A lawsuit filed by Calif. Att. Gen. Rob Bonta and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu is targeting the Gatalog Foundation Inc. and CTRLPEW LLC.
California claims that Gatalog and CTRLPEW are providing prohibited persons with plans to make “ghost guns” (3D printed firearms without serial numbers).
Matthew Larosiere, who is an attorney in Florida and is loosely connected to hobby gunsmiths via Gatalog, is one of the people California is suing. He explains in this video interview that what they call “Gatalog” is just hobbyists who found each other on the internet. They are not selling guns. They are talking about and toying with concepts for guns digitally.
“If California can regulate access to the instructions,” said Larosiere. “Not just by California, but with this lawsuit, [then] what they’re saying is they want to regulate the entire internet worldwide. That would mean that you’d be cut off at the heels from making a gun at home. And I think most of us can agree that if you have a right to keep and bear something, it necessarily subsumes the right to acquire it.”
When asked about Gatalog, Larosiere explained that it is not a group “like the NRA. There’s no member that has a card; there’s no board of directors; there’s no nothing. It’s kind of just a group of hobbyists associating around an idea. And the idea is home gunsmithing.”
Home gunsmithing predates America. Many people make their own guns. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) explicitly states: “You do not have to add a serial number or register the PMF if you are not engaged in the business of making firearms for livelihood or profit.”
The ATF does not issue serial numbers to private citizens for homemade firearms. Serial numbers are assigned and applied by licensed manufacturers or federal firearms licensees (FFLs) under specific rules. If a home gunsmith wants to get a compliant serial number (one that follows ATF specs. for licensed firearms), they typically need to involve an FFL, such as a gunsmith or manufacturer with Type 07 FFL.
In this case, though, California is not going after “rogue gun dealers” or illegal manufacturers; they are going after peoples’ protected speech, as written explanations and so on have clear First Amendment protections.
The California lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court is arguing that these two websites have violated state laws by distributing computer code and guidelines for 3D printing firearms.
Some reporting has also indicated that gun-control groups are involved in this attack on Americans’ First and Second Amendment-protected rights.
Cal Matters has even reported: “Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and vice president of GIFFORDS Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said in a statement that the organization has previously partnered with [Calif. Att. Gen.] Bonta to stop three ghost gun companies from operating throughout California.”
The NRA Institute for Legislative Action is now giving legal assistance to Larosiere and the other defendants.
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