As much as I would like to avoid discussing politics, the reality is politics influences the kinds of guns and gear that are available to us. Case in point: the Bullet Button.

Several new gun bills were recently passed and signed into law in The Golden State. One of them directly affects the legality of the Bullet Button.

If I may paraphrase the character of Dr. Ian Malcolm, gun owners will find a way. In this case there are two devices I am aware of that appear to be compliant under the new law: the AR Mag Lock and the Bullet Button Reloaded. Both seem to work in a similar manner.

Bullet Button Reloaded

With this device, the standard Bullet Button is replaced with a new unit that is fixed while the gun is assembled. A tool – like the pointy end of a .223 cartridge – will not release the magazine. However, when you pivot the upper from the lower, the Bullet-Button Reloaded will allow you to drop the magazine.

To help speed up the opening of the gun, the Bullet Button Reloaded is shown with an extended takedown pin.

No word on pricing, but the company will begin taking orders soon.

AR Mag Lock

The AR Mag Lock has been around for several years, but doesn’t have the name recognition that Bullet Button has. Nathan S. talked about this back in March of 2014.

This device appears to work in a similar manner to the Bullet Button Reloaded, and the way the shooter reloads the gun appears to be identical. The true benefit is the device has been in use and any problems with the design have likely been worked out already.

These are ready for sale now. For $59.95, you get the magazine button replacement plus a new takedown pin.

The following video shows the AR Mag Lock in use:

Final Thoughts

Look – neither of these two systems are perfect, and both are incredibly slow compared to how the rifle is designed to be reloaded. But, they appear to be completely compliant under the new California law. Until such time as the laws change, these two products may be the best you can do in that state.

Of course, we never know what some ingenious machinist might come up with. People even came up with ways to restore the functionality of the original bullet button, so something better that works within the new laws may yet be invented.