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21st Century Gunfighter is releasing the Costa Catalyst, the first extended magazine release for Smith & Wesson M&P pistols today. We've had some time with it on the range and in the studio. The part is not simply a longer version of the stock mag release. 21CG worked with Chris Costa to refine the shape, angle and surface of the Catalyst and make it work seamlessly with the ergos of the pistol.
Since there aren't any other M&P extended mag releases to compare this thing to, I'll briefly relate it to an experience I had with using a similar part in another pistol. I have used an extended mag release on a gen3 Glock 19 and wanted to throw the pistol downrange after the third shot. The squared-off edges bit into my support hand and turned my range session into some kind of Catholic self-mortification ritual.
Not so with the Catalyst. Picking up the pistol, I noticed right away that the ergos were just about perfect. The button didn't interact with my shooting grip. At. All. Even off-hand, the release didn't interfere with my grip. Sure, this has a lot to do with the excellent design of the M&P grip, but 21CG could have easily screwed the grip up with too much button, sharp edges, or odd angles. The face of the Catalyst has a few wide serrations that create traction as you drive your thumb forward for the mag change. They don't look like much, but they are aggressive enough and do their job well.
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Let me step back for a second and say that the stock M&P mag release works well for me. I have average hands. I'm sure that S&W designed their gun for guys with hands like mine. My first thought on hearing about this part was how little I needed it. Despite this, it didn't take more than a few dry-fire reload drills in front of The Walking Dead to realize what I was missing.
The 0.2" inch of extension does make a difference when going for the button. While I never had to completely break my grip to hit the stock button, I did have to reach a little bit with my thumb. Granted, that reach is a tiny part of a reload, but it is one more movement to perform in a drill where economy of motion is vital.
When designing the part, 21CG modeled it's use on hands that were problematic. Small hands mean thin fingers. It's the thin fingers on the primary hand that can allow the grip of the off hand to squeeze the mag release as a small-handed shooter grips the gun for control during recoil. The Catalysts' face is reverse beveled so the meaty part of a smallish hand doesn't hit it; maybe it'll get some contact with the webbing, but no solid palm contact. And without that, there's not enough pressure to push the button.
The specs for the Catalyst are straightforward. It's made out of durable glass-filled polymer and has a metal insert to catch the mag just like the original part. I'd say it adds about 0.2" of reach over the stock release button, but that's an average since the parts are beveled differently.
21CG says the added button length isn't an issue with any holster. I wish I had a bunch of test holsters to back up that claim, but the few we tried it with worked fine. There is one situation where the added length could be troublesome. It does cause the release to contact the deck if the pistol is laying flat on a table. Pushing down will release the mag.
This isn't big deal in the real world. But, in pistol competition it could be an issue. In stages with table starts, shooters will have to be careful to snatch the pistol, vice grabbing it with a palm slap that could push the pistol into the table top and eject the mag.
Installation is dead simple. All you need is a flat headed screwdriver. Just snap the mag release spring out pull out the old part then slide the new one in and snap the spring back into it's channel. You don't even have to field strip the pistol, though I'd recommend you do. Fingers and screwdrivers make a tasty snack for an M&P ejection port.
The Catalyst does its job. It makes magazine changes more efficient and doesn't get in the way while doing it. It does it without adding much weight to the gun or detracting from its aesthetics (if that even matters to you). I'd like it more if it were $15, but for $25 I say it's a worthy upgrade for guys running M&Ps defensively, recreationally, professionally or even competitively. Look for more information and availability on 21stCenturyGunfighter.com or CostaLudus.com.
In case you are wondering why they named it Catalyst:
Catalyst: noun,
1: something that initiates a process or causes change with lesser amounts of energy or effort
2: an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action
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