Here is what we know.
Freedom Follower is ideal for your featureless rifles and they work GREAT with your Bullet Button RAW rifles.
An empty magazine is a bad magazine. The first place it needs to be is out of the gun and stowed or on the ground. Sometimes it takes a little bit to recognize the gun is empty and immediate action must take place to replenish the weapon. We’ve taken one step out of the equation in the process of reloading.
Freedom Follower in your Gen 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3 Magpul magazines will automatically release the magazine when you’re empty speeding up the process of reloading. You will retain all the functions of your standard AR-15 rifle with no permanent modification to your lower receiver for this to function.
Freedom Follower is made and assembled 100% in the USA.
How the system works.
We have designed a proprietary follower called the Freedom Follower with a spring loaded button that actuates when the follower tops out in an empty magazine. When the magazine is empty this button pushes our custom spec Ambi Magazine Release that must be installed in the rifles you wish to have this feature. It will not work with a standard mag release or any other magazine release. The Magpul magazine must have the mag catch window cut out of it in order for the button to be exposed. In states that have capacity restrictions we have already done this for you and will sell the magazine blocked to 10 rounds to satisfy state restrictions.
The hurdles.
Designing this system has taken almost 3 years of concept, R&D and extensive testing to function. It is a very precise science that we wanted for the general public. We also know that a lot of you like to customize your rifles and mix and match components.
This system is all based on timing. If you tune your rifle via a gas block, piston, lightweight BCG or buffer and buffer spring weight that will affect the timing. In most cases the magazine will release but also because the bolt catch needs to engage the BCG for bolt hold back this needs to occur prior to the magazine releasing itself. This is where timing is important. We cannot guarantee function in 100% of rifles but we have designed a few adjustments into Freedom Follower to aid with functionality. Please refer to our troubleshoot section for these adjustments.
The details.
The Freedom Follower is our custom-made follower that will fit into any generation of Magpul magazines but we have found them to be most consistent with Gen 2 mags.
Currently we can only sell complete mags in California that are blocked but it will be blocked from the follower as there is an extension that comes off the base of the follower limiting it to 10 rounds.
We can sell you whichever followers you want, but be aware, ATS, Inc. is not responsible for the mags you use in the field nor their capacity, this is up to the consumer to decide.
We always suggest new customers purchase at least one of our blocked 10 round magazines. There are many reasons for this.
- To educate the consumer about the full factory functionality.
- To give those customers that want to retrofit their own mags a template to work from.
- We advocate purchasing one turnkey magazine so you have a baseline to see how the magazine functions and IF you decide to do your retrofits yourself you can see exactly what needs to be done and how to accomplish getting Freedom Follower into your current mags.
- Also having one functioning magazine purchased from us tests to ensure the system will work on your rifle.
- Being able to test a 100% functioning Freedom Follower equipped magazine will save you some trouble of retrofitting mags, as it may not work on your rifle based on which aftermarket enhancements you have installed.
- The primary technicality about an auto magazine releasing system is that its ALL ABOUT TIMING! Think about it. The magazine is on its way out when its empty but it also has the job of needing to lock your bolt back. This may be an issue with tuned rifles or rifles where BCG’s seem to travel slower. We have used them with adjustable piston and adjustable gas blocks with no issue but we all know some like to change buffer weights, springs, etc.
The Freedom Follower system requires our ambi magazine release, this is the key to the system. We had it spec’d specifically for the Freedom Follower to allow it to release every time. It will not function with any other ambi magazine release and believe us we’ve tested them all.
Lastly because we had to adjust the timing of the release, what we have found is that in order to achieve bolt holdback as well as release you will need a modified bolt catch. This choice will be up to you to modify your own or purchase one from us. Basically, you will need to file a steeper angle on the back of your bolt catch to allow it to contact the BCG at a higher angle. This prevents the bolt catch timing to interfere with the release timing and will improve its consistency.
The choice is up to you on the bolt catch modification as a DIY or purchase one that we have already modified.
At the very least you should purchase one Freedom Follower Turnkey Magazine and our ambi magazine release and as many followers you would like to retrofit of your own magazines. Video on how to properly retrofit your magazines as well as filing your bolt catch can be found here:
https://youtu.be/C0egGB2rtlU
Finally since we are starting with CA as our launch platform please remember all the legalities regarding your magazine and capacities.
NOTE:
If you’re going to be using it with a BBRAW rifle you will NOT need to purchase our magazine release as you can adjust tension and release by backing out the castle nut of the bullet button. Also, because the ambi magazine release is a “feature” you cannot use it in conjunction with your bullet button.