San Diego County has initiated legal action against a 3-D printing filament manufacturer, Polymaker, claiming the company violates state law by marketing materials for self-made firearms. In partnership with the Giffords Law Center, the county alleges that Polymaker targeted Californians to sell 3-D printer filament specifically designed for creating illegal weapons.
The complaint highlights the ease with which ghost guns can be manufactured from these materials. Unlike firearms assembled from commercial parts, 3-D printed ghost guns can be constructed from plastic filament using a consumer-grade 3-D printer. A fully functional, untraceable firearm can be printed in less than nine hours with a 3-D printer.
The San Diego Police Department discovered the filament and firearms in the workshop of a 16-year-old this spring, underscoring the potential danger posed by these ghost guns. Polymaker has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
“Widely available consumer-grade 3D printers capable of printing firearm parts, frames, receivers, and accessories now start at about $200 and are compact enough to fit on a small table.”
The lawsuit is part of ongoing efforts by California’s municipalities and state to curb illegal firearm production by restricting access to the components needed to manufacture ghost guns. Earlier this year, San Francisco collaborated with the California attorney general to sue Gatalog, an online library offering more than 150 different 3-D-printed gun designs.
These 3-D printers cost around $200, with polymer filament available for $20-30, making firearm production accessible. A 3-D printed gun could cost half that of a conventional firearm, such as a Glock. The proliferation of ghost guns has led California authorities to recover approximately 11,000 annually, compared to a mere two dozen a decade ago.
The suits highlight marketing strategies that directly target California residents, such as Gatalog’s “California Compliant Glock 19-based Carbine kit” and Polymaker’s state-specific website features. Despite their attempts to challenge these allegations based on constitutional grounds, legal rulings have favored restricting the spread of ghost gun components.
California’s efforts to enforce new gun control measures are being scrutinized as courts, such as the 9th Circuit, show increasing hostility towards gun control laws. Previous rulings, including decisions on California’s ghost gun regulations and knife restrictions, indicate the challenges faced in this legal battle.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch noted that simply having parts does not constitute a finished weapon, comparing it to incomplete items like a pile of unfinished logs not yet forming a table. Justice Clarence Thomas described ambiguity in how marketing materials can influence the classification of components as regulable.