Magazine disconnects---yes or no

[Stoots]

I voted NO, as I view them as more unneccessary lawyer crap. Can anybody offer a valid reason to have it?

Agree. Magazine disconnects are a hardware "fix" for a software problem.

 

[abumpa]

I voted NO, as I view them as more unneccessary lawyer crap. Can anybody offer a valid reason to have it?

I believe magazine disconnects came about years ago at the request of police departments who were concerned with officers loosing their guns in a struggle. It is not unheard of for an officer to lose his gun to a bad guy in a fight and then get shot with it.

The thinking is if an officer in a struggle thinks he is about to lose his gun he can drop the mag and render the gun non-operational. It gives the officer one more option.

I think this can be a good thing for a cop. Cops go towards trouble and are much more likely to get in a struggle.

For me my duty as a citizen is to go away from trouble so the extra safety margin is less likely to be needed.

I do not like magazine safeties especially on guns I will never carry. The way Ruger does it on the 22/45 makes the trigger a mess.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I have always wondered how realistic the "dump the mag in a crisis" move is.

I mean, if you're mano-a-mano with a bad guy and you're thrashing around in a violent struggle and he has hold of your gun or gun hand how likely is it you'll actually be able to access and press the mag release? None of my mag releases are accessible without a shift of the grip in my strong hand, and most of the mags wouldn't drop out anyway unless the gun were properly positioned . . . even if I had the presence of mind to attempt the move.

I am of the opinion it's one of those neat thngs dreamed up by folks who have never actually been in the situation . . . no matter how well-intentioned it is.

I can see a government wanting to keep stored official guns useless by the mere step of storing the magazines separately, however.

JMHO

 

[justbill2013]

Mas Ayoob has reported numerous times over the years of officers who were saved by a mag disconnect "kill switch." I see non-LE as no different. In fact the chances are much greater a civilian has no weapon retention training at all. At least cops get some at their academy, if not on a recurring basis.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Yes, I'm aware that Mas has reported favorably on the mag-drop option, and I'm certainly in no position to second-guess him considering his considerable experience.

But this is also a move requiring fine motor skills during a highly-charged, violent encounter . . . something Mas has always advised avoiding if at all possible.

I guess it would be worth trying if you were faced with losing your piece to the bad guy . . . better than giving your opponent the upper hand, so to speak.

JMHO

 

[gig]

Mas Ayoob has reported numerous times over the years of officers who were saved by a mag disconnect "kill switch." I see non-LE as no different. In fact the chances are much greater a civilian has no weapon retention training at all. At least cops get some at their academy, if not on a recurring basis.

I wonder if there are any statistics of folks who lost their mag in a struggle or inadvertently touching the release and were saved because of the last shot.