On April 17th, 2025, Montana's Governor Greg Gianforte signed the Montana Right To Compute Act aka the MRCTA, which guarantees the right of Montanans to own and use computational resources such as software, code, and hardware. Done mainly to restrict government from regulating citizen access to AI, the law is hugely beneficial to us Second Amendment Radicals, if you read between the lines...
When we think of the Second Amendment, we usually think of how it guarantees the right to keep and bear arms, and also how it is supposed to block government from implementing and enforcing restrictions on that right. If followed to the letter, government simply shouldn't be involved in the process. You should be able to go onto Amazon and order a complete M4A1 select-fire rifle if you wish, and have it delivered directly to your doorstep. Concurrently, you should also be able to load and make ready said rifle, sling it over your shoulder, and walk down the sidewalk of Dixie Highway if that's what is on your mind. The police's response should be to kick rocks, or maybe compliment you on your choice of handguard. You can keep that firearm, and carry it wherever you want in a peaceable manner. Unless someone else decides to not be peaceable, of course - then you respond in kind. You are keeping and bearing that rifle for the purpose of self-defense, defense of those whom you care about, and your property.
But, that rifle just didn't drop out of the sky (unless the Amazon drone delivered it, ha ha) magically. It was designed and built somewhere, by some people. You paid money for it, and the creation made it's way to you.
The Right To Keep And Bear Arms Includes Making Them
Those who are against the right to keep and bear arms have had to resort to creative angles of attack when it comes to their murderous quest for power and dominance. Red flag snitch line laws, restrictions on ammunition purchasing, classifying components like barrels as "firearms", demanding the credit card companies tag the transactions of gun-related businesses with unique identifier, and so on. Even the National Firearms Act of 1934 was an attempt to do an end-run around the Second Amendment. The enemy knows at this time they cannot do a full-court press for a ban and repeal of the Second Amendment, so they resort to devious and sneaky approaches. The idea is that you can get your guns, but there's barriers not explicitly related to the Second Amendment put in place. For example, the NFA placed a $200 tax on machine guns, SBRs, SBSs, suppressors, and destructive devices, all in the name of dissuading people from buying or making them legally. You could still do it, it just cost a lot more. Of course, legal traditions and precedents state that a right delayed is a right denied, but those who don't care for armed citizens never let principles get in the way of their depredations.
One major angle of attack has been to go after the firearms manufacturers themselves. Ostensibly, this is why the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act aka the PLCAA was passed in 2005, but anti-2A forces still throw innumerable lawsuits against the wall and hope something sticks. Concurrently they claim that since they are going after so-called "irresponsible" firearms manufacturers and dealers, that the Second Amendment is not being violated. Some of the more strung-out spokespeople for Everytown and the like will even claim they are safeguarding the Second Amendment by ensuring the business of firearms is conducted "ethically".
Yeah right.
Again, we must look to the historical tradition test outlined by Bruen for a defense. We the people have an inherent right to keep and bear any arms we deem necessary for the task at hand, and since the weapons do not just materialize from nothing, they need to be manufactured by someone, somewhere. Thus the right to keep and bear arms includes the inherent right to make them and sell them, free from government meddling and interference. Whether it's GLOCK turning out a G19x in it's Smyrna, Georgia factory, or an enterprising autist using a 3D printer and ECM methods to craft his or her own custom firearm, the right is all encompassing of all aspects of being armed. The making, use, bearing, and feeding (ammo) of firearms is all covered and guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
The MRCTA Guarantees Access To Knowledge
The 3D printer revolution has taken home manufacturing of complex items to the masses. Prior to the availability of cheap 3D printers such the Creality Ender series, one could manufacture a firearm from scratch at home, but knowledge of metalworking, smithing, and using industrial-grade shop tools was required. Now, knowing those things is quite useful and it should still be encouraged, but those requirements were a barrier to entry. A proper lathe costs quite a lot, with a quality "starter" US-made one costing around $16,000. Even a used American-made lathe will set you back around $3000. Conversely, even with tariffs potentially affecting the price, a Creality Ender 3D printer costs about a tenth as much depending on which model is purchased. A small mill to finish a slide isn't terribly expensive, and doing ECM barrels is literally just some components from Home Depot.
Despite the cost, the process does require some knowledge. The data that a 3D printer uses to render out a firearm component, or any other object, does require some technical know-how to design. Usually employing software such as Blender, designers like Joe the Parrot, JStark (RIP) have turned out firearm and accessory designs ranging from the purely utilitarian to the exotic.
However, those creations require education and knowledge to produce. States like New Jersey have attempted to block access to 3D printing knowledge and the source code for 3D-printed firearm models. You can't stop the signal, but the fact that New Jersey sees fit to even attempt to restrict knowledge shows their intent. Conversely, this is why the MRCTA is important - it's a barrier to government interfering in the distribution of data. Could Montana be a real-world concept of a "data haven" as popularized by Bruce Sterling in the 1980s?
Now, more than ever, a person can truly exercise the right to keep and bear arms from the comfort of their own home, using nothing more than a 3D printer they got off of Amazon, and maybe some accessories via Brownells if they don't choose to make those components themselves. Ironically devices mostly made in China are enabling Americans to simply disregard and ignore any restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms, if they so choose.
Access To Computing Means 3D2A Becomes Normal And Lawful
In the parlance of the community, 3D2A signifies the "scene" where people use 3D printing technology to produce their own firearms, sometimes in direct contradiction of local laws. Sometimes, the practice of 3D2A and similar things like 80 percent builds does fall into a legal grey area, and innocent citizens find themselves in legal hot water.
Take Dexter Taylor for example. A computer scientist and data engineer by trade, Dexter chose to quietly exercise his right to keep, bear, and assemble firearms in the comfort of his own home in New York. In most states, his interests and practices would not not merit a second thought from local and state law enforcement. However, in New York, it is of course a different story. Unfortunately, his activities landed him square in the crosshairs of the NYPD with an assist by the ATF. Tipped off via federal surveillance of legal online retailers of firearms parts, the NYPD singled out Dexter as someone to be made an example of in their continuing war on private firearms ownership. Dexter, having committed no prior crime, and not providing any of his creations to outside parties, was arrested and ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison. Since Dexter is in his 50s, there is a chance he may never make it out alive, as prison can be rough on people past the half-century mark.
Anyways, how this ties into the freedom to compute is that Dexter was railroaded not only by activist judge Abena Darkeh (sounds really American, huh?) who declared that the Second Amendment doesn't exist in her courtroom, but also by an uninformed jury, who viewed his peaceable activities as somehow wrong. Instead of seeing an innocent man about to have his life ruined, they saw in their eyes someone who was equivalent to an Al-Qaeda terrorist, or an IRA bomb-maker. Because they didn't have the knowledge or access to the knowledge that what Dexter and others like him are doing is perfectly normal and lawful.
New York State goes out of it's way to restrict access to new and emerging technologies such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency. While states like Montana are openly embracing and promoting the unfettered access to those concepts, New York chooses to demonize and restrict them. Recently, in yet another act of monumental stupidity, New York DA Alvin Bragg begged 3D printer maker Creality to figure out a way to block firearm components from being printed on their devices.
Bereft of knowledge and a lack of encouragement to access and utilize affordable cutting edge computing resources, New Yorkers regard 3D2A as "abnormal". Meanwhile in Montana, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and most other states, the practice doesn't merit much attention and in some cases, is actively encouraged.
You Can't Stop The Signal
Regardless of policies that encourage or discourage access to computing hardware, code, and resources, you cannot stop the signal. Information, good or bad, wants to be free and gets out there. Even deeply classified documents eventually see the light of day. As we go into the second half of the third decade of the 21st century, the amount of personal computing power that one person can wield is astounding. A human with a $500 surplus Macintosh, a sub-$200 3D printer, some accessories from Home Depot, and a desire to learn can arm himself and access the sum of human knowledge with ease. Governments fear this, and rightfully so. The armed and intelligent citizen should give his government pause when considering new policies and laws.
Access to computing resources and power goes hand in hand with the Second Amendment. Some may argue that 2A is "outdated", but now more than ever we need to realize that the Second Amendment includes making your own firearms. In a way, code is free speech, and as we know, the Second defends the First.
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