California's push to ban technology used for 'ghost guns' finds unlikely foe in Hollywood

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Set us as preferred California has some of the nation’s toughest gun laws, but state lawmakers are concerned that a new technology is allowing criminals to obtain firearms by building them from scratch.By using 3-D printers, they warn, lawbreakers are able to make key components of untraceable “ghost guns” with the press of a button.Ghost guns, which authorities say make it more difficult to investigate shootings because they lack serial numbers, have been a growing problem for law enforcement nationwide.

According to federal data, the number of privately made firearms recovered in crimes surged from more than 1,600 in 2017 to nearly 27,500 in 2023.California leads the nation in recoveries over that period.In response, legislators are seeking to mandate that all 3-D printers sold in the state come equipped with software that prohibits users from making triggers and other gun parts.

A bill passed the Assembly in May and is advancing through the Senate.But the proposal has drawn opposition from a diverse coalition, which includes civil liberties groups, tech companies and 3-D printing enthusiasts as well as Hollywood effects studios, who argue that “firearm blocking software” will also prohibit legitimate designs and expose makers to government or corporate surveillance.Inside a San Fernando workshop, Samuel McBride makes movie monsters come to life for the camera.One of his latest creations, an animatronic hand, clutches when he pulls a trigger that he built using a 3-D printer.McBride says the technology has transformed the work at Legacy Effects, where he is a lab manager, but he’s worried it will soon be off-limits because of a proposed change in California law.McBride fears the law would interfere with the making of devices like the one that activates his lifelike hand.“If I just took apart this trigger and...