I'm making a bit more progress and have run into a smaller snag, but have posted a request for assistance to Reddit.

m18 rim shot.jpg

I've been able to remove the forward button assembly and effectively duplicate it as a separate body. This action left a hole in the middle of the main body and converted it to a collection of surfaces, no longer a solid. As such, attempting to put walls on the tunnel has been a failure, but I'm hopeful the Reddit-world will have an answer.

Of course, this is only part of the objective. One would expect the left forward button and the left aft latch to be joined and to be independent of the right button and latch. Additionally, I'd expect there would be provision for a spring or two in the center of the assembly.

But wait, there's more. The above portion is not likely to be impossible, once I learn more of the program and get the tunnel vision resolved. The impossible part comes when one expects to 3D print this model.

Knowing that it is not practical to do so, I would appreciate a few words from @inspire in order to better understand the objective, at least for this model in this state.