1911 Magazines...how important are they?

M

maxinquaye

New member
Hi,

I was looking at some GI issue 1911 magazines ammoman.com has for sale for about $10 each. Are these any good? I have read so many horror stories about bad mags causing otherwise reliable guns to jam. I don't want to waste my money, but I don't want to spend $30 a mag unless it's strictly necessary.

So, really, how important are the mags in a 1911? I'm thinking if the GI's used them, they should work fine for me. I just cant see how a wilson combat could be constructed so much better as to justify paying 3x as much for one.
 
IMHO, if you are happy with ball ammo, you can get any mag you want for your 1911. If you are using HP's, stick with factory or another premium mag.
 
I bought some GI mags from Ammoman and use them at the range with my Sistema. So far, so good, no problems. But I also have Wilsons and for prefer those for any potential self-defense application. I think any 1911 on this board would tell you that good mags are critical to performance.
 
I have had several G.I. mags for my Colt. In the beginning they do O.K., but with time ALL I have had start to jam on a regular basis.
I will buy no more!
Just recently I purchased some Wilson spring and followers to replace those from the G.I.'s. Have not had opportunity to test fire to see if this helps.
 
Good mags are critical in ANY autopistol. It just so happens there are a lot more mags, made by a lot more companies, available for the 1911 than any other gun. My impression is it is best to stick with Wilson, MecGar, Metalform or Chip McCormick mags. The last three are OEM contractors for many gun manufacturers.
 
Gee, I love it here, I look at subject lines and come up with an answer, which (of course) is totally inappropriate to the actual message. "Magazines are VERY important, if you don't want an awkward, elaborate single-shot pistol." :D

I have several GI mags, salvaged when the armorer was about to follow her orders and toss them--we turned in 1911A1s, but they didn't want the magazines.
They work fine, BUT I mostly shoot hardball through them; don't know how reliable they might be with JHP or other bullet types.
 
Same problem. Fixed it with Wolff springs and Pach followers. Log on to Brownell's and they can square you away.

Watch your fingers as my desk-jockey hands got all cut up replacing all those springs and followers.
 
IMO, magazines are one of the most important issues if you're looking for reliable operation from the 1911. How the magazine functions is critical to the feeding of the rounds, probably more than in most other guns. The round actually travels a disjointed route to the chamber in the 1911, spend money on good magazines!
 
I'll agree with all of the other contributers that magazines are very important. Chip McCormick, Wilson and Ed Brown tend to sell the best single stack 1911 magazines. BTW MetalForm manufactures all of the single stack magazines that Wilson and McCormick sell today. Here's their website for more infomation.

http://www.metalformmagazines.com/index.html (MetalForm)

http://www.edbrown.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/004343.1.1076132753713762837 (Ed Brown)

http://www.wilsoncombat.com/accessories/magazines.asp (Wilson)

http://www.shooterstore.com/acb/sho...656&st3=561249322&CATID=187&ObjectGroup_ID=89 (Chip McCormick)
 
KPS - who makes the Power mags? I went to the brownell website and you have to know the manufacturer to browse their catalog. CMC was not listed....
 
CDNN has those Argentine military contract 1911 mags for $6.99 and they work great in my Sistema and SAM 1911's.Some people don't like the fact that they are 9 or 10 rounds though.
 
If the mags work in your gun, then that is all that matters. At $10 a pop, I would not count on it.

What was the military standard? Empty chamber and only 6 in the mag, I believe. You don't want to have last round failures to go into battery.

JMB designed a hell of a gun. A show of the History Channel's Tales of the Gun listed the 1911 as the first reliable autoloader pistol, but you have to admit, the achilles heal of the gun really is the magazine. Then again, it is for many guns. The gun won't shoot if the magazine can't deliver the ammo properly.
 
the achilles heel of the gun really is the magazine
Click to expand...
Speaking specifically of the 1911, I would vote for the extractor really being the Achilles' heel. You can buy good mags and that problem goes away. The extractor is a problem of design.
 
"1911 Magazines...how important are they?"

Very. A 1911 is a heavy, inefficient one shot pistol without them.

Just kidding...

If your factory mags work for you, great.

If they don't, or you decide that you want more, I recommend spending a little more and aquiring after market 8 rounders from a tried and trusted source such as Wilson Combat, McCormick, or Browns.
 
Did someone say Mec Gar? Found them on Shooterz.com for $13.13 for 7 rounders and $17.93 for 8 rounders. Seems like a good deal compared to other prices I have seen for Wilson etc.. mags. What do you guys think?
 
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