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Magazine Safety

DynoLA

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The gun won't fire unless a magazine is full inserted. I decided years ago I didn't want to own a gun with the feature if it's for self defense. I realize the circumstance may never arise that could make this a disadvantage, but why take the chance.

I never see this issue brought up when makingchoices in self defense firearms.

Any thoughts?
 

HankT

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DynoLA wrote:
The gun won't fire unless a magazine is full inserted. I decided years ago I didn't want to own a gun with the feature if it's for self defense. I realize the circumstance may never arise that could make this a disadvantage, but why take the chance.

I never see this issue brought up when makingchoices in self defense firearms.

Any thoughts?
I've seen it discussed a few times. In a gun forum, everyone always eschews the mag disconnect. Ho-hum. Same like Condition 1 or 3 on 1911s....it's always the same.


I don't have a strong preference one way or the other. I have some of each type.

However, I wish the industry would have picked one way or the other as the standard. It sucks to have it both ways.

The standard probably would best be no mag disconnect, because of LEO needs.

But, I don't think it's very important for the bulk of regular ole citizen carriers. Exceptions, like Terry Kath, do happen every once in a while.
 

deepdiver

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I don't like it and it is a feature I eschew. I do have one rarely used/carried pistol with that feature, however it also has a floor plate mag release so the mag isn't coming out easily. I cannot foresee ever choosing a sidearm with that feature as a regular carry sidearm.
 

Task Force 16

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This feature sounds like something to protect idiots that probably shouldn't be handling guns in the first place. Kind of like those "kickback" guards they put on the tips of chainsaw bars. (Removing that thing is the first thing I do before I crank up a new saw.)
 

TehGruu

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, Texas, USA
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Task Force 16 wrote:
This feature sounds like something to protect idiots that probably shouldn't be handling guns in the first place. Kind of like those "kickback" guards they put on the tips of chainsaw bars. (Removing that thing is the first thing I do before I crank up a new saw.)

Hey ya'll watch this...Sorry lol I couldn't resist. :)



-Gruu
 

smash29

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HankT wrote:
The standard probably would best be no mag disconnect, because of LEO needs.
I'veheard the argument made(Ayoob?) thatmagazine disconnects on LEO guns are a good thing because an officer would then have the ability to drop the magazine and render their gun useless if they feel they are/might belosing control of it in a struggle.
 

Wangmuf

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smash29 wrote:
HankT wrote:
The standard probably would best be no mag disconnect, because of LEO needs.
I'veheard the argument made (Ayoob?) thatmagazine disconnects on LEO guns are a good thing because an officer would then have the ability to drop the magazine and render their gun useless if they feel they are/might belosing control of it in a struggle.
This is my last line of defense in an attempted gun-grab, myself. Of course, if I let it get this far, I've already effed up. But it's nice to know, if successful, that the one in the pipe isn't going to be used on me before I repeatedly open gaping wounds on the thief with my knife.

On the other hand, if my gun didn't have a mag disconnect, I wouldn't cry.


Edit: I've never accidentally hit the mag release in thousands of rounds of shooting, or in several hundred draws from the holster. If I do ever accidentally hit it when it really counts, that's where tactical reload practice comes into play.
 

marshaul

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The original spring-steel extractor on the 1911 was designed so that, in an emergency, a single round could be dropped in the chamber, and when the slide release was pressed the slide would slam forward hard enough to get the extractor around the case, ready to fire.

The gun doesn't normally function this way, and doing it repeatedly will cause wear and/or breakage (normally the action is timed so that the case pops out of the magazine from below, and simply slides up into the extractor groove).

Despite the wear caused by loading a round into the chamber and then closing the slide, Browning specifically designed the extractor with a bevel on the forward surface (and it was already intended to be spring steel), for no purpose other than to allow the gun to be used, in an emergency, without a magazine.

I have a spring steel extractor in my 1911, with this very function in mind.

Is it likely? No. But then, neither is a gun-grab (I'm not a cop).

You pays your money, you takes your choice.

I can definitely see how cops might consider a gun-grab the eminently more likely scenario, carrying no loose rounds as they do.

I don't point guns at myself or others, and I perform chamber checks, so I don't see a safety need.

Otherwise, it seems both designs have merit. Unlike Hank, I think having the choice is a benefit to gun owners, overall, as long as those owners become rudimentarily knowledgeable about the firearms they wish to obtain.
 

HankT

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marshaul wrote:
Otherwise, it seems both designs have merit. Unlike Hank, I think having the choice is a benefit to gun owners, overall, as long as those owners become rudimentarily knowledgeable about the firearms they wish to obtain.
Should be easy, then, eh marshaul?
 

zack991

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Yes, i refused to buy a Springfield 1911 one time that had that mag safety, even though it would have been a steal for 400 bucks new. It is another problem that can come up in a tense time.
 

CO-Joe

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Wangmuf wrote:
CO-Joe wrote:
I'll never own a gun with a mag disconnect.

Care to elaborate why?
The gun grab scenario, in which you could hope to drop the mag before/during the struggle where the BG gets your weapon--even for a cop who is exposed to the rougher elements--is so far fetched that it hardly warrants consideration. I'll say it: the magazine switch would be the very last switch on a pistol that I'd ever consider purposefully hitting in such an event, I'd rather have a dozen randomly flying bullets.

So, there's exactly ONE very specific, but highly remotely improbable event in which such a feature could benefit my life. In my view, there simply are more cons than pluses--probably ten to one or better. If this the magazine disconnect did not detract from the trigger as it usually does, I might care less about it.

It's a personal choice. If it makes someone sleep better, it's beyond me to tell them otherwise. However, if/when the option of not having the disconnect comes about, I won't be happy at all.
 

TechnoWeenie

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CO-Joe wrote:
I'll never own a gun with a mag disconnect.

+1

Same reason why I carry a Glock..

When I pull the trigger, I want it to go bang, no questions asked.

And who knows, maybe I'll be caught off guard, and some dumb ass robber thinks I'm not a threat because I took the mag out...

:lol:
 

Nutczak

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I see a magazine disconnect as just one more thing that could malfunction and cause the firearm to become inoperable in a time of need.

It is an option that I would never want on any handgun that I own, and if it comes down to "All firearms will have them" then I will just keep what I got, ot by old-style pistols.

We will still have revolvers if auto's are mandated to have this useless feature.

In the last year I went to an XDm dues to it's "just pull the tirgger and it shoots" operation.
 

Landpimp

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the ONLY positive about a mag safety is this(and its not a great argument) but say you have a kid, you "could" leave a rd in the pipe, remove mag and the gun should be "safe" just insert mag and its ready to go.

like i said.....thats about the only reason and thats reaching :)

that said my Hi-Powers both have mag safety's and have never been an issue.
 

Gator5713

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Aggieland, Texas, USA
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Landpimp wrote:
the ONLY positive about a mag safety is this(and its not a great argument) but say you have a kid, you "could" leave a rd in the pipe, remove mag and the gun should be "safe" just insert mag and its ready to go.

like i said.....thats about the only reason and thats reaching :)

that said my Hi-Powers both have mag safety's and have never been an issue.
Thats about the only reason that I could come up with as well, and for some, that may make the difference between having a gun and NOT having a gun... I believe in Options! While I do not personally care for the feature, if having that feature means someone else will make the decision to protect themselves and their family, GREAT, just please don't make it a 'mandatory' feature...
 
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