Magna-Trigger, who has one?

[ChrisJ]

I am thinking of purchasing a 4" S&W 686+ for home defense and having a Magna-Trigger installed. Does anyone here have first hand experience with a Magna-Trigger equipped revolver? Please provide specifics on reliability, ease of use, and durability. If there is another product similar to the Magna-Trigger available please tell me about it. Thanks.

- Chris

[rxrick]

I have had a Magna-Trigger since about 2000. I had it installed once my children were old enough to get into trouble with a firearm that wasn't locked up while I was asleep. I keep it in a safe during the day and bring it out at night, wearing the ring to sleep. Each morning it goes back in the safe.

Durability would seem to be excellent. I had it installed on a Model 29 and I only shoot magnum rounds with it. It has never failed to fire, except as noted below.

You have to be careful about what grips you choose. The module replaces the front strap and you really want to cover that up. Crimson Trace laser grips won't fit over the module and certain rubber grips can't be used because of the metal frame inside them. I personally use a wooden Hogue Monogrip and it works great.

The only problem I had was with a "fashion" ring that I had them supply, thinking I would just wear it all the time. The regular rings are just a simple band of stainless steel with a clear plastic sleeve (shrinkwrap?) over the magnet and not very attractive. Over the period of about a year, the fitting leaked water onto the magnet and it rusted away, losing field strength. I was doing a monthly range session and the gun locked up. In other words, the safety engaged and wouldn't let me pull the trigger, just the way it was supposed to. After a bit of head-scrathing and trouble-shooting, it was diagnosed as a weak magnet. I changed to one of the regular rings and haven't had a problem since.

In practice, you simply pick up the gun and shoot. There is no fumbling, bumbling, or waiting to disengage, at least in my case. The finger grooves on the Hogue may help with that.

It's the chrome one on the bottom in this picture:



Rick

[Hired Gun]

If you need that revo when it hits the fan, you will be so disoriented, confused and scared that you do not need anything getting in the way of your ability to react.

[liliysdad]

Seems like a soultion looking for a problem, to me. No thanks.

[dgludwig]

The "problem" is pretty evident to me and rxrick identified it: kids. The Magna-Trigger concept seems like a sensible solution to the problem. From what I understand, numerous le agencies (including the Ohio State Patrol, I've been told) in Ohio used the Magna-Trigger with success before switching to autos.

Other than the extra expense, the only drawbacks to the Magna-Trigger are the limitations imposed by the single ring : weapon accessible by only one person in the household and no shooting with the weak hand. Of course, with even more extra expense, these limitations can be eliminated with the purchase of more rings.

[Hired Gun]

Kids are only a problem if parents don't parent.

[ChrisJ]

RXRick,

Thanks for the review, it was very helpfull. I think it will work out for my needs. It seems like a great solution for some concerns I have. I do have small children too young right now to get into anything but I am looking ahead. Mainly it is for my wife. She is a great shot but not a gun person. She has no interest in practicing clearance drills for an auto. She is also petite and has trouble reliably racking the slide. A loaded revolver suits her best. I do worry about the gun being taken away from her in a struggle. I also worry about an intruder forcing the safe and gaining access to the gun. A man at my work was killed by his daughter's ex-boyfriend who got into the house and gun safe then ambushed him returning from work. Badguy held the wife and kid hostage before giving up. Also, twice as a child I had "good" kids point daddy's loaded gun at me. Bad things happen, I want to be as safe as possible.

- Chris

[rxrick]

Hired Gun, Taking your issues in order:

1. There is nothing to fumble with. Pick up gun, shoot. It is really that simple. If you feel insecure, get extra rings.

2. In your disorientation, do you think it is possible that the intruder might take the gun from you? With the Magna-trigger, he can't use it (unless by some miracle he's wearing one of the rings).

3. I'm curious if you have children. My children have been gun-safed from the time they were old enough to understand what one was. But I will do everything in my power to prevent something from happening to them, and that means taking steps to protect them from themselves. I never EXPECT one of them to come get the gun from my nightstand, but I PREPARE for it and take steps to prevent it from becoming an issue.

ChrisJ: Glad it helped.

Rick