This topic came up in a recent forum discussion.

Have you ever had a SIG or other semi-auto handgun that, while carried in a holster being worn on the body, the magazine was inadvertently released from the locked position in the gun? An occurrence can result in either the magazine staying inside the gun or completely falling out of the gun.

If you have any further information about the occurrence(s), such as the make/model of the gun, make/model of the holster and whether it was the correct holster for the gun, or perhaps what circumstances you believe led to the magazine being inadvertently released, please share this information in your post also.

If you have experienced one or more occurrence with more than one make/model, please vote the make/model with the highest number of occurrences, and then include the other make/model of gun and holster and number of occurrences in your post.

ETA: My first poll post. Not realizing that all questions must be voted on, apparently I made a rookie mistake in setting the poll up. If you have an occurrence with a SIG please click "SIG" under the other manufacturers. If you have an occurrence with a different manufacturer please click "other" under the SIG models. If you answer "No" simply select 0 and "Other" for the remaining answers

Question:
Yes or No:

Choices:
Yes
No

Question:
Number of inadvertent magazine release occurrences for a single make/model:

Choices:
0
1
2
3
4
5 or more

Question:
SIG model: (Please include all variants under the base model)

Choices:
P210
P220
P224
P225 (please include the -A1 here as well)
P226
P227
P228
P229
P230
P232
P238
P239
P245
P250
P290
P320
P365
P938
SIG Pro
Other

Question:
Semiautomatic handgun manufacturer:

Choices:
1911
AMT
Astra
Bauer
Benelli
Beretta
Bersa
Browning
Caracal
Canik
Colt
CZ
DWM
EAA
FN
Glock
Hi-Point
High Standard
HK
IMI/IWI
Jennings
Kahr
Kel-Tec
Kimber
Korth
Llama
Magnum Research
Makarov
Mauser
Mossberg
Remington
Rohrbaugh
Ruger
SCCY
SIG
Seecamp
Smith & Wesson
Sphinx
Springfield
Star
Steyr
Stoeger
Taurus
Volquartsen
Walther
Zastava
Other

Question:
Magazine release type:

Choices:
American style button
Heel release
Flapper release
Other

Question:
Magazine release profile:

Choices:
Standard factory OEM release
Low profile concealed carry release
Extended competition type release
Other

Question:
Holster type:

Choices:
OWB
IWB
Shoulder
Ankle
Pocket
Other

 

I've experienced two (2) inadvertent mag. releases with a P226 West German model, while carried in an old leather Safariland OWB pancake holster, model K86, intended for a P220, circa late '80s or early '90s.

Switched to a different holster and have never had another occurrence.

The Ruger P95 series. Very weak mag catch spring. Very easily depressed, and I mean with very little pressure, and out pops the mag.

Once with a no rail P220 in a duty holster. I think the seat belt bucket hit it.

I didn't vote because it wasn't really the gun's fault and I don't want to skew the poll, but my dept. gave me the wrong holster for my P320 when we first got them. Not sure if they ordered the wrong thing or if the vendor screwed up, but I got a Safariland duty holster for a P320 full-size but we are issued the carry model. This allowed the gun to sit too deep into the holster, and lateral pressure (like from the bolsters on the driver seat in my car) against the grip would push the mag release button against the side of the holster, activating it, and when you'd stand up your mag would be loose or even fall out. Once I realized what was going on, they got me the correct holster and the problem has not recurred.

A stupid thing about Safariland holsters is that the carry and full-size model are actually the same holster...they just have a different plug in them to accommodate the specific gun they were designed for. Which means that our going withe the carry model instead of the full-size was pointless...the holster is still just as long and still digs into the seat when you sit down.

I was one of the Firearms Instructors at my P.D., before we got our SIGs, one of the FTOs at my agency was carrying a S&W 669 in a Bianchi holster (I think it was the 19L model). He was left handed so the mag release was on the outside.

When exiting the passenger seat, he would always push in the heal of his mag to insure it was seated. I noticed him doing this on a call and asked him about it, he said that from time to time the mag would pop out. Most likely the mag release was being pushed in or hit while he removed his seat belt.

When he was issued his SIG P226, we switched the mag release to the other side, he never had the problem again.

As I mentioned in another thread, I’ve had it happen a couple of times. It was long ago when I started carrying a P229 in a Galco “Concealable” holster and after switching the magazine catch to the right side of the gun. After realizing it wasn’t due to my failure to seat the mag in the first place, I decided the problem was due to the fact that the leather of the holster covered the mag catch and any pressure on the holster in that area would release the magazine.

The picture shows the notch I cut in the holster to relieve its pressure on the magazine catch. Even though my alteration wasn’t perfect, it was sufficient to prevent the problem from ever recurring.





This is a spare holster of a slightly different design, but same model, that I purchased a few years after the first one. The leather partially covers the mag catch, but although I’ve never carried in it, it seems to require much more pressure on the lever to depress the catch than the older one did. If I ever switch holsters, though, I’ll probably punch a notch in the new one for the same purpose. (Evidently because the holster has never been used, the pistol doesn’t seat as far in either.)

I've carried a Keltec P11, P3AT and Sig P938, P365, Citadel Compact 1911. Never had inadvertent mag release.

I began carrying Government Models in the 70s. In 1979 I transitioned to the P220.

Since then a P220/P229, 1911 Commander or HK USP account for 90%+ of my holstered, semi-auto carry

I can not recall a singe instance where a magazine was released while the firearm was being carried in a holster on my body

I have had a magazine's floor plate weld break free during a 1911 reload. It dumped the spring., follower and all my ammunition onto the ground

I have also had my own finger inadvertently strike the magazine release while shooting a semi-auto pistol resulting in the magazine dropping free

I had an early 290 that was bad about it. Sig replaced the mag catch spring and the problem went away.

I had a KelTec p3at that would drop the magazine if you looked at it funny. Again, a new spring (can't remember where I cannibalized it from, but it wasn't a factory spring)fixed the issue. I got rid of that gun and haven't had similar problems with any of the LCP or LCP 2s that have taken over its role. Ruger clearly copied the KelTec design, but they use better springs.

My p365 has done it once in a pocket holster, but that's likely on me. I haven't noticed it being prone to drop a magazine or the button overly easy to hit.

I've never had a magazine on any weapon come loose in a belt or IWB holster.

My first pistol was a SIG P250. I was new to concealed carry, bought a cheap holster at a gun show.

Magazines kept popping out. It took me while to realize that the holster was pressing against the release button.

Next time I was at that show I found the same holster vendor, showed him the problem. He cut just a bit of leather out of the holster and the problem was cured.

I knew a couple of deputies that had mags come out while they were on duty.
Both of them saw the ejected mags when getting back into the patrol car. Never really ever heard how it happened. It was shortly after after the transition from wheel guns to semi-auto, p226s.

I had the experience with a SIG but honestly cannot recall which one. It might have been my issued P220 when I first got it. Holsters were issued, but more generic than specific.

MDS, it looks like my experience was slightly different from yours. In my case, I thought the mag in a 220 was locked into place when I had a round in the chamber, but a stiff mag spring and a full mag fooled me and the mag became noticeably loose. With your P226 in a P220 holster, I wonder if the holster, when worn, didn't wind up pressing your magazine release button.

Yes. All due to an aftermarket mod and an unexpected change in specifications.

Happened with my EDC G23 and my Stealthgear Revolution hybrid holster, after I installed a MARS ambi mag catch on that gun. I didn't realize that they had slightly altered the right-side release control surface from the earlier MARS ambi catch that I have on a G19. Subtle change, but a change nonetheless. Turns out this control paddle was coming into contact with the holster's Kydex shell, and with certain body motions the shell would press onto the right side paddle with enough force to release the magazine. The G19 and its MARS mag catch never encountered this issue with the same holster.

The fix is classic Bubba; a little quality time with one of my Dremels on both the paddle and the Kydex...and presto viola...no further interference.

Depending on the holster, they’ve all done it, unless they had a heel release or paddle release.

I’m firmly convinced the paddle release is a far superior design.

(I used to carry in a plant, I a bad neighborhood, and was regularly climbing around/inside machinery. I like retention holsters from that experience as well.)

For me, so far anyway, no accidental releases. I do make a very through inspection of any holster I use, so I guess it pays off.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
I didn't vote because it wasn't really the gun's fault and I don't want to skew the poll, but my dept. gave me the wrong holster for my P320 when we first got them.

This topic and poll is, in no way, intended to disparage a particular manufacturer or gun model, but rather to explore just how common this particular issue is. I suspect that when this type of issue occurs it is largely due to holster design, but obviously from the information shared, it can also be attributed to weak magazine release springs as well as aftermarket parts' dimensional changes, combined with inadvertent force being placed on the magazine release.

I'd be obliged if you would reconsider and participate in the poll, as it sounds like your particular occurrence fits right in with the topic of the poll.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
I knew a couple of deputies that had mags come out while they were on duty.
Both of them saw the ejected mags when getting back into the patrol car. Never really ever heard how it happened. It was shortly after after the transition from wheel guns to semi-auto, p226s.

Years ago, while reading up on the HK P7 series, I came across an article that explained that the original HK P7 with the protruding heel magazine release produced a similar issue in which one of the early department P7 adopters started getting reports of their officers returning to their patrol cars after a call and finding their gun's magazine laying on the seat, which prompted HK to re-design to the PSP flush heel release, before the later M8 flapper mag release.

Way back in the day, I changed the mag release around on my 226s. We were messing around with using the trigger finger to release the mag. I had a Uncle Mikes Pro 3 duty holster. The seat belt inadvertently released the magazine a couple of times. Changed it back and had no other issues.