For the crowd that would rather watch a video than read here is the video review.
My only issue so far with the Glock 22 is the mag release. The stock may release sits too tight to the grip for my preference. On the 22 it’s so close to the grip that unless you wrap your thumb around towards the front of the gun it almost feels like it’s not even there. I feel that I have to take the time to find the release rather than being able to just push my thumb forward to hit it. The 17 was a little bit better but because I decided to build my 17 up for competition I wanted a better mag release so I wouldn’t fumble a reload somewhere. I chose the Hyve Industries release for both weapons.
When I was searching the Internet trying to find what release I wanted to use and what company was getting the best reviews I found one of the biggest repeat names was Hyve Industries. Every time I searched for Glock mag release Hyve ended up somewhere on the first page of the search and I couldn’t find anything overtly negative in any of the reviews. The biggest complaint was always their proprietary colors. I originally bought one to go into my Glock 17 and was extremely happy with the finish the fit and where it sat in relation to the stock mag release.
Immediately after bringing my Glock 22 home I realized that I was not a fan of the release and I needed to be changed out. I had no hesitation and went straight to the Hyve Industries website and ordered one and a couple mag base plates. Below you can see the before and after measurements from stock to the aftermarket release.
The Hyve Industries magazine release has a nice textured surface that has a lot of positive grip to it this allows for a positive mag change even if you have bulky gloves on or your hands are wet. In addition, when you’re reaching forward under pressure such as in a competition it gives you immediate tactile feedback that your thumb has found the release without taking your eyes off the next target. You can bring your gun up into your work space and change mags visually but being able to drop a mag before even glancing off target to make sure you seat the replacement mag is a time saver.
Changing out the mag release from stock is not that hard. As long as you have some kind of pick like an O-ring pic or shall flat head screwdriver like you would get an eyeglass repair kit, you can do this at home in just a few minutes. For the money, I believe this is one of the best upgrades for just a few bucks. You can watch the video above for a quick how-to but here a few pictures.
Unhook the release retention spring – this is how it should look once it’s out.
Pull the old release out and slide the new one in.
Eventually, it will get stuck – just use your pick to pull the ring forward, slide the release in fully and place the spring into the slot on the release and you are good to go. 2 Minute job.
One of my concerns, when I started looking for mag releases, was finding one that would fit inside a holster without being activated. I’m currently using the T Rex Ragnarok and I have yet to have an accidental release of a mag during re-holster draw or just a normal movement. I feel that if the holster was softer such as a leather holster there might be an issue with the release being depressed. With any of the high-end Kydex holsters, there should be no accidental compression of the release. The Hyve release sticks out far enough to make it easier to activate but not far enough to become a nuisance or issue.
It’s also interesting to me that the Glock 20 mag release is great – it’s far out from the grip and it doesn’t feel like you have to slide your thumb around to drop the mag. The grip is larger since its the 10MM round in the 20 vs the 9MM in the 17 or the 40 cal in the Glock 22. It makes me wonder if that’s why they decided to go with the more pronounced mag release – bigger grips mean you have to reach your thumb around more to hit the release if you don’t have big hands. Below is a photo of the Glock 20 mag release versus stock Glock 22 mag release.
Glock 20
Glock 22
I know it looks like a small amount but when you are talking about your fingers – the difference between the amount of material you can feel is astounding.
If you’re looking for a release to replace your Glock stock release I would be hard pressed to find a better deal then the Have Industries. One of the main complaints is that their colors are proprietary and do not match any other colors in the industry. I don’t have a problem with that because anyone can get a Cerakote or Duracoat matched if they have a good shop.
In addition, I like the fact that I can get my mag baseplates and the back plate on the slide to match my mag release. This allows me to look straight into my range bag I know exactly what magazine I need to grab. Red for 40, purple for 9 mm, green for 10 mm or 9 x 25 Dillon depending on what I’m shooting out of the Glock 20. This is also nice when training new shooters. For safety, I try not to have more than one caliber on the table at a time but this is one more way to prevent someone from loading let’s say a 9 mm into a 40 caliber pistol. It’s just one more safety feature for me when dealing with new shooters. I can tell them that the colors all match up and what caliber goes to what color as one more measure of safety.
Until someone comes out with the release I like more, or I play with one on someone else’s gun that I like more I’ll continue to buy the Hyve Industries release. I have not tried to replace the current release on my Glock 42 yet but I wouldn’t hesitate to do so if I felt that I needed it, but right now I am happy with the stock one.
I would buy it again and will continue to buy the Hyve releases, I give it a full 5 stars – unless your worried about color than 4.5 stars since you can not match it to any other colors in the industry.
