A man has admitted to using a 3D printer, received as a Christmas gift, to construct parts of a semi-automatic firearm. James Maris, 21, used the machine to create components of a gun known as the FGC-9, or ‘F**k Gun Control 9,’ a court in Edinburgh has heard.
The High Court was informed that police raided Maris’s home in Rannoch, Perthshire, in 2023 after receiving intelligence regarding his activities. Officers found the “component parts of a firearm, a 3D printer, and computer files,” which showed that he was engaged in manufacturing a weapon. They also discovered ammunition capable of being fired from the gun.
Prosecutor Liam Ewing KC told the court that police received information on 22 May 2023 that Maris had ordered parts used to assemble a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle online. The parts included the hammer, magazine catch, and trigger, and were essential in the manufacture of the FGC-9. This led officers to detain Maris two days later.
While in custody, Maris admitted he was building a firearm for personal interest and kept it in a white box in his bedroom. He emphasised that his project was not intended to harm anyone and took full responsibility, saying his parents were unaware of his activities.
Police also found a handwritten letter in Maris’s room, in which he expressed regret and claimed the gun was built out of fascination with firearms and engineering, not to spread a message or cause harm.
Maris pleaded guilty to breaching firearms legislation. The court heard that he has been diagnosed with Autism Disorder, ADHD, and significant anxiety, and has no previous convictions. A psychiatric report was submitted to the court, and a further report on Maris’s background will be prepared before his sentencing on 17 December 2024.
Lady Hood deferred the sentence, and Maris was granted bail.
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