Who invented the bullet button?

[spareparts]

Does anyone know who can take credit for inventing/implementing the first bullet button?

Just curious.

ETA: In light of recent events, if in anyway this could hurt our compromise our cause please diregard.

[FX-05 Xiuhcoatl]

he/she is here on calguns.

[bussda]

Per Gene Hoffman: Darin Prince.

[spareparts]

he/she is here on calguns.

Not trying to be sarcastic, but have you ever done a search with the words "Bullet Button" on calguns?

Here's what you get:

Showing results 1 to 50 of 2465

[FX-05 Xiuhcoatl]

Not trying to be sarcastic, but have you ever done a search with the words "Bullet Button" on calguns?

Here's what you get:

yes I have , I'll see if I can find a link.

[unusedusername]

Darin Prince (Prince50) made the first one that was commercially sold and he owns the trademark on the word "BulletButton".

The USPTO says:

Word Mark BULLET-BUTTON
Goods and Services IC 013. US 002 009. G & S: Firearm magazine lock. FIRST USE: 20070101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20070101
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Trademark Search Facility Classification Code NOTATION-SYMBOLS Notation Symbols such as Non-Latin characters,punctuation and mathematical signs,zodiac signs,prescription marks
Serial Number 77663672
Filing Date February 4, 2009
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis NO FILING BASIS
Date Amended to Current Register October 2, 2009
Registration Number 3720328
Registration Date December 1, 2009
Owner (REGISTRANT) Prince, Darin L INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES (address redacted)
Attorney of Record Jason R Lee
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register SUPPLEMENTAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

There may have been other prototypish designs before that as one-offs but Mr. Prince is the one who really made it happen and should IMHO get the credit.

[jsragman]

It was Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, or the Pelosium.

[Untamed1972]

Who invented it? Obviously someone who did not understand the spirit for CA's AW ban. He will be helped to understand shortly.

Sincerely
Leland Yee

[Sonic_mike]

[alfred1222]

It was Darin Prince

[tenpercentfirearms]

Here are some Calguns threads I found that give a pretty solid idea of how it went down. The only thing missing I can find is where Metroshot's design came in. It was mentioned by Gene in his 1/1/07 threads.

May 21, 2006. adamsreeftank proposes a bullet tipped release design that is universallly declared legally stupid. I have to laugh about it now because he was dead on. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...highlight=tool

January 1, 2007. Gene Hoffman says happy New Years by opining that he thinks a "bullet tip AR magazine release" would be legal and that he is going to start developing one. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...highlight=tool His design can be found here one minute later. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ad.php?t=45322

After reading this thread, I know I contacted Darin Prince by phone and asked him about it and I recall him saying, "Yeah, I already had a similar idea and made a demo, but everyone said it was too close to the edge so I didn't do anything with it. I can have those to you in like two weeks!"

January 18, 2007 Darin Prince announces that he has Bullet Buttons available for sale at Ten Percent Firearms and Cold War Shooters. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=bullet

January 21, 2007 An issue was discovered that the inside diameter of the Bullet Button hole was tight enough it would bind on the magazine release bar and could cause the magazine to release without the use of a tool. The hole was opened up, wings were installed on the Bullet Button, and the issue was solved before I shipped any and less than 50 were sold by CWS at the Cow Palace Gun Show. Further, the original units had oval holes, but that was discovered to be unecessary and a round nut was used instead. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...096#post470096

January 20, 2008 The Bullet Button II is announced. It is eventually discontinued when the Bullet Button I is sufficient and the press fit is removed. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=bullet

June 16, 2008 The Bullet Button Speed Funnel is introduced. It makes guiding your tool into the hole much easier. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=funnel

I am sure there is more here and there. I think it is safe to say Darin Prince didn't come up with the very first idea of the bullet tipped magazine release. However, it was Gene Hoffman who said it was legally sound and it was Darin Prince who had the first one to production and for sale. It most certainly has been Darin Prince's efforts that has seen the Bullet Button so widely accepted in the mainstream AR15 manufacturing world for use in factory rifles and he most certainly owns the "Bullet Button" design and name.

As is with most of the story of the OLL, it wasn't one person, but different pieces of a puzzle that made history. Many, many people played the part, some less and more than others, but all are part of the story.

Now we are all just waiting for Darin Prince to become a part of history and his Bullet Button to become discarded aluminum scraps when a court decides the assault weapon ban is unconstitutional anyway. Maybe he will make regular magazine buttons and springs at that time.

[chainsaw]

At the time the first bullet buttons came out (and heated debated ensued whether they were legal or not), someone (Darin? Gene?) claimed that they were filing a patent on it. Did that ever happen?

A few weeks ago, I had my patent attorney perform a search for a patent application on a bullet button, and it came up empty. Given the 18-month publication window these days, he should have found it, if it had been filed timely.

[Mr. Meeseeks]

Thanks! There should be a sticky for semi-historical threads like these.

Here are some Calguns threads I found that give a pretty solid idea of how it went down. The only thing missing I can find is where Metroshot's design came in. It was mentioned by Gene in his 1/1/07 threads.

May 21, 2006. adamsreeftank proposes a bullet tipped release design that is universallly declared legally stupid. I have to laugh about it now because he was dead on. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...highlight=tool

January 1, 2007. Gene Hoffman says happy New Years by opining that he thinks a "bullet tip AR magazine release" would be legal and that he is going to start developing one. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...highlight=tool His design can be found here one minute later. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ad.php?t=45322

After reading this thread, I know I contacted Darin Prince by phone and asked him about it and I recall him saying, "Yeah, I already had a similar idea and made a demo, but everyone said it was too close to the edge so I didn't do anything with it. I can have those to you in like two weeks!"

January 18, 2007 Darin Prince announces that he has Bullet Buttons available for sale at Ten Percent Firearms and Cold War Shooters. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=bullet

January 21, 2007 An issue was discovered that the inside diameter of the Bullet Button hole was tight enough it would bind on the magazine release bar and could cause the magazine to release without the use of a tool. The hole was opened up, wings were installed on the Bullet Button, and the issue was solved before I shipped any and less than 50 were sold by CWS at the Cow Palace Gun Show. Further, the original units had oval holes, but that was discovered to be unecessary and a round nut was used instead. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...096#post470096

January 20, 2008 The Bullet Button II is announced. It is eventually discontinued when the Bullet Button I is sufficient and the press fit is removed. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=bullet

June 16, 2008 The Bullet Button Speed Funnel is introduced. It makes guiding your tool into the hole much easier. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=funnel

I am sure there is more here and there. I think it is safe to say Darin Prince didn't come up with the very first idea of the bullet tipped magazine release. However, it was Gene Hoffman who said it was legally sound and it was Darin Prince who had the first one to production and for sale. It most certainly has been Darin Prince's efforts that has seen the Bullet Button so widely accepted in the mainstream AR15 manufacturing world for use in factory rifles and he most certainly owns the "Bullet Button" design and name.

As is with most of the story of the OLL, it wasn't one person, but different pieces of a puzzle that made history. Many, many people played the part, some less and more than others, but all are part of the story.

Now we are all just waiting for Darin Prince to become a part of history and his Bullet Button to become discarded aluminum scraps when a court decides the assault weapon ban is unconstitutional anyway. Maybe he will make regular magazine buttons and springs at that time.

[Japedo]

I can't be the only one that remembers waiting up new years eve for "The Calguns Big Announcement." It was also when the 2 weeks were finally up for the DOJ to add to the list of banned assault weapons. Those were exciting times.

On a side note I have one of the early Metroshot BB's. The current design is much better, thank goodness for design evolution.

[Fate]

Here are some Calguns threads I found that give a pretty solid idea of how it went down. The only thing missing I can find is where Metroshot's design came in. It was mentioned by Gene in his 1/1/07 threads.

May 21, 2006. adamsreeftank proposes a bullet tipped release design that is universallly declared legally stupid. I have to laugh about it now because he was dead on. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...highlight=tool

January 1, 2007. Gene Hoffman says happy New Years by opining that he thinks a "bullet tip AR magazine release" would be legal and that he is going to start developing one. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...highlight=tool His design can be found here one minute later. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ad.php?t=45322

After reading this thread, I know I contacted Darin Prince by phone and asked him about it and I recall him saying, "Yeah, I already had a similar idea and made a demo, but everyone said it was too close to the edge so I didn't do anything with it. I can have those to you in like two weeks!"

January 18, 2007 Darin Prince announces that he has Bullet Buttons available for sale at Ten Percent Firearms and Cold War Shooters. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=bullet

January 21, 2007 An issue was discovered that the inside diameter of the Bullet Button hole was tight enough it would bind on the magazine release bar and could cause the magazine to release without the use of a tool. The hole was opened up, wings were installed on the Bullet Button, and the issue was solved before I shipped any and less than 50 were sold by CWS at the Cow Palace Gun Show. Further, the original units had oval holes, but that was discovered to be unecessary and a round nut was used instead. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...096#post470096

January 20, 2008 The Bullet Button II is announced. It is eventually discontinued when the Bullet Button I is sufficient and the press fit is removed. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=bullet

June 16, 2008 The Bullet Button Speed Funnel is introduced. It makes guiding your tool into the hole much easier. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ghlight=funnel

I am sure there is more here and there. I think it is safe to say Darin Prince didn't come up with the very first idea of the bullet tipped magazine release. However, it was Gene Hoffman who said it was legally sound and it was Darin Prince who had the first one to production and for sale. It most certainly has been Darin Prince's efforts that has seen the Bullet Button so widely accepted in the mainstream AR15 manufacturing world for use in factory rifles and he most certainly owns the "Bullet Button" design and name.

As is with most of the story of the OLL, it wasn't one person, but different pieces of a puzzle that made history. Many, many people played the part, some less and more than others, but all are part of the story.

Now we are all just waiting for Darin Prince to become a part of history and his Bullet Button to become discarded aluminum scraps when a court decides the assault weapon ban is unconstitutional anyway. Maybe he will make regular magazine buttons and springs at that time.

Nice executive summary. It really did come about via discussion by many sources.

Early on, I know I described the floorplate of a Mauser's internal magazine as an example of something attachable that was not detachable without a tool and that it pointed to a way to design a mag release that required a tool to detach the magazine.

There were early discussions that got deleted. Maybe Kes can return them to the light of day. For example: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...&postcount=127