Your preferre drop in AR ambi mag catch?

[Diamondback]

I have used the Norgon for years,& moved it to multiple rifles, it has always worked fine for me. I have no experience with newer models or designs but have been looking at the Arms Unlimited Model, it appears to be a Norgon Clone. https://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...rod114343.aspx The FCD does look like a great option. The Strike Industries looks interesting but I have not tried one yet.

Thought I heard that AU had bought or licensed the Norgon patent.

[titsonritz]

Here's a thread I started a while back on the subject.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...23#post2251423

FCD EMR-A for the win.

[m1a_scoutguy]

Thought I heard that AU had bought or licensed the Norgon patent.

Here's a thread I started a while back on the subject.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...23#post2251423

FCD EMR-A for the win.

When I 1st saw them I went dam,they look just like the Norgon,guess we know why now ! I have 2 ordered now and should have them this week for my next 2 lowers. I have been looking hard @ the FCD,just looking @ $70 bucks plus shipping is hard to swallow,but as they say,buy once cry once ! The FCD does look pretty bad-ass though and I'm sure it works as advertised !

[Steve-0-]

Ive had experiance with almost all of them and prior to Roger releasing the EMR-A, my preffered was KAC. The Norgon is too still, imo and the troy is OK.

Pickup and EMR-A from Forward Controls and youll be happy. Its the perfect balance between the Norgon and KAC

[26 Inf]

There have been several threads on this.

Concur with Steve-O- except I slightly prefer the KAC over the EMR-A.

[drtywk]

I have a mix of Norgon, FCD and a couple of the AU clones on my two daughter’s guns. I haven’t used any of the other brands because I’ve been happy with the Norgon’s and the FCD versions are simply awesome. I don’t plan on swapping the current Norgon’s for the FCD, but all future builds that need an ambi will get the EMR-A. It is very intuitive and works well with the FCD bolt catch.

[js8588]

Well, I just purchased this one from Rainier because I have this obsession with pretty much all steel parts on my gun being either nitrided or DLC/IONBOND coated (or Chrome lined) because I'm lazy & dislike cleaning. https://www.rainierarms.com/nemo-arm...azine-release/

Since I'm getting the receiver set for this one cerakoted I'd rather not get something designed to pivot on the receiver and cause wear marks. Gun OCD is expensive.

[Duffy]

Thank you guys for your kind words

Norgon's patent expired in 2016 or 2017, clones of the Ambi-Catch vary in consistency and quality. Norgon's Ambi-Catch is very good, its "pivot on the plate" design doesn't require a protective fence, but it does have its drawbacks: its lever is short and hard to reach for some, and it's all but impossible to drop a fully loaded magazine with the bolt forward, the spring pushes the round against the bolt carrier with such intensity, you need to use your thumb.

EMR-A was designed in 2015 to address both issues. Its lever is very low profile as to not interfere with the bolt catch, an issue I also had with the Norgon Ambi-Catch. The lever itself is contoured, 80 of the serrated portion has a shallow V shape, but the last 20% is straight and forms a ledge to provide tactile feedback.

EMR-A is a drop in replacement for a non-ambi mag catch, we can't incorporate a fence on it, that's its only shortcoming we can't design a fix for, except a lower with a fence for its lever and that's coming.

I think only 3 companies have taken mechanical advantage into consideration: KAC, Norgon, and we. EMR-A lever was redesigned to be slightly shorter to offset the force magnification before it went to market, the original lever became the extended variant, 0.09" is enough to make a difference in pressure required to drop a magazine. We also ship EMR-A with a 8.9 in/lb spring to make it hard to press.

Since 2018, an LP (low profile) version magazine shaft was available as an option for EMR-A, which we subsequently standardized on all EMR-A versions. The effect of an LP shaft is two fold: it seats the magazine button on the right side slightly lower, below the fence, and it makes the magazine release button, and EMR-A's lever harder to press, both are meant to mitigate accidental/unintentional mag drops.

EMR-A has been in production since 2017 and reviewed a few times, these can be found here: https://www.forwardcontrolsdesign.co...ews_ep_48.html

As always, FCD products are made for work, not for show, if they look good, it's purely a coincidence, you'd never find us touting "looking bad ass" as a feature, looks don't do anything to help the weapon.

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