California Sues Websites Over Distribution of 3D Printing Code for Guns

February 10, 2026
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California's latest assault on the Second Amendment just leveled up from banning guns to suing over digital blueprints. Late last week, the state filed a blockbuster lawsuit against the operators of two websites—Defense Distributed's DEFCAD and Plastic Gun Shop—that host computer code and instructions for 3D printing firearms, parts, and accessories. Citing violations of the state's assault weapons ban and unfair competition laws, Attorney General Rob Bonta is wielding the courts like a ghost gun hammer, demanding these sites block Californians from accessing the files and pay hefty penalties. It's not just about printers; it's a direct shot at the democratization of manufacturing that 3D tech enables, where anyone with a desktop printer and some filament can sidestep Big Brother's iron grip on hardware. This isn't California's first rodeo—remember the 2018 settlement that forced Cody Wilson to pull DEFCAD files offline for U.S. users? That cat's long out of the bag, with files mirrored worldwide and printers cheaper than ever (under $300 for models capable of functional lowers). The real genius here is the precedent: if states can sue websites for distributing code that's indistinguishable from open-source software, what's next? GitHub repos for AR-15 tolerances? CAD files for suppressors? It's a slippery slope to criminalizing information itself, echoing the failed ITAR battles where the feds tried (and lost) to classify printable gun data as munitions exports. For the 2A community, this screams urgency—expect copycat suits in New York and Jersey, pushing us toward decentralized platforms like blockchain-hosted repos or peer-to-peer file sharing that no subpoena can fully quash. The implications? A rallying cry for federal preemption and SCOTUS clarity on whether arms in the Second Amendment includes the means to make them. Innovators are already pivoting to VPN-proof hosting and encrypted torrents, turning this lawsuit into free advertising for home fab labs. 2A warriors, stock up on printers, learn Fusion 360, and lobby your reps—this is war on the future of self-reliance, and we're not backing down.

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California’s latest assault on the Second Amendment just leveled up from banning guns to suing over digital blueprints. Late last week, the state filed a blockbuster lawsuit against the operators of two websites—Defense Distributed’s DEFCAD and Plastic Gun Shop—that host computer code and instructions for 3D printing firearms, parts, and accessories. Citing violations of the state’s assault weapons ban and unfair competition laws, Attorney General Rob Bonta is wielding the courts like a ghost gun hammer, demanding these sites block Californians from accessing the files and pay hefty penalties. It’s not just about printers; it’s a direct shot at the democratization of manufacturing that 3D tech enables, where anyone with a desktop printer and some filament can sidestep Big Brother’s iron grip on hardware.

This isn’t California’s first rodeo—remember the 2018 settlement that forced Cody Wilson to pull DEFCAD files offline for U.S. users? That cat’s long out of the bag, with files mirrored worldwide and printers cheaper than ever (under $300 for models capable of functional lowers). The real genius here is the precedent: if states can sue websites for distributing code that’s indistinguishable from open-source software, what’s next? GitHub repos for AR-15 tolerances? CAD files for suppressors? It’s a slippery slope to criminalizing information itself, echoing the failed ITAR battles where the feds tried (and lost) to classify printable gun data as munitions exports. For the 2A community, this screams urgency—expect copycat suits in New York and Jersey, pushing us toward decentralized platforms like blockchain-hosted repos or peer-to-peer file sharing that no subpoena can fully quash.

The implications? A rallying cry for federal preemption and SCOTUS clarity on whether arms in the Second Amendment includes the means to make them. Innovators are already pivoting to VPN-proof hosting and encrypted torrents, turning this lawsuit into free advertising for home fab labs. 2A warriors, stock up on printers, learn Fusion 360, and lobby your reps—this is war on the future of self-reliance, and we’re not backing down.

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