Received my Costa Ludus / 21st Century Gunfighter “Catalyst” extended mag release for the Smith and Wesson M&P handguns today…
Promptly installed it in my M&P 9mm and can say that despite being a just small light piece of plastic, it’s almost worth the $30 it cost shipped to my door. The price is indeed a damn bit absurd but it’s also the only extended mag release for the M&P and there are also only two vendors selling it on the Internet right now from what I’ve seen, so they can pretty much charge whatever they want for it and if you want one, you’ll pay it.
So what’s it look like installed?
I have read questions from others here asking if it interferes with the use of Raven Concealment Phantom holsters or Comp-Tac MTAC holsters. I carry with both and the holster’s trigger guard stops short of the mag release area so, no - it does not interfere and use of those holsters does not cause the mag to eject by accident.
I also tried it with my TT Gunleather and my Occidental Leather Company IWB holsters and it worked just fine with them for the same reason.
Overall I am very pleased. The extended release allows me to drop the mag without breaking my primary hold on the firearm. I have short little Shrek fingers anyway, so this is a huge improvement for me. It’s very similar to the Vickers Tactical extended release for the Glock series and I love that on my Glock 19, so… this is a winner.
I’d like to buy about three more of these for our other M&Ps but that’d be nearly $100 in plastic and I’m not about to do it. I may pick up one a month for the next few months, but the price seriously is out of line and out of reach of most people I’m afraid. Which is a shame because it is truly a damn good upgrade.
Agreed on all points. I see this as an investment in making my daily carry a better weapon, more suited to my baby-carrot fingers. It also works perfectly as a means of ejecting the magazine by placing the firearm mag-release-side down on a hard surface and pressing on the firearm.
A technique taught for one-handed “wounded” drills where you must learn to manipulate the firearm’s various controls one-handed as though you were impaired from an injury, etc.
Again, the Vickers release on the Glocks do this quite well. This release does it just as well on the M&P.
Expensive for what it is, yes. A worthwhile investment, yes.
I don’t know what holster you’re using but I’m using the 6360 (weapons light version) for my M&P 40. There’s roughly 3/8" of clearance between the holster and stock mag release.
My holster model number is 6360-2192
Thank you Tungsten! I appreciate your pics, and for testing it in an MTAC. I agree $30 is steep, it certainly is for my personal budget, but maybe in a few months or a year it will either be cheaper, available used, or cloned…I can hope so anyway!
Hope you don’t mind me piggy backing on your post Tungsten. I have a Costa Catalyst on loan from a friend so I figured I’d snap some quick photos.
I have large hands so I didn’t think I would need it, and after installing it my first impression was it extended too far out… but the more I use it the more I LIKE IT! I don’t have to change my grip at all when doing magazine changes.
Works fine in my Safariland holster and White Hat holster with “combat” cut. It does poke out a bit on my CC rig. I’ll have to carry it for awhile to see if that is an issue for me.
Also, if you are right handed and leave the pistol on the side of the magazine release (so you can grab it when needed) in a drawer or other surface for home defense use and reach for it in an emergency, you can inadvertently activate the mag release at a very inopportune time. That is why this and the G34 mag release are a non-starter for me as well. YMMV.
Seems like dropping it on a hard surface might be bad news. When that mag pops out and skitters across the floor. Are people really having that hard of a time operating the OEM parts n these guns that they need gimmicks? I don’t get it. I’ve never found the standard buttons, pulleys and levers to be deficient.
I’ve only used it for five days but so far no accidental magazine releases with my full size in a IWB holster. Also no issues poking me in the back when sitting.
I run a TLR light on my M&P and couldnt get it to eject the mag.
Once I took the light off it did release the mag when purposly pushed down mag release side down on a flat hard surface.
When just picking up the gun it has never happened, but I definetly see your and brushy bill’s point. You never know what may occur in a pressure situation and if that accidentaly happened in certain situations it could be your life. Not such a big issue if your using your M&P as a competion gun I think.
I also have no issues with the stock M&P controls, but then again I’d consider my hands larger then average. For men and women with smaller hands it can be very useful to have aftermarket extended controls. I love the Vickers extended mag release, and Tango down slide release that I have on my Glock 19.
