New laws in California and New York could change how 3D-printed guns are regulated. Instead of going after the gun files themselves — a strategy that’s mostly failed in court — they’re targeting the machines.
Both states are pushing legislation that would require 3D printers to include blueprint-scanning software — essentially print blockers that detect gun files and stop the print before it starts. Think of it as content moderation for the physical world.
It’s about time. 3D-printed guns have been around for over a decade. Cody Wilson printed the first functional firearm back in 2013. Courts have repeatedly treated gun code as protected speech, frustrating every attempt to regulate it. Anyone with a printer and internet access can browse file-sharing sites and make their own gun.
The recent cases are hard to ignore. Former Army National Guard member Andrew Scott Hastings was caught packing boxes with homemade lower receivers and more than 100 auto-sear switches destined for al-Qaida operatives. ATF agents busted two men in Colorado Springs who allegedly stuffed 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices into Lego boxes and shipped them nationwide.
Then there was the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. The suspected gunman used a partially 3D-printed Glock-style frame and a 3D-printed silencer — items that would normally require months of federal paperwork.
The problem with the new approach? Neither California nor New York specifies what the blocking tech needs to look like. That gives the industry flexibility, but it also leaves critics worried this could evolve into broader surveillance infrastructure. The EFF has already raised concerns about California’s bill.
It’s a tricky balance. Regulate the machines, or keep fighting a losing battle over the files. Either way, the era of untraceable ghost guns isn’t going away quietly.
