Springfield 1911 mil-spec magazine

The majority of my mags are GI from WWI & WWII, two of my mags served with me in Korea in the fifties, all still with the original springs and still performing like they were required when going to war with our boys. I have a few Mc Cormic and Wilson mags that are well made and work as well as a GI.
 
I have had good luck with both the Wilson Combat 8 round 47 magazines and the 500 ETM magazines.

The WC 47 mags come with a variety of base pads, all removable, including a standard polymer pad, extended polymer pad, low profile steel pad, and an aluminum pad. The different pads may determine how far the base of the magazines sticks out of the receiver, but does not affect function.

The metal magazine tube of the 500 ETM magazines is very slightly longer than that of the 47 type magazines. The base pad flares outward towards the bottom which makes it a bit easier to strip a mag in the event of a double feed. The 500 ETMs have numbers engraved along the witness slots and holes and "45 ACP" on the side. The 47 mags have no such engraving.
 
The best standard size M1911 magazines are WWII GI magazines, and you can still find them at reasonable prices, especially if you don't mind a little rust. But learn to recognize the fakes, notably the ones with a contractor number MFR 30745. They were made under contract, but were rejected as out of spec. Of course, GI mags were not made to handle all the silly and exotic bullet shapes on the market - only GI FMJ.

Jim
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Yup, I agree 100%

Plus at $8.40 each you can buy brand new USGI Mags from the CMP

https://estore.thecmp.org/Catalog/Search?search=magazines

I have tons of the USGI mags and I also ordered 10 from the CMP, they are USGI with the NSN number on them. They are new and they work like a champ.

However, before you order mags, ammo, and some other items from the CMP you must prove you are a US Citizen. Not hard simple Birth Cert, Mililtary or LE ID, copy of passport, etc. But its well worth it, browsing through their e-store will prove that.

But again 10 Brand new USGI magazines for $8.40 is a pretty good deal. (as is most things from the CMP).
 
I was going to mention the CMP mags but kraigwy beat me to it. I bought half a dozen last year and have used 3 of them with out any problems. The other 3 are still in there packaging.
 
Just a note that WWI and WWII GI magazines have no stock number on them, only one or two letters, usually on the lip of the baseplate.

Jim
 
The link takes me right to the mag page with the choice to add to cart .

My mags should devdelivered today . I'll update soon after maybe with pictures .
 
Here they are straight from Midway USA
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So for $16 each are these any good ? They appear to be the exact same as the ones that came with the firearm NIB .
 
So for $16 each are these any good ?
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That's kind of beside the point now, isn't it? Unless you plan to return them. Otherwise shoot them and find out.

They appear to be the exact same as the ones that came with the firearm NIB .
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Then it would seem logical that if the factory mags worked okay for you these will too.
 
Thanks there Tunnel I look forward to more of your words of wisdom :rolleyes:
Although I've been shooting for many years and even reload . I'm not a hand gun guy and a complete noob to the 1911 . I was asking because I have no idea what most were talking about when talking about feed lips or nipple or base plate so I thought I'd actually take pics so everyone can see what the Midway mags linked are and if they are the better types . I shoot a lot of AR style rifles and although some guys say certain mags work fine I know they wont for long . Kinda like 10/22 after market mags . So no it does still matter what "some" of you think of these mags and yes I would return them in a heart beat if you guys said after looking at the pics they were junk don't bother .
 
The CMP magazines appear to be made by Check Mate Industries but I do not know if they have the traditional GI feed lips. I have never purchased them. This diagram shows the differences in feed lips:

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The "lips" are the folded over ends of the top of the magazine tube that hold the cartridges in the magazine. In the "GI" style, the lips run all the way to the front of the tube, but angle out away from each other so that the round is released somewhat gradually from the magazine as the slide strips off the top cartridge. In the "wadcutter" style, the lips are parallel to each other but do not extend all the way forward so the round is released somewhat more abruptly. The "hybrid" style has lips that diverge slightly but do not extend all the way to the front of the magazine.

The GI style magazines were designed to feed 230 grain ball ammo. They might feed JHP reliably or they may not. When it comes to model 1911s a magazine that feeds a particular round in one pistol might not do so in the next, so the only way to know if the magazine is "any good" is to try it in your pistol with the specific ammunition you intend to use.

The Midway magazines have a flat, welded base plate. Many aftermarket magazines have a removable base plate or pad that may be metal or polymer. A removable base plate makes it easier to remove the follower and magazine spring for cleaning or replacement.

Your Midway magazines also have a traditional GI style flat top, split follower with a "dimple". Many aftermarket magazines have proprietary followers with a concave top surface.
 
+1 on the McCormick shooting star mags.
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I agree with the above.
Back in my competition days I tried most brands including Wilson, the only mags that I found to be reliable was CMC Shooting Star mags.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
Late to the party.

But for what it's worth, I have three full-size 1911's: Colt 'Series 80,' Kimber Target II, and a Springfield Mil-Spec.

All of them are fed from Wilson Combat mags. 7-shot. I own about a dozen of them and they work flawlessly.
 
So no it does still matter what "some" of you think of these mags and yes I would return them in a heart beat if you guys said after looking at the pics they were junk don't bother .
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But you yourself said the factory mags worked fine. And these are more factory mags...If one guy came along that wasn't a fan you would have sent them back? Despite the positive reviews on Midway and the fact you hadn't even tried them but own other examples that work? By the way if you did try them and they were junk, you bought them from Midway and they'd likely let you return them because of how good of a return policy they have.

This isn't me being snide, this is me saying from what you've said you should know the answer already, absent a defect. There is value in getting advice I'm not arguing against that, but you have firsthand experience that shouldn't be discounted.
 
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Hey , welcome to the party Nick I thought you may chime in here at some point . Yep I knew the Wilson combats were gtg . I was looking to spend a little less with good reliability . I knew the Midway mags said Springfield but as with other descriptions I was not sure they were saying they "were" Springfield mags or simply worked in Springfield 1911"s . On Springfield's website they are $25 so at almost $10 less I was not sure they were actually factory Springfield mags . I think in the grad scheme of things I over thunked it :p and just psyched my self out on what mags to get . :)
 
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