CETME drop-in paddle mag release, version 4 complete

[Malikovski]

Don't ask about version three.

But here's four, along with one (made from an original mag well stub), and two (unfinished aluminum):

http://www.neighsayersforum.com/guns/cetme/three_designs.jpg

The original thread about the drop-in mag release project is here (http://www.militaryfirearm.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=4938).

The design is simple, and I expect how it works is obvious from the picture. Here's a second one showing how the spring and paddle fit:

http://www.neighsayersforum.com/guns/cetme/v4_assembly.jpg

The piece is 1/8" aluminum stock and slides into the extension of the mag well where the button mag release assembly goes. It goes in narrow part first. The pin attached to the button release goes through the hole. There is a depression milled in the part around that hole so the spring has enough space. The paddle itself sits in the other milled depression. There is no need for a bushing, and the other side of the paddle rests against the inside of the mag well extension.

The hole in the second version worked fine to hold the paddle, but I switched to a shallow milled depression to make the part ATF-proof, so there is absolutly no way there is any "third hole" anywhere.

With a magazine inserted, the wide end of the piece contacts the back of the magazine, and holds the assembly still. With your off hand, you grasp the magazine front with your fingers, pull the paddle with your thumb, and the magzine ejects. Seems to work fine with both original and G3 mags.

Here it is in the rifle:

http://www.neighsayersforum.com/guns/cetme/v4_installed.jpg
http://www.neighsayersforum.com/guns/cetme/v4_installed2.jpg
http://www.neighsayersforum.com/guns/cetme/v4_installed3.jpg
http://www.neighsayersforum.com/guns/cetme/v4_installed4.jpg

After going through a few versions of this, I do think that ultimately drilling the receiver and permanently installing the paddle mag release is the best option, but if you don't want to drill the receiver, or don't want to have to refinish the receiver, after you've drilled and welded it, this is functionally just the same, and you can make it for $5 of aluminum, a drill, a file, a hacksaw, and about 30 minutes.

If I decide to refinish the receiver someday a few thousand rounds down the road, I'll probably install the release permanently, but for now this gives me a working paddle release that's not too ugly once painted to match the receiver.

[Smokehouse69]

Damned that is slick! I guess the push button keeps the aluminum piece from slipping out or the toggle from rotating into the magwell. Great job, I'm gonna put one in mine! Good thing I saved the toggle from the demill! :thumbup:

[Malikovski]

Damned that is slick! I guess the push button keeps the aluminum piece from slipping out or the toggle from rotating into the magwell.

Exactly. The push button pin that goes all the way through holds one end in, contact with the magazine holds the other end, so the only thing that can happen when you pull the paddle is the magazine being released. It seems like the assembly should rotate into the mag well as you pull the magazine out, but in practice it doesn't happen, because of the way you rotate the magazine slightly as you pull it out.

I think this system would actually work better on a stamped receiver, becuase you could hide most of it by leaving some metal along the sides of the paddle, but I don't have a stamped CETME to try it out with...

[Smokehouse69]

Well, I'll find out how it works on a stamped receiver. I should get mine finished this weekend (at least welded up.) I can do some trial fitting then. :thumbup:

[bspring]

Thats really slick, I'm going to try this myself.

Good job,

Bill

[Malikovski]

Glad some other folks are going to try this too. Please post your results here. I'm curious how it goes on other rifles, especially stamped. I think on a stamped rifle you could hide the big chunk of aluminum pretty well, not that you'll ever see it unless you turn the rifle upside down.

I'm happy with this version, but I may do one more if I can find 1/16" aluminum stock, so I can do a piece on each side of the paddle and center it better. I may also leave the back side unfinished and see if a little blue loctite can attach it securely but non-permanently.

[hunter_la5]

i dont have my rifle in front of me, but wouldnt you have to mill out some of the receiver in the mag-well area to get this to work?

regardless, that is one heck of a neat idea you came up with!

[HKfreak]

Great idea on how to add the paddle release. I will have to try it when I build mine.

[Malikovski]

i dont have my rifle in front of me, but wouldnt you have to mill out some of the receiver in the mag-well area to get this to work?

On a stainless receiver no. No modification necessary. On a stamped, you will have to remove a rectangle of metal to accommodate the paddle, whether you try to do it drop-in or by drilling the receiver. My thought is that if you open it up just enough for the paddle, you'll be able to hide the drop-in parts with what remains of the receiver.


regardless, that is one heck of a neat idea you came up with!

Thanks. I hope others will find it useful as well. There are probably still a few bugs to work out, but I will take the CETME next time I hit the range and make sure it holds up to live fire, full mags, and all that.

[hulygan]

nice job, have you thought about just a spot of jb weld to hold it in place? it might work better than locktite. just a thought.

[Malikovski]

A technical note for others trying this:

I think the most important thing is the angle on the piece. I hit it right by accident to begin with, but I think it was just luck.

It has to be wide enough at the widest point that it contact the back of the mag well extenstion and also the magazine itself.

At the same time, it has to taper narrow enough that it doesn't block insertion of the magazine.

When a magazine is inserted, the only point of contact between the magazine and the drop-in piece is the tip you can see in the photos. There is clearance all the way down for the rest.

Maybe it's no big deal, but if anyone has trouble with this I'll scan the part in so anyone who wants can produce it to exact dimensions.

Re: JB Weld, yes, I considered that, as well as metal epoxies and so on, but then it's getting close to a permanent modification of the receiver, and part of my purpose was to avoid that. If you're going to do a permanent modification, then I think drilling for the 1/8" rod and all that is the best way to go.

But of course, it's whatever you want on your rifle. If you wanted to permanently attach it, you could make the aluminum part much smaller and basically invisible inside the mag well, since there's be no need for it to contact the magazine.

Hang on...that gives me another thought.

If you could find two washers with the right inside diameter, you could dab a little JB on those, mount the paddle release between them, and be good to go.

Now THAT is a pretty slick idea. I might poke around the hardware store next time I am there for washers the right dimension.

If done that way, the modification would be almost exactly like the "correct" way to do it, but with no need to drill. The paddle would be centered, the mount would be hidden, and it should work perfectly.

I LIKE that idea...

[hunter_la5]

On a stamped, you will have to remove a rectangle of metal to accommodate the paddle, whether you try to do it drop-in or by drilling the receiver. My thought is that if you open it up just enough for the paddle, you'll be able to hide the drop-in parts with what remains of the receiver.


sorry I forgot to specify, I was referring to the stamped receivers.
and thanks again for clarifying that up as well. I would certainly like to try this mod to my stamped CETME, but I don't trust myself enough to screw around with cutting up the receiver :1087:

[rep30cal]

That looks like a great set-up with lots of potential, good job.
Where would a person get a paddle to try a set-up like this, I've got
plenty of the aluminum, just may have to give it a try.

[Malikovski]

That looks like a great set-up with lots of potential, good job.
Where would a person get a paddle to try a set-up like this, I've got
plenty of the aluminum, just may have to give it a try.

RTG Parts has them, as does Apex Gun Parts. I've ordered from both, and both came with a receiver stub (for use as a template), although with RTG you have the option of just getting the paddle, with no bushing or stub.

I think Apex was cheaper and only $10.

[Malikovski]

Someone asked so I fixed the pics on this thread. Bumping it for anyone who wanted to see the pics but didn't email me.

[sdk1968]

this is another nice idea as lots of

next generation stuff for the cetme/g3 builds is coming out now.

very cool.

[Buelligan]

Thanks MAILIKOVSKI .I put it in faves this time.

[The Great 308]

Wow!!!:eek: I missed this the first time what a great idea!! :thumbup: That is just too cool! :rockon::rockon::rockon:

I now have three IGF builds that I paid to have the paddle mage release installed on. If I had seen this first I may have tried this instead. I do have a C93 I might just try it on. As others have already said this is really slick. Great work!

[PX4Storm]

Hang on...that gives me another thought.

If you could find two washers with the right inside diameter, you could dab a little JB on those, mount the paddle release between them, and be good to go.

Now THAT is a pretty slick idea. I might poke around the hardware store next time I am there for washers the right dimension.

If done that way, the modification would be almost exactly like the "correct" way to do it, but with no need to drill. The paddle would be centered, the mount would be hidden, and it should work perfectly.

I LIKE that idea...

I setup/run Swiss type CNC machines at work. I sneak "government" work on all the time. We have a brass alloy we use that is VERY durable, called AMPCO 45. I might try to take a shot at making some washers. I don't actually have the paddle parts, so unless someone wants to take some good measurements, meaning with mics, not calipers, (I would prefer .xxxx, 4 digits) and send them to me, It'll have to wait til I get the parts. I guess what I'm getting at, is it would only take about 25 seconds a part for me to make some really nicely finished, precise, durable brass alloy washers that are the perfect size to do that with, and I would offer a pair, or more, to anyone who wanted some if you send me a SASE.

[mitchstoner]

PX4Storm, pm sent.

[FullAssault]

What do you need to do to put a paddle on stamped receiver?

[Smokehouse69]

I tried to do one on my PTR91 stamped receiver and it was a big FAIL for me. The shelf that PTR puts into block the pin hole is actually a bar that went through the whole receiver. I wore out about 3 dremel stones grinding that sucker out and as a result the wasn't enough flat area inside the receiver to try the method. I just said the hell with it and drilled an 1/8" hole through the left side and into the right side. Tapped it and used a piece of brass as a bushing for the toggle and treaded a long screw through the leftside, into the bushing and into the right side. Then I trimmed off the screw on the left side and welded over it with about 1 second of wirefeed welder. Filed it smooth and painted over it.
It works great and took me about 30 minutes to do after I had everything together.

[KidKalash66]

I considered doing the above but with my luck The Man would walk in just as soon as the holes drilled! I find it odd that the gun design has a redundant mag release in the first place,i.e. such as found on original military select fire receivers. Any clues why? I can't think of another MBR that exhibits this,AR,AK ect. It's as if the originators years ago could foresee the ATF banning the"3rd hole" and engineering the side button release help civilian owners! The paddle is handy though,as a 7.62 mag is much wider than an AR mag to wrap your hand around to engage a side release button,and the mag well doesn't protrude downward as on the AR. This applies to stamped or cast.....

[PX4Storm]

Well, a member here(thanks Buelligan) sent me the parts, but lo and behold, my Century semi-shelf is a solid block, which I'm not willing to start machining, not to mention I'm not really sure exactly how much messing around in there you can do legally. I have no desire to trash my rifle, or doing something illegal to make the mags easier to drop. So, my being able to work out the brass alloy washers is out the window. Sorry.:icon_neutral:

I certainly wanted to be able to do it, and further down the road I might be willing to try something like that, but hell, I just got the thing!

Good luck with the project though.

[FullAssault]

After holding the paddle next to the CAI shelf it looks like there's not much to work with after you hollow it out. Now that I have this thing I want it on my gun... :052: What do these look like on the org guns?

[Malikovski]

After holding the paddle next to the CAI shelf it looks like there's not much to work with after you hollow it out. Now that I have this thing I want it on my gun... :052: What do these look like on the org guns?

Here's a pic I pulled off the web of a receiver stub with the paddle still in place. You can order these from Apex, which is what I did, so you can see one installed.

http://www.neighsayersforum.com/guns/cetme/cetmerecstub.jpg

So yes, there's very little space to work with if you leave the paddle full width. If I were doing it again, I would probably file down the ends a bit so I had some wiggle room between the paddle and the receiver.

[FullAssault]

Is the bottom open from the mag well to the shelf?

[M1 Tanker]

Just a reminder guys, the mod you are looking at works great on a Cast receiver...but I do not believe its possible on a stamped receiver. Mal you did yours on a cast receiver right?

[PX4Storm]

+1 to this. Looking at my CAI stamped receiver, you would have to really butcher the semi-shelf. The weld in that robertrtg.com has would be much better. The main problem with modding the shelf is that it is IN THE GUN. Makes it tough to really fit it properly, and you only get one try to not screw it up.