Teenager who used 3D-printer in attempt to build gun avoids jail
James Maris was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning
Last updated 21st Jan 2025
A teenager who used a 3D printer to try and build an AR15 rifle has been spared jail.
James Maris, 19, shifted nervously in the dock as the judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told him exceptional circumstances meant he would not face a minimum time in detention.
The court heard how police, acting on intelligence, found 3D-printed firearm components during the search of Maris’s bedroom.
These included the hammer, magazine, catch, trigger, safety, grip, and a buffer assembly which had been ordered online to allow him to manufacture a semi-automatic rifle.
They also found a 3D printer which his parents had given him as a Christmas present in 2021 as well as tools and items that could be used in the manufacture of 3D printed firearms.
He had even left a note alongside the weapon, to be read in the event he was ever caught, apologising and stating he had “no radical views, or any association to people that do”.
Maris admitted to officers that he had a fascination with firearms and that he purchased the 3D gun parts online from his laptop.
Lady Hood sentenced James Maris to 300 hours community service over 3 years, restrictions on his access to electronic devices and the internet, as well as a curfew and electronic tag for one year.
In 2023, there were 25 instances where police in the UK seized 3D-printed component parts or other items associated with 3D printing of firearms.
The maximum penalty for possessing such a prohibited weapon, including any 3D-printed prohibited weapon, is 10 years' imprisonment with a minimum penalty of five years.