California just added two more layers to its already-dense gun code – and the California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) says the new rules don’t make anyone safer.
On CRPA TV, host Kevin Small and CRPA legislative director Rick Travis unpacked AB 1263 and SB 704, two bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that target 3D-printing files and firearm barrels.
Their bottom line: the state is criminalizing speech and parts, growing bureaucracy, and pushing costs onto law-abiding gun owners – while doing little to stop criminals.
Both laws are slated to roll out over the next two years. Lawsuits are coming, the pair said. And the country should pay attention, because Sacramento policies rarely stay in Sacramento.
What AB 1263 Really Does
Kevin Small started with the new 3D-printing law, AB 1263. The bill makes it a crime to “cause,” “aid,” or “facilitate” unlawful firearm manufacturing – including with 3D printers or CNC mills – and explicitly sweeps computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) files into the definition of “digital firearm manufacturing code.”
It also creates a rebuttable presumption against anyone who runs a website that hosts such files “under the totality of the circumstances,” and opens the door to civil suits for “harm” tied to distribution.
Small’s translation was simple: California is trying to police code and chill online distribution.
Rick Travis went further. In his view, AB 1263 is a First Amendment case waiting to happen. He pointed to past federal litigation in which courts recognized digital code as protected speech, noting that policymakers in Sacramento were repeatedly warned the bill would wander into constitutional buzzsaws.
Travis’s bigger concern wasn’t hypothetical terrorists building sci-fi “ghost guns.” It was ordinary owners keeping legacy firearms serviceable – the same way classic-car enthusiasts source or machine discontinued parts to keep older vehicles safe and functional.
In the real world, he said, digital files are used for replacement parts, safer components, and innovation testing – not Hollywood plots.
And that’s the irony he flagged: by restricting code, the state may reduce safety by making it harder for owners to repair or upgrade what they already lawfully own.
AB 1263 takes effect January 1, 2026. CRPA expects to sue.
My take: this isn’t a trivial edge case. If code you write, host, or share can be treated like contraband because of what someone else might do with it, that’s a censorship model that doesn’t stop at guns. It will ripple into maker culture, open-source hardware, and research.
Why SB 704 Turns Barrels Into Paperwork
Next up, SB 704. Small read out the key piece: starting July 1, 2027, firearm barrels in California will be dealer-handled items. Sales must go in person through an FFL, with an “eligibility check” and a recorded transaction. There’s also a new fee, up to $5 per barrel, and a new crime for violations.
To Travis, the move is obvious policy by attrition. If you can’t ban guns, make ownership expensive, confusing, and slow, he said. He called it a “death-by-a-thousand-cuts” strategy that turns a mainstream activity into an elitist one by piling on costs and hassle.
He also flagged a practical mess. There’s no existing federal form or serial system for loose barrels. California can’t stuff barrels into a 4473 box.
Building the database and gatekeeping tools means new systems, new rules, and, inevitably, new ways to snag otherwise compliant people on technicalities.
And it doesn’t stop at the counter. Travis noted the real-world scenario most shooters know: trying a friend’s barrel at the range, or swapping an old Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor tube after an upgrade. In 2027, that informal, neighbor-to-neighbor ecosystem gets routed through a dealer, paperwork, waits, and fees, twice, if you decide the part isn’t for you.
His bigger point: criminals won’t line up for barrel checks. Gangs and cartels do not care about part-level background systems. Law-abiding owners will pay the price – in time, money, and forfeited opportunities.
My take: the state is essentially building a mini-ammunition-style regime for a component that determines accuracy and safety. If California truly values marksmanship training and safe equipment, making barrels harder to access is a strange choice.
Hollywood Myths, Real-World Laws
Small pressed Travis on why a bill like AB 1263 cruised through while others didn’t. Travis’s answer was unglamorous: Hollywood and headlines.
The average voter sees dramatized stories of undetectable polymer guns and assumes that’s the norm, he argued. Lawmakers seize the moment, draft sweeping restrictions on “scary” technologies, and declare victory – even if the scenarios rarely match actual crime patterns.
Meanwhile, the people who use code and mills lawfully – to fix, improve, and extend the life of existing firearms – land in the crosshairs.
That cultural gap, Travis warned, is how bad ideas become exportable models. He pointed to California’s 11% excise tax on guns and ammo, blocked for years and then pushed through in a floor scramble, as the kind of policy that migrates from blue coasts to purple interiors once it finds a template and a tour.
Don’t assume this stays in the Golden State, he said. Policy entrepreneurs take victory laps and shop the bill nationwide.
“Control, Not Safety” – And The Money To Prove It
Travis also contrasted the state’s money choices. Californians passed Prop 36 to put more offenders in custody, he said.
Many of the same lawmakers who touted these two bills now claim there’s no money to fully implement tougher criminal penalties.
Yet, somehow, there is money for brand-new regulatory programs to police files and barrels.
Kevin Small summed up the frustration: none of this touches criminals. It burdens the people who already bend over backward to follow the rules – then punishes them when the rules change again.
My take: budgets are moral documents. If Sacramento can fund a novel eligibility system for barrels but can’t follow through on voter-approved criminal justice policies, it’s fair to question priorities.
Timelines, Lawsuits, And What’s Next
Small closed by pinning down dates. AB 1263 kicks in January 2026. SB 704 arrives July 2027. That gap matters: CRPA plans to litigate both, and Travis thinks the First Amendment posture on digital code is unusually strong.
He expects wins – eventually. But he was sober about the “wear them down” strategy he sees from Sacramento. Every year brings more bills, more fees, and more ways to make ownership feel like a burden.
Small’s call to action was straightforward: pay attention now, not after the rules bite. Engage earlier in the legislative process. Be vocal with friends and coworkers when movie logic becomes public policy. And, yes, be ready to support the lawsuits that draw the constitutional line.
Set aside the gun politics for a second. AB 1263 is also a speech case. If a state can label code “dangerous” and restrict its distribution because it might be misused, who’s next—drone firmware, lock-picking tutorials, automotive ECU maps?
When rules blur publishing with manufacturing, the First Amendment gets thinner for everyone.
SB 704 is different but rhymes. If you can background-check a barrel, you can justify gatekeeping springs, triggers, optics mounts – anything a legislature decides is “sensitive.”
At some point the regulatory map becomes so complex that only the most resourced owners can navigate it. That’s a feature, not a bug, for people who see fewer owners as the endgame.
Kevin Small and Rick Travis aren’t saying safety doesn’t matter. They’re saying these bills don’t deliver it – and that the state knows it.
Control without safety isn’t security. It’s just control.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
