UK Police Seize 3D-Printed 'Gun Parts,' Which Are Actually Spare Printer Parts

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UK Police Seize 3D-Printed 'Gun Parts,' Which Are Actually Spare Printer Parts

Posted by Soulskill on Friday October 25, 2013 @12:47AM from the well-played-boys dept.

nk497 writes "Police in Manchester have arrested a man and seized what they claim are 3D printed components to a gun. They made the arrest after a 'significant' discovery of a 3D printed 'trigger' and 'magazine,' saying they were now testing the parts to see if they were viable. 3D printing experts, however, said the objects were actually spare parts for the printer. 'As soon as I saw the picture... I instantly thought, "I know that part,"' said Scott Crawford, head of 3D printing firm Revolv3D. 'They designed an upgrade for the printer soon after it was launched, and most people will have downloaded and upgraded this part within their printer. It basically pulls the plastic filament, and it used to jam an awful lot. The new system that they've put out, which includes that little lever that they're claiming is the trigger, is most definitely the same part.'"

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over-reaction? by Custard+Horse · 2013-10-25 00:50 · Score: 5, Funny

FTFA: "The man was also arrested on suspicion of making gunpowder"
He was probably making coffee...
1. Re:over-reaction? by RalphMichaelDeLeon · 2013-10-25 00:51 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  That actually wasn't a 3D printer it was a pillow.
2. Re:over-reaction? by RDW · 2013-10-25 00:54 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  This is England, so it was probably tea. It's an easy mistake to make:
  http://www.whittard.co.uk/tea/type/green-tea/gunpowder-tea
3. Re:over-reaction? by auric_dude · 2013-10-25 01:02 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Barista seeks Barrister?
4. Re:over-reaction? by paiute · 2013-10-25 01:13 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I'm hearing every comment in this thread in the officious voice of the late Graham Chapman.
  
  --
  If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
5. Re:over-reaction? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2013-10-25 03:39 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  So if you try to grow it yourself, does that mean that you have your own small gunpowder plot in the backyard?
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
6. Re:over-reaction? by fahrbot-bot · 2013-10-25 03:40 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  What happens when a person designs and builds a series of parts that are separately useful as something other than a "gun", but when combined in the right way does build a functioning "gun"?
  Is that you Francisco_Scaramanga?
  
  --
  It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Kudos to the police for realizing... by Godwin+O'Hitler · 2013-10-25 00:54 · Score: 3, Funny

...a 3D gun is much more likely to be viable than a picture of a gun.
"During the searches, officers found a 3D printer and what is suspected to be a 3D plastic magazine and trigger which could be fitted together to make a viable 3D gun.
It they are found to be viable components for a 3D gun, it would be the first ever seizure of this kind in the UK."

--
No, your children are not the special ones. Nor are your pets.
1. Re:Kudos to the police for realizing... by Zemran · 2013-10-25 02:00 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  You need special glasses to fire a 3D gun and only people wearing those glasses can get shot by one.
  
  --
  I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
Speaking as a Brit by sa1lnr · 2013-10-25 01:03 · Score: 5, Funny

I love that the Greater Manchester Police site has suffered the curse of slashdot. :)
1. Re:Speaking as a Brit by daremonai · 2013-10-25 01:20 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  If this is what the Greater Manchester Police are like, I'd hate to meet up with the Lesser ones.
Police seize $1000 in Cash by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-25 01:27 · Score: 2, Funny

Police seized $1000 dollars in cash due to the possibility of obtaining a gun with said cash.... source: future...
Re:Oh god by tmosley · 2013-10-25 02:37 · Score: 5, Funny

I was about to make a comment about how modern music is garbage, and that people only download the stuff made a long time ago and probably that they already owned at some point, but then I realized that there are a bunch of damn kids on my lawn again.
Re:smug retribution by qbast · 2013-10-25 02:45 · Score: 4, Funny

Clearly the only answer is 'more guns'. If other 14 years olds (hell, why not start at 8 years?) all were carrying, this tragedy could be avoided.
Re:Simple solution by cdrudge · 2013-10-25 03:17 · Score: 3, Funny

Or that you can use replacement gun parts to make printers.