An oversized safety has become an standard addition to most pistols in the last few years so it came as a small surprise when my Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm came with such a small safety. In the last few years of owning the gun I just adapted to the small safety and just sort of dealt with it. The Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm that I have had for a few years has basically been a test and evaluation bed for several modifications that I have covered. The stippling made the feel more aggressive and allowed me to grip the pistol more securely, the Apex trigger made it feel like a different gun altogether, but the small magazine release was still there. Overall I found it to still be undersized and just not really comfortable for me, that was until I was give the chance to try the Crux Ord Magazine Release.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when the magazine release was sent to me, I was wondering exactly how much of a difference would this tiny metal part would play, the difference between the Crux Ord Magazine Release and the stock plastic Smith & Wesson one was immediately noticeable. Sometimes there are things that we do to our guns and we aren’t 100% sure we are going to like the change, and then there are times like with this magazine release that we wonder why we didn’t change things up sooner. Lets take a look at why I think this is such a much needed upgrade to any Smith & Wesson Military & Police Pistol.
The Crux Ord Magazine Release is made in the United States and is made of good ole fashioned hardened steel. The black oxide finished steel release features a pronounced rib surface and allows the user to install it with no modification to the frame opening or any engagement surfaces. A direct no hassle installation of any firearm part seems to be a rare thing these days. Aside from good aesthetics and some ribs the Crux Ord Magazine Release protrudes out of the frame more than the stock polymer release. This allows shooters the ability to engage the button and release the magazine with minimal repositioning of their hands.
Installation:
Installation of the magazine release is straightforward and uncomplicated even if you have no experience with servicing your Smith & Wesson Military & Police Pistol. The instructions are simple enough to follow but we have included them below.
- Ensure weapon is safe
- Field strip the weapon removing the slide assembly.
- With pistol stripped use small screwdriver to reach down into the magazine well from the top
- Dislodge retaining wire from notch on stock magazine release.
- Once the wire is out of the notch push magazine release through the body
- You will hit the second notch on the other side of the magazine release.
- Lift wire over the second notch on the magazine release
- Magazine release will slide free
- Remove polymer magazine release from pistol frame
To install the new metal Crux Ord Extended Magazine Release simple repeat the steps
- Insert new metal magazine release into the pistol frame
- Lift wire over first notch
- Slide new metal magazine release into frame
- Lift metal wire and guide into new notch
- Wire will have an audible “CLICK“when seated
- Push new metal magazine release in to test function
- Insert empty magazine and test release
Installing the new Crux Ord Extended Magazine Release took literally 60 seconds to perform and I was able to successfully install it the first time. Even a person with no gunsmithing experience could do this if they work slowly and have a small amount of mechanical skills. If you want to try this and feel hesitant I would suggest that you watch a few YouTube videos on the Smith & Wesson M&P magazine release and try it yourself. If you can’t figure it out don’t worry, it will only take a gunsmith a few minutes to correct any mistakes. Sometimes the experience of making a mistake can open up doors to learning and creativity.
The Crux Ord Extended Magazine release retails for $24.99 is available in aluminum for the following pistols
- Model CG-050 for Glock Generation 4 pistols models: 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34,
- Model CG-051 for Glock Generation 4 pistols model: 43
- Model CG-052 for Glock Generation 4 pistols model: 42
- Model CG-053 for Glock Generation 4 pistols model: 20, 21, 29 , 30, 36, 41
- Model CG-060 Steel for all Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm & .40 Caliber (Retails for $39.99)
We hope you enjoyed this quick look and tutorial on how to install the Crux Ord Extended Magazine Release. If you are an owner of one of the pistols listed above it might be worth your while to try one of the Crux Ord Releases on for size. We anticipate running the Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm that is fitted with the new release this weekend. Check back as we continue to evaluate this and leave our remarks and updates in the comments section. In closing I wanted to show a picture of the stock polymer release next to the new steel Crux Ord version. What do you think ?
