Cody Wilson launches 'Hochulization' tool to bypass New York 3D-printer gun restrictions

Cody Wilson, the creator of the first 3D-printed gun and head of Defense Distributed, announced a program he calls “Hochulization” that modifies the digital signatures of gun-design files so they slip past hash-based detection software required by New York’s gun-blocking printer law championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. By inserting extra bytes, the tool changes each file’s hash without affecting the printed weapon’s performance, and Wilson intends to apply it automatically to the entire DEFCAD repository and make the code open source.

The development comes as New York and California advance legislation obligating new 3D printers to include file-blocking mechanisms, a response to a sharp increase in seized 3D-printed guns—from one in 2021 to 109 in 2024. Critics argue such software could expand digital surveillance and hinder legitimate makers, while supporters cite the need to close a “plastic pipeline” for illegal firearms. Experts note that while hash-matching can be circumvented, more sophisticated AI-based scanning may produce false positives. Wilson frames the tool as a self-defense measure against what he calls invasive surveillance and seeks to influence upcoming policy discussions.