Magnetic AR Mag Release Idea (not mag-magnet tool)

[nitroxdiver]

First, this is NOT about the mag magnet bullet button tool.

Ok, so I had this idea come to me the other day when I was thinking about doing reloads in a carbine class with the Ultimate Bullet Button Tool. I love the UBBT. It's a great idea, works great, and you always have a BB tool with you. The one thing I don't like is having to reach under the gun with my left hand to release the mag. The othert option would be to break my right side hold and reload right handed. This method actually works best for me in an appleseed however when I'm slung up with a loop sling on the left arm.

Anyway, I was thinking it would be awesome if there was an ambi mag lock of some sort. One that you could use a tool on either side to release a locked mag.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Hey, the mag catch is STEEL! The lower is aluminum. I wonder if one of those rare earth magnets has enough pull to grab the steel mag catch on the left, and pull it out far enough to let the mag drop.

Out to the garage, into the toolbox for trial #1 with one of those flexible parts retriever magnetic gizmos. Chucked up an empty mag in the BB equipped california legal lower, touched the left side mag catch with the magnet and pulled. Mag catch followed, empty mag dropped to the floor. Magnet broke away once catch reached its mechanical limit of travel, and snapped back into position. I smiled.

So here is the thought. Keep the UBBT on the P-mag, for right sided reloads and a back up tool. Purchase some circular rare earth magnets, and epoxy one to the base of my P-mags. To reload, you would grab your fresh mag off your waist or out of your pocket, touch the mag base to the mag catch and pull. Empty mag falls out. Slam fresh mag into rifle, hit bolt release, carry on.

I checked online for the magnets and found a supplier with many different sizes. The P-mag base is 1 1/8" wide, so there are lots of options for either a circular or square magnet. The magnets are sold in batches of about a dozen, but are only a buck a piece. The epoxy is about 8 bucks.

So, share your thoughts, feel free to use the idea. I can't see any reason it wouldn't be legal. It's no different than the UBBT. But if our much trusted and respected legal advisors think it's hinky, I'll pull the thread.

Some final thoughts. Yes, I know we can just run featureless. Thank you Mr. Obvious. ;-) Yes, thank God you live in a free state and don't have to deal with our stupid laws. I Know. I'm from, and will be heading back to, a free state soon enough. And finally, it's OK to take carbine classes, run and gun, do fast reloads etc. for the pure and simple fact that it is fun, and you are a firearms enthusiest enjoying your hobby.
Take care.

[GettoPhilosopher]

The question--as I see it-- would be does the magnet become part of the gun? It does attach magnetically to the magazine catch when you use it. I can see the argument being made that it then becomes part of the magazine catch (like the mag magnet tools) and you're therefore detaching the magazine solely with your hand (grabbing the magnet that's now part of the catch and detaching the magazine).

IANAL.

[NoHeavyHitter]

This sounds like a great idea - but like you, I'm no legal scholar and couldn't guess if it would be legal or not.

[nitroxdiver]

GettoP, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Interesting counter to the legality issue.

[BBB114]

as long as the magnet is attached to the mag, no different than ubbt....legal.

[jkody]

How about sewing the magnet into a glove?

[LTP90]

I think you might have really hit on something!

I have an idea based on your concept, but I am going to sit down and figure out the physics or do a drawing right the second.(so it might not even work do to the steel and magnetic fields, as I said I would have to figure out the physics)

What if you attached the magnet to the mag catch(epoxy?) and then used the UBBT to activate it(I am guessing they are plastic but if you had steel ones, or fabricated steel ones). it would be alot cheaper to buy one magnet than to buy one for all your mags.
I am betting if you got really fancy(or a manufacture got fancy) you could mount the magnet in a small well in the lever so it would sit flush, heck you could even coat it then and no one would know it was there.

[223556]

Sounds very cool, maybe make a version of it and demo it, see what the lawerys say?

[fourXfour]

Hmmm. Bullet button on the right side and magnet mag release on the left side. Best of both worlds? Ambidextrous mag locks....

Very cool idea!

[Lostsheep]

Magnets can push as well as pull.

If pulling from the left side, the magnet could stick to the mag catch and then "be attached" to the rifle and no longer require a tool. If you use it to push another magnet from the right, it would not want to attach itself. Also, many materials are permeable to magnetic fields, as such, you could make a bullet button style mag catch that did not move and did not have a hole in it but had a magnet under the cover connected to the mag catch. It would take another magnet (a tool) to operate.


ETA:
Something basically like this but put the tool magnet in the mag like the UBBT.

[nitroxdiver]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. The more I think about gettoP's post, the more I'm beginning to think this might fall under the same scrutiny as the mag magnet BB tool. It would I guess, be attached to the release, if ever so briefly, while it is being used. However, while it is attached, the mag catch doesnt work to hold a mag in. I don't know. What I do know is it would work for sure as I spelled it out, and would be a super slick way to quickly change mags with the support hand. I guess I'll wait for the professional legal advisors to weigh in before gluing a magnet to the base of a mag.

Ltp, thanks for your thoughts. Your idea is cool too, just a bit more complex.

Lostsheep, awesome Cad drawing, and interesting idea. I still like my original idea, it would be a very simple and cheap mag mod, if deemed legal.

Ok guys, take care, and thanks.

[peter95]

Good idea IMO.... If I'm understanding this correctly...

So are we talking about a rod made of magnet and to be inserted in the bullet button then use another magnet attached to a magazine so you can quickly swipe it on the left side of the ar for quick release?

Well at least that's what I thought about but never acted upon it lol....

[nitroxdiver]

Hey Peter, no, my idea is to glue a magnet to the bottom of your mags.
To do a mag swap, you take your fresh mag in your left hand, put the magnetic base against the left side of the rifle at the mag catch, and then pull it away. In doing so, the magnet pulls the mag catch itself, releasing the empty mag. Then you take that same fresh mag you just used to drop the empty, and recharge your rifle.

Not suggesting to do this, as I have no idea if it could cross some legal line, just an idea that does work in theory, and I wanted to run it up the flag pole

[Agent Tikki]

Dunno that magnets gotta be strong.

How about just making the UBBT the magnet. Then you can use it on either side.

To help your idea. Rplace the mag catch with a magnatized one of opposite polarity to the new magnatized ubbt. This will make more stronngly attracted to one another........wait wut was I talking about...

[unusedusername]

Try that strong of a magnet in a few mags close to one another.

You might have some trouble getting them into mag pouches next to each other if the magnets interact with each other. You wouldn't want your mags to stick to each other (or worse, repel each other!).