TAC-LATCH II Paddle Mag Release

[The Great 308]

http://www.taclatch.com/

The Tac-Latch II is a very inexpensive (approx $54) and easy to install paddle mag release for HKs, Cetmes and PTR91s. This is a drop in installation where no permanent modifications are required on HKs and Stamped receiver Cetmes. It simply attaches to the existing button Mag release.

I installed one of these on a stamped receiver Cetme. It only took about ten min to install and was very easy to use. once again it was a drop in installation and required no modifications.

I have since installed the Tac-Latch II on both of my PTRs. This was also a very simple installation. However there are some very slight permanent modifications required to the JLD receiver. There is a little extra material on the JLD and Cast Cetme receivers toward the very back of the magazine well. This extra material can be removed in a few min using a dremel tool and a cutting wheel. I have attached some pics to show the area that needs to be removed. I hope this helps.

Caution: Tac-Latch II now has a disclaimer on their site saying that this may not be a legal modification on a PTR. This disclaimer was not on their site at the time I purchased and modified my PTRs. I am not a lawyer and I do not have a letter from the ATF. However, since this modification does not require any holes to be drilled in the receiver and does not make it possible to attach a select-fire trigger group, by my reading of the law it should not be in violation. This is just my opinion.

On the Tac Latch II site they have the basic installation instructions:

http://www.taclatch.com/install.htm

[Patria Povo]

Thanks for the pics, Great .308 - I just ordered one!

[nalioth]

Looks good :thumbup: Thanks for the info

(how bout some bigger pix [or links to such] cuz i cant read those)

[rpmfly2]

Since i have 4 in the kits I have finished and more on the way besides making paddle mag parts kits for my kits so i can put them in later! they are simple and work great!

[The Great 308]

Looks good :thumbup: Thanks for the info

(how bout some bigger pix [or links to such] cuz i cant read those)


I edited my post. I tried to make the pics a little better but I am not to good with the photo software and with paint. I hope it is a little better.
:533:

[Patria Povo]

Great 308 - how much metal did you take off the PTR and did you also file the shelf?

[The Great 308]

Great 308 - how much metal did you take off the PTR and did you also file the shelf?

I am not exactly sure how much metal I had to remove but it really wasn't very much and it was a long time ago that I did this. I did not have to remove any metal from the shelf. I think if you look at the pictures again you can see it was just the sheet metal that had to be ground down.

[SteelCore]

SO, you used to push the mag release button on the right side of the rifle to drop then mag, but now you...

"Press the Tac-Latch II thumb paddle sideways from left to right with the left thumb as shown in Illustration #1."

Well, I'm left-handed, and I enjoy the lefty-friendly nature of the mechanism as-is. I can see how this would really increase the righty friendliness of the mechanism tho.

I really enjoy how left-hand shooter friendly the CETME is.

Great product review, man.

[nevada]

I had to oder a genuine G3 mag release button when I put one on my PTR, the JLD was different and wouldn't work. I like mine very much.

[The Great 308]

I had to oder a genuine G3 mag release button when I put one on my PTR, the JLD was different and wouldn't work. I like mine very much.

Do you mean that the Tac Latch II wouldn't work on your PTR?

If so as I have said in this review and my pictures show the Tac-Latch II can be made to work perfectly on the PTR with only very slight modification I have installed one on both of my PTRs.

This is functionally as good as the original paddle mag release as long as you are right handed. In fact IMHO the design of Tac-Latch II actually makes mag changes quicker since the release is engaged by the thumb of the left hand as the rest of the hand wraps around the mag. Also this is a much cheaper alternative.

I Will say that the original G3 paddle mag release when professionally installed looks very nice. I may have an original G3 paddle release installed when I have my PSG1/MSG90 clone built.

[The Great 308]

I decided that I should probably go into more detail on exactly what modifications need to be made to fit the Tac-Latch II to the PTR 91. As I have already mentioned and shown in the pictures I posted, there is a little extra material on the JLD receivers toward the very back of the magazine well. This extra material can be removed in a few min using a dremel tool and a cutting wheel.

In addition the PTR 91 has a very small indentation on the inside wall of the mag well. This indentation on the PTR receiver requires another modification to make the Tac-Latch II work as intended. The Tac-Latch II is supposed to engage the wall of the mag well where the indentation is and push the mag catch to the side. However the indentation prevents the TAC-Latch II from moving the mag catch far enough to drop the mag. There are two simple fixes to this problem.

1) One fix is to weld a thin piece of metal approximately .0045 inches over that
indentation. This actually makes the Tac-Latch II easier to push but not too easy so it would drop the mag at a bad time.

2) What I did instead was to shorten the bushing portion of the magazine release button (push button). This will put the side of the paddle closer to the side of the mag well. This does basically the same thing as welding metal over the indent. Just be very careful, go slow and check often so you do not make the bushing too short.

It took me approximately two hours to make these modifications to my PTR 91. I hope this info is usefull.

[nevada]

When I talked to the guy who makes TacLatch he told me JLD makes minor changes to their stuff now and then. Which is why he says it fits G3s and exact clones in his ad. So you might not have to get a new HK part to make it work, or you might. I did, and I also had to put that little piece of metal in that the great 308 mentioned. Super glue is still holding strong.

I will probably get one for the CETME, but I just bought a Russian SKS.
Maybe there is enough in my coin jar........

[Patria Povo]

Well, I have my Tac-Latch on the rifle now. It releases the mag just fine, but when I insert a fresh mag it doesn't lock-up. I have to manually push the mag-locking mechanism into back place.

Any suggestions what I should be looking for here? Thanks in advance, guys!

[rezman762]

When I installed one in a Century Cetme, it actually took some time and gun oil to allow the pin and bushing the taclatch rides on to breakin. My advice is to keep working it for a bit, pushing with a bit of finger pressure on the mag catch itself. Took a little messing with, but broke in just fine.

Hope this helps.

[david57]

my century has the solid shelf, not the u shaped one. i always wanted to put on a paddle or now the tac-latch..any one know how i can find out if it is within the law to remove part of the shelf on the inside so i can install one of these? thanks... sorry ment to post in another thread