Source: B/FlickrDespite last-minute attempts to ban them, 3D-printed gun blueprints became available online four days earlier than announced, spurring government officials to action.

Following a recent ruling from the U.S. Justice Department declaring that the blueprints can be made available for download, Defense Distributed, the website offering the plans, released the blueprints for nine different gun designs, days earlier than the previously announced release date of August 1.

As such, eight U.S. states have filed suit seeking an emergency ban on the blueprints while 21 attorneys general have sent a letter to the U.S. State Department calling for a block of the online plans.

"As the chief law enforcement officers of our states, we believe the settlement terms and proposed rules are deeply dangerous and could have an unprecedented impact on public safety," the letter said. "In addition to helping arm terrorists and transnational criminals, the settlement and proposed rules would provide another path to gun ownership for people who are prohibited by federal and state law from possessing firearms."

"These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors, and will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history," said Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

While efforts to ban the blueprints are ongoing, thousands of people have already downloaded the 3D-printed gun designs.