A gun maker who used a 3D printer to manufacture assault rifles using equipment he bought over the internet has been jailed for five years, in one of the first prosecutions of its kind in the UK. David Biddell-Portman’s house was visited by police for a routine visit after he legally bought a blank-firing pistol and 50 rounds of 8mm of ammunition in December, 2020.
They were let in by a relative, but Biddell-Portman wasn’t in. Officers searched his bedroom and found two assault rifles in a wardrobe. In an upstairs cupboard, they found a 3D printer used to produce the weapons and a cassette of plastic to print parts.
A court heard the forklift truck driver had a “fascination for firearms” and police found two potentially lethal guns, including one with a silencer, in his wardrobe. 3D printers have legitimate uses to print out physical objects by laying down lots of layers of plastic. They can be used for everything from toys to jewellery and furniture.
