As far as the pistols (exploders) are concerned, US magnetic and impact pistols were a part of the whole; there was no way to disable the magnetic exploder without physically removing it, which some innovative captains had their chief torpedomen do.
Best evidence I've seen for the Germans involved switching them outside of the tubes, which was easier than on the US ones but still took some time. Thus when they were ordered in 1940 to "disable magnetic pistols", they could do it without much trouble. In either case there was no switch that allowed you to choose one or the other on the spot.
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