7 vs 8 round magazine for your 1911?

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I have always, and only, used 7-round magazines for the reasons mentioned in the article. I realize I'm old fashioned, but have seen and read of reliability issues with both 8 and 10 round 1911 type magazines. I was always particularly concerned with the shorter followers for the reasons the writer cited. I have also harbored a sneaking suspicion that I, and perhaps even some of the modern Wizards of the 1911, were possibly not quite as smart as John M. Browning. I attended a 1911 specific training class a couple years ago. I think I was the only one using 7-round magazines. My gun worked reliably. Some of the other student's guns, not so much. Magazines or other issues, I don't know. But my gun worked.....ymmv
 
This is the same reason several 9mm pistols only have 15rd mags stock, but there are aftermarket mags that fit more in the same flush fit size.

Like the P226, and others.
 
Good article, thought provoking. Most of my magazines hold seven rounds but I have three or four eight round Wilson Combat magazines that I don't think I have had issues with. I did have two Chip McCormick eight rounders I had issues with and eventually discarded.
 
This is the same reason several 9mm pistols only have 15rd mags stock, but there are aftermarket mags that fit more in the same flush fit size.

Like the P226, and others.
Click to expand...

You'd be hard pressed to find many folks having reliability issues with the aftermarket Mec-Gars mags for the P226. Double stack magazines are somewhat of a different story than a single stack 1911 magazine. The same principals still apply, but how much more compression a spring holding 17 rds undergoes than one holding 15 rds would be an interesting comparison than the one mentioned in the article.

For that matter this thread title is somewhat misleading as it's really only about 7 rd vs. 8 rd 1911 mags of the same dimensions. Most of the 8 rd 1911 mags are longer than the 7 rd mags, at least those that come with the pistol. Obviously manufacturers do make flush fitting 8 rd mags, but they're not really the industry standard in my experience.
 
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