For years I have dreamed of a rifle magazine that could turn 180-degrees. What I could never figure out was how to design a spring and follower that could turn 180 degrees reliably.

An Australian reader emailed CAD drawings of a nifty 30 round compact AR-15 magazine he has designed. The magic lies in the design of a spring, which has he did not include in the drawings he sent me because it is not yet patented, but he assures me it will function.

The downside of this design is the need for an ambidextrous magazine release. I think this design in a 40 or 50 round capacity model would be handy.

If you are a manufacturer and are interested in producing the design, you can get hold of the designer Richard Urwin at r_urwin@hotmail.com.