STRIKE INDUSTRIES - Ambidextrous Magazine Release with Red Button

A must have to make a truly ambi AR. Installed on a number of ARs over the years with great results, never a failure to function as intended.

Seems to be a well made product at an attractive price. Easy to install. Haven’t got to shoot with it yet. And it arrived in just a few days.

I've been wanting a good ambidextrous magazine release for a while. I'm glad I tried this one because it hits every point perfectly. The mag catch installs like a mil-spec mag catch and functions just as well as mil-spec using the normal mag release button. The left-side button is what's magical, though. The button is low-profile so you won't accidentally hit it but is easy to push when you want to. The tactility is both satisfying and lighter than most ambi mag releases. Plus, it won't damage your lower's finish (some cam off your lower). A hidden bonus is that magazine insertions are smoother. Unlike with a mil-spec mag catch, the magazine doesn't have to shove the whole assembly to the side while entering the magwell. Only the ambi portion has to move to allow the magazine clearance, so overall there's less drag. This mag catch works with USGI magazines, PMAGs, Lancers, and even ASC Grendel magazines (which don't drop free in the lower, but that's the nature of Grendel magazines and has nothing to do with this mag catch). The only negative is that I don't like the "SI" on the button. I'm not an SI fanboy by any means, but the Strike Industries ambi mag release is good enough to become standard on all of my lowers!

I used this with a Geissele Maritime bolt catch and discovered today that it actually will interfere with the magazine release. The lower footprint of the bolt catch (Look it up) extends far enough down to prevent the ambi release from being able to accept a magazine. Chewed up the exterior of the mag as it forced the magazine catch to dig in since the bolt catch wasn't allowing it to move. You're better off with a troy or similar ambi release where the protrusion isnt so far back to be in-line with the bolt catch.

As others have correctly pointed out, the left side release is "iffy" at best. Worse, the left side rease lever interfears with the MagPul B.A.D. ambi-bolt release lever that I use on all my AR lowers. This goes back into the parts bin...