Accessories · MD173
MD173 barrels, latches and caps — STL for 3D printing
MD173 is a quick-release mount for MOLLE panels in cases and on walls: barrels are screwed onto the bosses, the panel sits on them and clicks in with a latch, and comes off without tools. Here are the ready STL files of the standard parts and a generator for any height and mount type.
Exact models from our CAD for a panel cut from a 3 mm sheet. Another thickness (4, 6 mm…) — use “Parametric”: the barrel grows with the sheet.
Barrels (3 mm sheet)
Latches
Caps
Spacers Ø15 / Ø5
How MD173 works
- Barrel. Screwed onto a case boss (the cross boss goes into the socket underneath) or onto a flat surface. Its height sets how far the panel stands off: 19 mm — tight, 40.5 and 62 — room for straps and pouches behind the panel.
- Panel. A Ø17.4 hole for the barrel and a Ø5 hole 20 mm away for the latch pivot. The panel sits on the barrel shoulder; the panel generator places these holes for you (hole type “MD173”).
- Latch. Turns on its pivot in the Ø5 hole and its R7.5 hook snaps into the Ø15 groove of the barrel — the panel is locked. Swing it back and the panel comes off.
- Cap. Closes the screw bore on top of the barrel (Ø9.05 fit, or a tighter Ø9.10) and unused mount points.
Printing
- Material: PETG, ABS or ASA (ASA/ABS for cars and outdoors). PLA for test fits only.
- Print the barrel socket down, the latch flat, the cap head down. No supports needed.
- 0.2 mm layers, 4 walls, 40–60 % infill: the barrel works in compression and holds the screw.
- Check the fits on one set: panel too tight — reduce Ø17 by 0.1–0.2 mm; latch does not click — adjust the latch thickness or the groove.
Questions
Which screw?
For the standard barrel on a cross boss — a 16 mm self-tapping screw: the head seats 11 mm above the bottom, 13 mm go into the boss. The generator suggests a length for other heights and mounts.
The barrel does not fit my case
Measure the boss: for a cross boss — the span and width of the arms, for a round one — its diameter, and its height. Enter them in the generator (mount type, socket depth, clearance) and download the STL.
Can I do without screws?
Yes: the “magnet” version has a pocket for a Ø25×8 magnet underneath — for steel surfaces.
What is the spacer for?
A plain Ø15 tube with a Ø5 bore: lifts a panel, plate or bracket off a surface on an M4 bolt (for M5 set a Ø5.3 bore). Standard heights 10 / 20 / 30 / 40 mm, any height and diameters in the generator.
Where do I get an MD173 panel?
The catalog has panels with MD173 mounting, and in the panel generator you can make your own: hole type “MD173”.