Hall: The self-built weapon arsenal of the assassin

There is an eleven-page document circulating on the Internet, allegedly produced by the assassin of Halle; After initial tests, it is rated as "authentic", as security circles reported.

The document lists self-made firearms: two improvised shotguns, a single-shot pistol, a semi-automatic firearm with plastic parts from the 3D printer and a 9mm "Luty" submachine gun.

The weapons line up with those seen in Halle's self-made video of the culprit. According to the eleven-page document, it was a declared goal of the perpetrator to prove the suitability of improvised weapons.

This relationship casts a spotlight on the dark sides of the Internet, where gun fools talk about their own designs and upload blueprints. A scene in which apparently the perpetrator of Halle was also busy.

Firearms such as the "Luty" have been specially designed to function completely without official weapon parts. Basically, all you have to do is go to a hardware store and find the parts there, "says weapons expert NR Jenzen-Jones, who heads Armament Research Services, a private organization that collects and analyzes data on arms around the world.

The self-made submachine gun of the Englishman Philip Luty has cult status with many weapons carts. It is a political statement, its inventor wanted to say that who wants to build a functional weapon, which can also - no matter how much the state tries to prevent that. It usually takes little more than mediocre know-how to produce.

This also applies to the construction of the improvised shotguns, which the perpetrator of Halle used, they could not be simpler. Two pipes and one screw are enough to build a working weapon whose origin can not be traced - an increasing problem for the security authorities.

"With a lot of energy planned"

In the manifesto, the perpetrator documents in detail which firearms he will wear on his body, when to use them and what is planned when a weapon stops working. He describes the composition of the explosive with which he will later try to blow open the front door to the synagogue and explains how he produced the firearm ammunition. "You can see that the assassin has quite a clue about self-made weapons, but above all, you realize that he has planned that for a very long time with a lot of energy," says Jenzen-Jones.

Self-made firearms can be found in conflict zones around the world, but are usually used where access to conventional weapons is difficult. The principle of building rudimentary metal weapons on their own is old. Relatively new, however, is the development of so-called hybrid weapons, which are produced using 3D printers. This has been a trend in the gunsmithing scene for years. Digital building instructions are exchanged, expanded, realized and tested (more on this in the visual story of SPIEGEL).

Some parts of these hybrid weapons can come from conventional pistols. But a large part consists of polylactides - plastic, which comes from the 3D printer. In the US, for example, activist Cody Wilson caused a stir with weapons from the 3D printer. After legal disputes, he finally got the right to sell blueprints online.

In Germany, only a firearm may build who has the appropriate manufacturing permit - for example, gunsmiths or large commercial weapons maker. Illegal weapons are punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

The homemade hybrid weapons are often error-prone, it can even happen that they disassemble in the hand in pieces. The perpetrator of Halle also used such a hybrid weapon. And she did not seem to work well. In the action video you can hear him cursing, you can see how multiple malfunctions occur, how the weapon blocks or does not fire.

Also read: What is known about the act of Halle and the arrested