Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
When it comes to magazine releases on pistols, the major distinction we see are the 1911 style button verses the heel type catch. These are sometimes referred to as the American style and the European style, which has always struck me as a bit odd and I’ll address that issue later.
There’s little argument that the 1911 style release coupled with a free-falling magazine is the faster of the two systems but there’s more to the big picture than absolute speed. The heel type release is not quite as “slick” as the 1911 style, but the heel type release has some real-world strengths that are often overlooked.
In most military situations, a shooter will not completely discard his empty magazines. Regardless of the type of weapon (light machinegun, rifle, carbine, pistol, etc.) the operator will have a finite number of magazines for that weapon, and he will retain and reload those magazines. Because the deliberate retention of empty magazines is the normal procedure, a heel type magazine release is not an impediment.
When we focus on pistols, the heel type magazine release has the advantage of being very secure. You are less likely to inadvertently dislodge a magazine locked in a pistol with a heel type release. Again, speed is not the critical factor, security of the magazine is the primary concern. This does not imply that the 1911 style release is prone to accidentally releasing the magazine. (it is not) The heel release is more of the “belt and suspenders” approach. I know a guy that carries a H&K PSP with a heel type release and prefers it to the paddle type release on a H&K P7M8. He could easily afford a P7M8 and he intentionally sought out a PSP for its greater security in retaining the magazine under adverse conditions.
Americans will generally accept the heel type release on older designs such as the 1903 Colt. They will also accept the heel style release on target/plinking guns such as the Ruger Standard pistol or MKII models. However, when the focus shifts to self-defense pistols, Americans will often turn their noses up when confronted with a heel style magazine release. Despite the fact that, with practice, heel style releases can be operated quickly; Americans overwhelmingly want a 1911 style magazine release on pistols used for serious work.
Over the last 120+ years, Europeans seem to have been a little more tolerant of the heel type magazine release. Obviously the 1911 style release has become the standard on many full-sized combat pistols, regardless of their origin but the heel type release was far more common, for far more years, across the pond.
Then we get to the whole, “American” verses “European” labels for magazine releases. I’ve always found it odd that the Luger pistols had a button style magazine release located behind the trigger years before the John Browning designs adopted a similar style magazine release. The Lugers and the Walther PP had button style releases, but many European pistols utilized a heel release. The common labels switched, and the heel release system become colloquially known as a “European” style magazine release despite the fact that European pistols had button releases before the American pistols did. Oh well, such is history.
While the vast majority of my pistols incorporate a 1911 style magazine release, I find the heel style magazine release to have some unique, under-appreciated strengths.
There’s little argument that the 1911 style release coupled with a free-falling magazine is the faster of the two systems but there’s more to the big picture than absolute speed. The heel type release is not quite as “slick” as the 1911 style, but the heel type release has some real-world strengths that are often overlooked.
In most military situations, a shooter will not completely discard his empty magazines. Regardless of the type of weapon (light machinegun, rifle, carbine, pistol, etc.) the operator will have a finite number of magazines for that weapon, and he will retain and reload those magazines. Because the deliberate retention of empty magazines is the normal procedure, a heel type magazine release is not an impediment.
When we focus on pistols, the heel type magazine release has the advantage of being very secure. You are less likely to inadvertently dislodge a magazine locked in a pistol with a heel type release. Again, speed is not the critical factor, security of the magazine is the primary concern. This does not imply that the 1911 style release is prone to accidentally releasing the magazine. (it is not) The heel release is more of the “belt and suspenders” approach. I know a guy that carries a H&K PSP with a heel type release and prefers it to the paddle type release on a H&K P7M8. He could easily afford a P7M8 and he intentionally sought out a PSP for its greater security in retaining the magazine under adverse conditions.
Americans will generally accept the heel type release on older designs such as the 1903 Colt. They will also accept the heel style release on target/plinking guns such as the Ruger Standard pistol or MKII models. However, when the focus shifts to self-defense pistols, Americans will often turn their noses up when confronted with a heel style magazine release. Despite the fact that, with practice, heel style releases can be operated quickly; Americans overwhelmingly want a 1911 style magazine release on pistols used for serious work.
Over the last 120+ years, Europeans seem to have been a little more tolerant of the heel type magazine release. Obviously the 1911 style release has become the standard on many full-sized combat pistols, regardless of their origin but the heel type release was far more common, for far more years, across the pond.
Then we get to the whole, “American” verses “European” labels for magazine releases. I’ve always found it odd that the Luger pistols had a button style magazine release located behind the trigger years before the John Browning designs adopted a similar style magazine release. The Lugers and the Walther PP had button style releases, but many European pistols utilized a heel release. The common labels switched, and the heel release system become colloquially known as a “European” style magazine release despite the fact that European pistols had button releases before the American pistols did. Oh well, such is history.
While the vast majority of my pistols incorporate a 1911 style magazine release, I find the heel style magazine release to have some unique, under-appreciated strengths.
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