>>8769873I have actually been involved with several project that looked at alternative mag-configs for pistol type firearms. Turns out that it is really difficult to find a better option.
If you place it under the barrel, you have to raise the barrel, which gives problems with the recoil.
If you place it under barrel but in front of trigger you either end up with feeding problems or a ridiculously short barrel.
If you place it on top of the barrel you get problems with the natural sight line etc.
Put it on either side of the barrel and you will have balance problems and people don't like how it looks. Also it is apparently very hard to design an alongside mag that does not eventually lead to more stoppages.
Place the mag behind the hand (bulpup) and the balance suffers and ergonomics becomes strange unless you tilt the mag slightly to either side. But this makes it much harder to carry in a holster (might as well be carrying a submachine).
Nah, there are no realistic ways to design a (one hand) firearm without the mag well in the handle. Sorry I really wish there were.