but if you’re just a gun hobbyist or DIY engineer, the censorship hammer comes down hard.

Why is Wired effectively providing a how-to guide on building a copycat weapon, especially when it’s being served up to Luigi Mangione’s fanbase of unhinged Marxist leftists?