California Sues The Gatalog, CTRLPew for Distribution of Code for 3D Printing Guns

February 8, 2026
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California's Attorney General has unleashed the state's legal hounds on The Gatalog and CTRLPew, two scrappy outfits distributing digital files for 3D-printed firearms, accusing them of everything from unlawful sales to consumer protection violations. This isn't just a lawsuit—it's a calculated ambush designed to bleed these small operators dry through endless discovery, motions, and appeals, all while the AG's office flexes taxpayer-funded muscle. The source material nails it: the real game is intimidation, a shot across the bow to any indie coder or file-sharer daring to democratize firearm tech in the post-Defense Distributed era. Think about it—California's already the ghost gun capital in rhetoric only; they've banned home manufacture outright, but enforcement has been a joke until now. Suing over code treats information like contraband, echoing the failed censorship battles against Cody Wilson's Liberator files back in 2018. Zoom out, and this reeks of desperation from a regime watching 2A tech slip from their grasp. 3D printing isn't going anywhere—files proliferate on decentralized networks like IPFS and torrent swarms, impossible to fully eradicate without shuttering the internet. The Gatalog and CTRLPew aren't arms dealers; they're librarians of open-source innovation, empowering hobbyists from garage tinkerers to off-grid preppers. Implications for the community? Rally time. This lawsuit spotlights how blue-state AGs weaponize civil suits to bypass legislatures and courts, much like New York's assault on pistol braces or ghost gun kits. It could chill distribution, but history says otherwise—expect forks, mirrors, and underground alternatives to explode. Pro-2A warriors should fund these defendants via GoFundMe or PACs, amplify their story on X and Rumble, and push federal preemption to neuter state overreach. If California wins, it's a blueprint for copycats in New Jersey or Illinois; if they lose, it's a landmark affirming that code is speech, and the First Amendment guards the Second. The bigger picture? This is peak nanny-state hubris clashing with the inexorable march of technology. Remember when they tried to ban AR-15s by calling them assault weapons, only for builders to pivot to 80% lowers and now polymer prints? Same playbook. The 2A community thrives on resilience—stock up on printers, learn Fusion 360, and share files responsibly. California's suing shadows while the sun rises on sovereign makers everywhere. Stay vigilant, print on, and let freedom ring... in PLA.

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California’s Attorney General has unleashed the state’s legal hounds on The Gatalog and CTRLPew, two scrappy outfits distributing digital files for 3D-printed firearms, accusing them of everything from unlawful sales to consumer protection violations. This isn’t just a lawsuit—it’s a calculated ambush designed to bleed these small operators dry through endless discovery, motions, and appeals, all while the AG’s office flexes taxpayer-funded muscle. The source material nails it: the real game is intimidation, a shot across the bow to any indie coder or file-sharer daring to democratize firearm tech in the post-Defense Distributed era. Think about it—California’s already the ghost gun capital in rhetoric only; they’ve banned home manufacture outright, but enforcement has been a joke until now. Suing over code treats information like contraband, echoing the failed censorship battles against Cody Wilson’s Liberator files back in 2018.

Zoom out, and this reeks of desperation from a regime watching 2A tech slip from their grasp. 3D printing isn’t going anywhere—files proliferate on decentralized networks like IPFS and torrent swarms, impossible to fully eradicate without shuttering the internet. The Gatalog and CTRLPew aren’t arms dealers; they’re librarians of open-source innovation, empowering hobbyists from garage tinkerers to off-grid preppers. Implications for the community? Rally time. This lawsuit spotlights how blue-state AGs weaponize civil suits to bypass legislatures and courts, much like New York’s assault on pistol braces or ghost gun kits. It could chill distribution, but history says otherwise—expect forks, mirrors, and underground alternatives to explode. Pro-2A warriors should fund these defendants via GoFundMe or PACs, amplify their story on X and Rumble, and push federal preemption to neuter state overreach. If California wins, it’s a blueprint for copycats in New Jersey or Illinois; if they lose, it’s a landmark affirming that code is speech, and the First Amendment guards the Second.

The bigger picture? This is peak nanny-state hubris clashing with the inexorable march of technology. Remember when they tried to ban AR-15s by calling them assault weapons, only for builders to pivot to 80% lowers and now polymer prints? Same playbook. The 2A community thrives on resilience—stock up on printers, learn Fusion 360, and share files responsibly. California’s suing shadows while the sun rises on sovereign makers everywhere. Stay vigilant, print on, and let freedom ring… in PLA.

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