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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is once again using fear-driven rhetoric around so-called “ghost guns” to justify a sweeping expansion of state power. This time targeting not just firearms, but technology, digital files, and even ideas themselves.
During a press conference (see below) previewing her 2026 State of the State agenda, Hochul announced a series of proposals aimed at further restricting 3D-printed firearms.
The plan goes far beyond New York’s already aggressive gun laws. And would impose first-in-the-nation mandates on printers, software, manufacturers, and speech.
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According to Hochul, criminals are now replacing the so-called “iron pipeline” with what she dubbed a “plastic pipeline,” allegedly manufacturing firearms in their homes with ease.
She repeatedly framed 3D-printed firearms as an existential threat that could “undo all progress” New York claims to have made on gun violence.
The governor cited data from Everytown for Gun Safety claiming a “1,000 percent increase” in recoveries of 3D-printed firearms in select cities over five years.
Though no context was provided regarding total crime rates, usage in violent crime, or how those numbers compare to traditionally manufactured firearms.
What Hochul Is Proposing
Under Hochul’s plan, New York would:
- Criminalize the sale, distribution, or possession of digital files or instructions used to manufacture 3D-printed firearms or components, unless licensed
- Require all 3D printers sold in New York to include software that detects and blocks the printing of gun parts
- Force gun manufacturers to design pistols so they cannot be modified, including modifications involving illegal conversion devices
- Mandate law enforcement agencies report all recovered 3D-printed firearms to a centralized state database
- Expand criminal penalties and investigative tools, including wiretaps, related to alleged 3D-printing networks
Hochul explicitly warned gun manufacturers they are “on notice.” She accused unnamed companies of prioritizing profit over safety and vowing that New York would force design changes by law.
NRA-ILA: This Isn’t About Crime…
The NRA-ILA sharply criticized the proposals, calling them another example of manufactured panic being used to erode constitutional rights.
Despite Hochul’s repeated claims, privately made firearms are already regulated under federal law, and New York has long banned unserialized and unregistered firearms. Criminals prohibited from owning firearms are prohibited regardless of how a gun is manufactured.
NRA-ILA notes that Hochul’s plan does nothing to explain how layering new restrictions on law-abiding users of technology will stop criminals who already ignore existing laws.
SEE ALSO: Post-COVID Crime Data Debunks Gun Control’s ‘Wild West’ Narrative
What is clear, they argue, is the intent to eliminate private firearm manufacture altogether. Something still legal under federal law and in most states.
More concerning, according to NRA-ILA, is that Hochul’s proposal squarely targets speech and information, raising serious First Amendment issues.
Criminalizing digital files, plans, or instructions opens the door to banning books, videos, blueprints, CAD files, and educational materials. Information that has existed in the public domain for centuries.
A Coordinated Effort
Hochul openly credited Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for helping drive the initiative. Bragg has previously sent threat letters to 3D printer manufacturers, pressured online platforms to remove gun-related content, and urged companies to install gun-blocking software voluntarily. Steps that would become mandatory under Hochul’s proposal.
Advocacy groups including Moms Demand Action were prominently featured at the event, praising New York’s gun laws and calling for similar measures nationwide.
Technology as the Target
At its core, Hochul’s plan does not just regulate firearms. It attempts to regulate outcomes by controlling tools and information. Requiring printers to identify and block shapes, mandating software censorship, and criminalizing digital files represents a significant expansion of prior restraint on lawful activity.
As NRA-ILA put it, suppressing firearm knowledge in the name of public safety is no different than trying to suppress information about fire to stop arson.
As the 2026 legislative session begins in Albany, the formal language of Hochul’s proposals has yet to be released. What is already clear is that New York is preparing another constitutional collision. One that pits state power against both the Second Amendment and the First.
Whether these measures would survive judicial scrutiny is an open question. What is not in doubt is that New York’s war on “ghost guns” is rapidly becoming a war on speech, technology, and lawful ownership itself.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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