Officers initially thought they could be a "plastic magazine and trigger" which would make a "viable" gun. But a man who was arrested in connection with the raid said the parts were sections of the 3D printer.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has now said it "cannot categorically say" whether the objects are the component parts for a gun. The arrested man, who has since been bailed, said: "It's nothing to do with a gun whatsoever. I have no idea why they think it is part of a gun. It's designed by the company that makes the printer to go in the printer to make it better." The component suspected as being a magazine for a gun was in fact a "spool holder" for the 3D printer, he added.
3D printing technology works by building up layer upon layer of material - typically plastic - to create complex solid objects. The equipment was seized during a series of raids targeting organised crime. A force spokesman earlier said if the tests showed the parts could make a functioning weapon it would be the "first ever seizure of this kind in the UK". But experts have cast doubt on whether the printer was sophisticated enough to print gun components. Brian Derby, professor of material science at University of Manchester, said the seized printer appeared to be a hobbyist's machine.
Source: BBC News
