1911 magazines; sorting out the good from the bad

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  • 1911 magazines


    • Total voters
      24
    • Poll closed .

    Minuteman

    Member
    BANNED!!!
    From your experience with 1911 magazines, what are your experiences?


    They all generally work; no problem with any.

    Some work very well others not so much (please name which ones).

    If you have problems with them, what do you like or dislike about them?

    Have you experienced any issue with cartridges not loading into the chamber?

    e.t.c.

    https://www.m1911.org/textfiles/1911acp.htm
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,172
    Outside the Gates
    I've had more problems with followers in the mags than the mags themselves. McCormick and Tripp followers redeemed mags I'd otherwise discard.

    My worst 1911 mag experience was my 9mm. I assumed that MecGar would be a good mag, but it was a complete dud in the 9mm.
     

    pop-gunner

    Ultimate Member
    May 8, 2008
    2,270
    Tripp Research, Wilson, McCormick, and if 9mm Metalform Springfield design have worked for me in the
    past... I currently only use Tripp, or if 9mm Metalform.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    Chip McCormick have been hit or miss for me, had to tweak followers on a couple, one actually had a couple triangular peices of polishing media stuck inside the mag, and have bent feed lips if I drop a mag on hard ground. Wilson work, but are expensive. I've had very good luck with Mec-gar in 45, 9 and 38 super, they run, are tough, and relatively inexpensive.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    It have had a generic " sorta GI " magazine have the base plate spontainously come unwelded , and spew out ctgs and mag parts while it was in my holster .

    And had more follower issues than feed lips.

    Virgil Tripp is the best follower .

    And I'm old school , I don't trust any original length 8rd magazine . The newer ones with extended body camoflaged by an extended basepad looking thing is just long enough to be feasable with 8rd ( if that's a big deal to you ).
     

    lonewolf220

    Member
    Oct 10, 2014
    49
    Hampstead
    Haven't had issues with factory mags, Shooting Star or Wilson in either my 1911's. I do like the Wilson's the best though and will probably stick with them for all replacements
     

    Minuteman

    Member
    BANNED!!!
    Great discussion thus far, thank You all.

    Here’s a good high level article: http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/1911-magazines-101/

    Here’s a thread about how to identify various 1911 magazines: https://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?28256-1911-Magazine-Identification&

    I’ve noticed S&W outsourced for their magazines in their 1911’s; I forget at the moment who they decided to use.

    I was referring to normal, classic, 1911 mags in .45 ACP, but now that 9mm 1911’s are fairly common, this discussion naturally entails them as well. When Rob Pincus decided to team with Avidity Arms (new gun maker) to build what he calls the ultimate ccw gun, a thin 9mm; he started building the gun around the McCormick single stack 10 round magazine. https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=217161

    That’s a strong endorsement for a 9mm magazine.

    IMG_2289-e1454641750977.jpg
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    I have bought and sold off a few 45 ACP 1911s. I still have a Springfield RO. The RO has had no problems with any magazine feeding any 45 ACP ammunition. The RIA I had would not feed anything except milspec FMJs with the magazine it came with, but fed JHPs with Wilson mags. The various Colts had no problems with any mags and any ammunition.

    With the three 10mm 1911s I've owned, the Kimber mags were problematic. The rest worked without a hitch.
     

    DENWA

    Active Member
    May 5, 2008
    272
    I literally have never had an issue with the colt contract mags.

    The cheap $6 each at the Dulles gun show 7 rounders.

    Not even sure they are real colt mags but they run flawless.

    I think the issue is almost always the 8-10 round mags.

    I have a 2 of the 8 round MECGAR and seem to be good.
     

    cantstop

    Pentultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 10, 2012
    8,158
    MD
    The factory mag for my SAM Military 1911 often caused feed issues. My buddies said I must be limp-wristing the 1911. Only gun I've ever "limp wristed".

    My feed issues disappeared when I switched over to Wilson combat mags. Even when I intentionally limp wristed it - holding the 1911 with just my middle finger in a very loose weaver style grip - the gun functioned properly.

    edit: The poll questions aren't really accurate. This SAMmy mag is really the only one I've had issues with. The factory Colt mag in my Sistema works fine too.
     
    Last edited:

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,172
    Outside the Gates
    On another note in the same song, I have some 10 round 45's from McCormick that wouldn't run consistently in any of our 1911's at first, but after 3 or 4 range trips run consistently well. Lips must have been a little off to start with.
     

    Not_an_outlaw

    Ultimate Member
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 26, 2013
    4,679
    Prince Frederick, MD
    It have had a generic " sorta GI " magazine have the base plate spontainously come unwelded , and spew out ctgs and mag parts while it was in my holster .

    And had more follower issues than feed lips.

    Virgil Tripp is the best follower .

    And I'm old school , I don't trust any original length 8rd magazine . The newer ones with extended body camoflaged by an extended basepad looking thing is just long enough to be feasable with 8rd ( if that's a big deal to you ).
    Funny you should mention this. I tried a Colt branded 8 round in my Kimber yesterday. It required a full manual pull of the slide to get it to work most of the time. Normal slide release wouldn't do it. Using flat Hornaday XTP reloads s. The first round gets stuck on the follower thingy., (NOT 1911 educated in terms). At 7 rounds it seems to work. It will probably go in the trash. 2 Chip Mcs on the way.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    Don't trash the whole magazine , replace the follower with a Virgil Tripp 7rd follower .
     

    BossmanPJ

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 22, 2013
    7,057
    Cecil County
    I literally have never had an issue with the colt contract mags.

    The cheap $6 each at the Dulles gun show 7 rounders.

    Not even sure they are real colt mags but they run flawless.

    I think the issue is almost always the 8-10 round mags.

    I have a 2 of the 8 round MECGAR and seem to be good.

    I too have had great luck with the Colt contract mags. Got a handful of them off of EBay for $7 a piece. Colt marked on the floor plate. No issues with any of them.

    The factory magazine for my RIA 1911 is marked ACT MAG. Works great as well and is damn smooth. Smoother than the Colt mags by a long shot.

    Never needed to try Wilson or Chip magazines because all of mine work so well.
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    Subbed for future knowledge.

    Me too:thumbsup:

    It have had a generic " sorta GI " magazine have the base plate spontainously come unwelded , and spew out ctgs and mag parts while it was in my holster .

    I've had cheapies do that too...kinda embarrassing when you .45 unloads itself out of the bottom just as you get a sight picture:o

    The factory mag for my SAM Military 1911 often caused feed issues. My buddies said I must be limp-wristing the 1911. Only gun I've ever "limp wristed".

    My feed issues disappeared when I switched over to Wilson combat mags. Even when I intentionally limp wristed it - holding the 1911 with just my middle finger in a very loose weaver style grip - the gun functioned properly.
    I always thought limp wristing happened when you went from shooting 1911s to lighter plastic guns that didn't have enough of their own mass...it sounds like your experience confirmed that you really can't limp wrist a 1911 (or, rather, you can, and it doesn't matter). :shrug:




    I've heard people criticize Kimber mags. I have a couple, and they've never given me any trouble :shrug:
     

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