Tokyo Marui 5.1 HiCapa 3D-Printed Carbine Kit Build (Part 4 - FINAL, POST-MORTEM)

At long last, this project is at a close. You can download it here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3712294


I originally started the design July 1st, 2017. The first iteration of the files was completed January of 2018. The project was then shelved for quite a while until I picked it back up in November of 2018, and worked endlessly until June 25th of 2019 - today! - to get this final product.

My first impression of the kit is that it is shockingly robust for a completely PLA FDM-printed kit. The one weakness the kit has is the stock tang, and that isn't likely to break unless you put your full weight on it (which you shouldn't do with an airsoft gun in any case).

I ended up threading the muzzle for future accessories (barrel extension, receiver extension). The Action Cam mount on this iteration is also the pre-final - the final version is easier to mount an action camera to.

Old vs. New designs.

Now, for the dead horse segment: the POST-MORTEM.

Successes:
-Aesthetic design is lovely.
-Control group is very easy to access.
-Installation and removal of the airsoft toy is a breeze.
-Feel when using it is awesome.
-AR stock was a good idea.
-Charging handle worked out great after a last-second tweak.

Failures:
-Some dimensions are still too tight and require sanding.
-Full-length optic rail would have been good.
-Longer grip rail would have been good.
-Uses too much hardware (nuts and screws).
-Should have used an original stock design.

In the future, I may come back and address these failures. But for now, the kit is in a form I'm comfortable with releasing publically, and I can't wait to use it at a game.

For those of you who followed along, thanks for checking out my posts here, on Twitter, and of course downloading and trying out the kits on Thingiverse. Thank you to those who held regular correspondence with me about possible ideas for the kit and motivation to continue onward.

For now, I'm off to different projects. After two years off-and-on of developing this kit, I think it's time to handle easier-to-swallow projects for a while.

-Craig