Colorado Bill Criminalizing Computer Code Sparks Constitutional Battle Over Gun Rights and Free Speech

February 24, 2026
6:15 pm

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Colorado lawmakers are at it again, this time with a bill that doesn't just target guns—it goes after the very code that makes 3D-printed firearms possible, branding mere possession of that digital blueprint a crime. Dubbed an unprecedented attack by Second Amendment defenders, the legislation aims to outlaw computer code used to manufacture firearms, effectively criminalizing thoughts in binary. This isn't about regulating hardware; it's a digital dragnet that could ensnare hobbyists, tinkerers, and innovators who dare to share or even hold onto files like the infamous Liberator pistol design. As the source text highlights, the backlash is fierce, with gun rights groups framing it as a dual assault on the 2A and the First Amendment—because if code is speech, and speech is protected, what's next, banning PDFs of the Federalist Papers? Digging deeper, this move reeks of the same slippery slope we've seen in past gun grabs, from New York's SAFE Act to California's microstamping mandates, but with a tech twist that exposes the anti-gun crowd's desperation in the age of decentralized manufacturing. Remember Defense Distributed's Cody Wilson? His 2018 legal victory forced the feds to back off censoring 3D gun files, affirming that such code is indeed protected expression under the First Amendment. Colorado's bill flips that script, potentially turning GitHub repos and forum downloads into felonies, chilling innovation and handing Big Tech even more power to police content. For the 2A community, the implications are seismic: if states can criminalize code, they could expand to blueprints, tutorials, or even AR-15 assembly videos on YouTube. It's a blueprint for nationwide suppression, testing whether courts will uphold that code-as-speech precedent amid rising ghost gun hysteria. The battle lines are drawn, and this could rocket to the Supreme Court, joining the fray with cases like Rahimi andBruen. 2A warriors should mobilize now—contact your reps, amplify via GOA or FPC, and stock up on VPNs for those file shares. If Colorado pulls this off, expect copycat laws from blue-state bullies, eroding the right to build your own defense one line of code at a time. Stay vigilant; the Second Amendment isn't just about metal and powder anymore—it's about the intangible tools of liberty in a digital world.

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Colorado lawmakers are at it again, this time with a bill that doesn’t just target guns—it goes after the very code that makes 3D-printed firearms possible, branding mere possession of that digital blueprint a crime. Dubbed an unprecedented attack by Second Amendment defenders, the legislation aims to outlaw computer code used to manufacture firearms, effectively criminalizing thoughts in binary. This isn’t about regulating hardware; it’s a digital dragnet that could ensnare hobbyists, tinkerers, and innovators who dare to share or even hold onto files like the infamous Liberator pistol design. As the source text highlights, the backlash is fierce, with gun rights groups framing it as a dual assault on the 2A and the First Amendment—because if code is speech, and speech is protected, what’s next, banning PDFs of the Federalist Papers?

Digging deeper, this move reeks of the same slippery slope we’ve seen in past gun grabs, from New York’s SAFE Act to California’s microstamping mandates, but with a tech twist that exposes the anti-gun crowd’s desperation in the age of decentralized manufacturing. Remember Defense Distributed’s Cody Wilson? His 2018 legal victory forced the feds to back off censoring 3D gun files, affirming that such code is indeed protected expression under the First Amendment. Colorado’s bill flips that script, potentially turning GitHub repos and forum downloads into felonies, chilling innovation and handing Big Tech even more power to police content. For the 2A community, the implications are seismic: if states can criminalize code, they could expand to blueprints, tutorials, or even AR-15 assembly videos on YouTube. It’s a blueprint for nationwide suppression, testing whether courts will uphold that code-as-speech precedent amid rising ghost gun hysteria.

The battle lines are drawn, and this could rocket to the Supreme Court, joining the fray with cases like Rahimi andBruen. 2A warriors should mobilize now—contact your reps, amplify via GOA or FPC, and stock up on VPNs for those file shares. If Colorado pulls this off, expect copycat laws from blue-state bullies, eroding the right to build your own defense one line of code at a time. Stay vigilant; the Second Amendment isn’t just about metal and powder anymore—it’s about the intangible tools of liberty in a digital world.

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