California Sues Websites Sharing 3D-Printed Gun Blueprints and Code

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu sued two organizations that operate websites distributing computer code, blueprints, and step-by-step instructions enabling the 3D printing of ghost guns and other unlawful firearm components. The complaint was filed in San Francisco County Superior Court on Feb. 6, 2026 and seeks to halt the online distribution that the state says facilitates unlawful manufacture and conversion of firearms.

The plaintiffs named Gatalog Foundation Inc. and CTRLPew LLC as defendants, and identified Alexander Holladay as Gatalog Foundation’s principal, John Elik as its director, and Matthew Larosiere as a named individual defendant. The Office of the Attorney General describes the lawsuit as a trailblazing effort to block digital files that include code for 3D-printing ghost guns, machine gun conversion devices including "Glock Switches," illegal large-capacity magazines, and other firearm-related products and components. The complaint alleges the defendants distributed these materials to people who are not licensed to manufacture firearms in California.

The lawsuit characterizes ghost guns as a public-safety crisis and cites enforcement data showing 26 recovered ghost guns in 2015 and an average of more than 11,000 recovered per year since 2021. The complaint highlights a 2024 Santa Rosa case in which a 14-year-old used a 3D printer to manufacture multiple firearms. The complaint states, “Because they are not serialized, ghost guns are effectively untraceable by law enforcement,” and adds that privately manufactured weapons “bypass critical safeguards like background checks. In this way, ghost guns unlawfully circumvent traditional gun control measures.”

State investigators say they were able to download code and instructions from the websites “with a few simple keystrokes” and that the files were used to build a Glock-style handgun. The complaint alleges the sites offered computer code and instructions for more than 150 designs of lethal firearms and prohibited accessories, a volume the state says amplifies the risk to communities across California.

Rob Bonta framed the action as consumer- and community-protection: “These defendants’ conduct enables unlicensed people who are too young or too dangerous to pass firearm background checks to illegally print deadly weapons without a background check and without a trace,” he said. David Chiu warned that the sites “are making it easier to put guns in the hands of dangerous individuals, including those barred from owning a firearm. We’re asking the Court to stop Gatalog’s illegal distribution of ghost gun blueprints, which makes us all less safe.” Adam Skaggs of the Giffords Law Center praised the move and said a new generation of actors is trying “to unlawfully arm minors, people with felony convictions, and domestic abusers by letting them 3D-print their own guns without any background checks.”

The defendants could not be reached for comment. The complaint asks the court to stop the distribution; the specific remedies and statutory claims are detailed in the filed papers. For makers, modders, and community workshop operators, the suit signals increased legal scrutiny around sharing weapon-related code and files. Verify the legality of any files you host or download, and keep clear records of file provenance and intent. Expect litigation over online distribution and likely First Amendment defenses to follow as the case moves through the San Francisco County Superior Court.