Extended Magazine Base Pads for the Ruger 22/45

Most removable magazines are designed to fit flush with the bottom of the magazine well. It looks neat, and makes the pistol more compact. So why would you want to put a big lump of plastic on the bottom of your magazines?

In many types of competition, speed in reloading is important, and an extension on the bottom of a magazine makes it much easier to securely seat a magazine in one movement. The extension you see here was purchased in a set of six from Dominic Notaro, who makes these for the Ruger 22/45 in a variety of colors. Dominic also makes custom grips, and both the magazine base pads and the grips are priced very reasonably. Last time I checked, the base pads were $2.25 each, or 5 for $10.95, plus $2.95 shipping.

Here's a better look at how the magazine looks with the extended base pad:

Swapping base pads is easy. There's a hole in the bottom of the stock pad where a spring loaded pin holds the base pad in place. Stick a punch in the hole to depress the pin and carefully slide the pad off, moving your thumb over the plunger to keep it in while you remove the stock pad. Then slide the new pad over the pin and into the lips on the base of the magazine. The whole process takes about 10 seconds.

You can reach Dominic and learn more about his base pads and grips at his web site,  www.tech-custom.com.