California’s gun-grabbers are at it again, this time setting their sights on 3D printers in a desperate bid to strangle homemade firearm production. The latest salvo in the Golden State’s endless anti-2A jihad targets the very technology that’s democratizing manufacturing, with new regulations aiming to criminalize or heavily restrict printers capable of churning out gun parts. Proponents claim it’s about stopping ghost guns, those unserialized homemade firearms that law-abiding citizens have crafted for decades using basic tools—long before 3D printing entered the chat. But let’s call it what it is: a technophobic overreach that ignores the fact that determined makers can already produce functional firearms with a drill press and some elbow grease, as evidenced by the proliferation of 80% lowers and simple metalworking since the 1970s.
Digging deeper, this move reeks of the same failed logic behind past flops like the microstamping mandate or the assault weapons ban, both riddled with technical impossibilities that courts have slapped down. 3D printers aren’t magic boxes; they’re tools reliant on publicly available files from sites like DEFCAD, and enforcing printer permits or software locks would be a nightmare—think mandatory backdoors ripe for hacking or supply chain sabotage. For the 2A community, the implications are crystal clear: this is preemption against innovation, signaling a broader war on self-reliance. If California succeeds, expect copycat laws in blue strongholds like New York and Illinois, pushing makers underground or out-of-state. It’s a gift to black market criminals who ignore laws anyway, while hobbling hobbyists and survivalists who value the right to build their own defenses.
The silver lining? This overreach galvanizes the fight. Groups like the Firearms Policy Coalition are already gearing up for lawsuits, citing First Amendment protections for code and files (à la Defense Distributed’s landmark wins). Nationally, it underscores why red states are passing 3D printing sanctuaries and nullifying federal oversteps. 2A patriots, stock up on filament, archive those STLs, and keep printing—because when the state comes for your printer, it’s not about safety; it’s about control. Stay vigilant, stay armed, and vote with your feet if you’re stuck in Commiefornia.
