TargetTalk

I'm finally getting around to putting some of my shooting related 3D print files on Thingiverse. Most of these were developed for the college team I help coach, but I've also designed some items for my own use.

The first set of designs is for "cartridge lifter" blocks that hold .22 long rifle cartridges in staggered rows of five for easy loading. Here's what the one for Aguila ammo looks like:
I've got designs for Aguila, CCI, RWS/Norma, and SK/Lapua.

Here's the Thingiverse link: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6564327

This is the only multi-file posting I've done there. I think it's all set, but please let me know if any of the files are missing or messed up. There is a Zip file that has all the STL files, as well as STEP files if someone wants to edit them.

Thank you very much for those! I found one for Federal Champion ammo but that doesn't quite fit for the European (RWS etc) brands.

I designed one for Federal 711B a while back, but I've found their ammo to be useless in most of my pistols, and I'd forgotten I have a file for it. The recoil of the 711B is too weak (and variable) to operate any of my semi-autos, and it gets my free pistol dirty so fast I have to clean the chamber half way through a match to extract it.

I hadn't run across Federal Champion. It appears to be made in the USA, so they may use the same cartridge carrier. I added that design to the Thingiverse collection.

One caution about the RWS design: The students seem to break the latches off more often on that model than the others. I don't know if it's the students involved, my print settings, filament, or the design. The cross-section of the latches isn't that different from the others. My suspicion is that the students who've used it aren't careful not to overflex the latches. One student in particular left a trail of damaged gear wherever he went. Fortunately, he graduated...

Gwhite, thank you for these!

I do have a question: you mention that infill is not critical. But what would be reasonable? 25%? 50%? Less?

I don't have experience with 3d printing, but my friend who does it for me always asks about infill...

Infil is really a two part question. The percentage is important, but the pattern used is also critical, and will affect the percentage required. In the distant past, I just used a rectangular grid, and ran around 40%. They now have a fancy "gyroid" infil pattern, which is much stronger for a given percentage, but not all "slicer" software that creates the print files has that option. The gyroid is more complex than a simple rectangular pattern, so it slows down the print a bit as well.

As long as the outer shell is strong (I should update the info to recommend 3 perimeters), the internal volume is small enough that it's just not very critical. With a 0.35 mm nozzle, I print a 0.40 mm line width. Anything thinner than 2.4 mm will be solid, and not contain any infil.