sperman Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 (edited) Due to the geometry of my hands, I like a very large grip. This makes it hard for me to reach the mag release button. On my 1911 it wasn't that big a deal. I just put the oversize STI button on it. Now I'm shooting production, and I'm having a problem re-acquiring the proper grip after moving my hand to hit the mag release. I've been playing with the mag button on the other side, and using the knuckle on my middle finger to activate the mag release. When it works, it works well, but about 20% of the time my finger doesn't fall in the correct position and I struggle a little getting the mag to let go. When it works, it's at least as fast as having it on the other side, and I don't have to change my grip on the gun at all. Has anyone else ever tried anything like this? edited because I didn't run spell check. Edited December 17, 2008 by sperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharonAnne9x23 Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 do you mean the S&A ambidextrous mag release? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 I would recommend practicing more with flipping the gun to hit the release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONY BARONE Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 As usual Matt's right on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sperman Posted December 17, 2008 Author Share Posted December 17, 2008 do you mean the S&A ambidextrous mag release? My production gun is the S&W M&P. Moving the mag release from one side to the other is easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Moving your hand on the gun to hit the mag button, then reacquiring your grip afterward, is actually fairly easy. All you're really doing, if you think about it, is moving your fingers on the frontstrap. Try moving your fingertips from being wrapped around the grip to where they're touching the interface of the left grip panel and frontstrap. The position of the grip tang in the web of your hand moves very little. You should find your thumb can now easily reach the mag button. Then, once you've punched the button, just move your fingers again, so they're again wrapped around the frontstrap. Presto! You're back in your master hand grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 I have just the opposite problem...I have short stubby fingers and thumb. I cannot use a Swenson type thumb safety or any firearm with a decocker or odd safety. I have my gunsmith fabricate the safety shelf/pedal backwords (wish I could post pictures) so that I can use a high thumb on the saftey. Getting back to the point...I started doing my reloads the normal way - shifting the gun as mentioned above. I found this very awkward and it seemed slow compared to others with bigger hands. I have been hitting the mag release with my off thumb for 20 years or more and it works for me (guys I shoot with say that my reloads are my strong point. I guess that means there good or everything else is so bad my poor reloads look good camparitively speaking!) Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 My 11 year old was having to hit the mag release with his left hand on the M&P9 with the small backstrap. I moved it to the right side so he can hit it with his trigger finger. The only downside is that, while shooting, occasionally the mag falls out. I'm thinking his trigger finger is somehow hitting the button during recoil. I moved it back and he didn't like it, so *he* moved it back to the right, again. Oh well, at least he's getting fast at handling the failures when the mag starts to drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisStock Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 After having to deal with the reversed safety on my Beretta Neos, and observing that it forced me to keep my trigger finger somewhere else, like say the safety, I tried it on my M&P. It completely hosed my grip.. I wasn't able to reacquire a stable platform after a reload without excessive movement. If you can master this, more power to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharonAnne9x23 Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 I have been using a trigger finger mag release (S&A ambi) since the late 1980s. I have found it to be a safe and effective technique. I do not shift my grip at all to release the magazine. I think it is a simple matter; if it works for you, use it; if not,don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ap3 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I have small hands and use a trigger finger mag release that work great on my SV. It was made by a fellow named Jimmy Mitchell and is ambidexterous. Ambidexterouse mag release j. mitchell (254)559-1551 $135 mitch@academicplanet.com po box 169 Breckenridge, TX 76424 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I think you should flip the gun untill you have short enough fingers to not shift your grip to hit a reversed release with the tip of your trigger finger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I'll echo Sharon here. If using your shooting hand thumb on the button simply does not work for you, and you can get the opportunity to try a gun of your type fitted with the reversed mag button, give it a try, see if it works for you. Lisa Munson is absolutely tiny, with proportionally tiny hands, and she uses a right side button on her match guns, hitting it with her trigger finger. No one who's every watched Lisa do a speedload is going to say this approach doesn't work for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I think whatever you decide to do, practice it 100,000 times and it will become a non-issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 It's always better not to have to start out fighting the equipment, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemo Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I don't have big hands and me thumbs are fairly short. This past year I started experimenting with other ways to depress the mag release. On my hi-cap limited guns I still have to flip the gun a bit to engage the button with my thumb. Mostly instead of pressing the mag release with my thumb what I do is place the thum on the button and push the grip to the left with the three fingers of my grip. But I don't shoot limited anymore. With my single stack I found that I can reach the mag release with the middle (bird) finger of my right hand (strong hand). The middle finger is the longest finger and, in my case, with it wrapped around the grip the distal fingertip pad falls right under the mag button. So I just slide the fingertip up and the mag release is right there. I practiced that for a couple of dryfire sessions and now is the way I do it. Don't have to change my grip on the gun. The other day I took my M&P out to the range and found out this way of doing my mag changes also worked with the plastic gun. Try it... I don't know if my explanation is clear but I'll try to post pics tonight to illutrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 With my single stack I found that I can reach the mag release with the middle (bird) finger of my right hand (strong hand). The middle finger is the longest finger and, in my case, with it wrapped around the grip the distal fingertip pad falls right under the mag button. So I just slide the fingertip up and the mag release is right there. If a person's fingers happen to be of the correct length and limberness to make this technique work, it can be very fast. Unfortunately, not everyone can make it work. Definiitely a YMMV situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 It's very easy switch to an XD and install the factory purchased extended mag release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sperman Posted December 19, 2008 Author Share Posted December 19, 2008 It's very easy switch to an XD and install the factory purchased extended mag release. I avoided the XD because of the grip safety. Maybe it would be different on a plastic gun, but on a 1911 grip safeties and I don't get along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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