Man used 3D printer to make assault rifles at his Midlands home

David Biddell-Portman was jailed after pleading guilty to two charges of manufacturing a firearm

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A gunmaker who used a 3D printer to manufacture deadly weapons was jailed following a landmark police probe. The guns David Biddell-Portman produced from his Midlands home were shown to be capable of firing live ammunition, which could have had deadly consequences.

Police visited Biddell-Portman's address in December 2020 as part of a routine check after he bought a blank-firing pistol and 50 rounds of 8mm ammunition. Officers were welcomed into the home in Kitts Green, Birmingham, by a relative as the 30-year-old wasn't in at the time.

Police found two assault rifles in a wardrobe in a search of his bedroom. In an upstairs cupboard they found a 3D printer used to produce the weapons and a cassette of plastic to print parts.

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3D printers print out physical objects and have legitimate uses. They can be used to make toys, jewellery and furniture. But a police examination found that the assault rifles had been printed on the machine - with steel parts added to them for key components which could not be made with plastic.

Biddell-Portman was found to have downloaded software and other files, including instructions from an anti-gun control organisation, allowing him to print out the weapons when police examined his electronic devices. In a shed tool box, officers found bullets, metal gun parts and other 3D printed plastic parts for weapons.

Biddell-Portman pleaded guilty to two charges of manufacturing a firearm and was sentenced to five years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday (June 5).

Detective Insp Lisa Jackson of West Midlands Police said: "This is the first time we’ve recovered a 3D printed firearm in the region, and so is a really significant find for us. We still don't know what Biddell-Portman had intended to do with the weapons.

"He told us he had an interest in the mechanics of guns. But the reality is that these were deadly weapons which were tested and shown to be capable of firing live ammunition - which could have had deadly consequences.

"We fully appreciate that 3D printers are growing in popularity and have lots of legitimate uses. But people considering using them to manufacture deadly weapons must be put on notice that we will treat them as seriously as any other traditional firearm and they can expect to be given lengthy prison sentences as a result."