Recommendation on magazine.

The Big Guy · Apr 16, 2015

If a guy (or gal) was to make a 1911 their carry gun, what magazine would you rely on? I've tried the Mec-Gar, cheap, and with a little spring pruning is fairly reliable on ball ammo. With any flat nose such as truncated or SWC, they nose dive into the feed ramp and stall. If I drop down from the full 8 to 5 or 6 rounds, the reliability goes way up but still not 100%. Betwixt the Wilson, Chip McCormick, and the Tripp Cobra, what is the most reliable? Or any other recommendations. An arm that fails to feed any ammo at hand 100% of the time is usless for self defense carry. Is asking for a semi auto to be as reliable as a revolver too much to ask for?

TBG

MAC702 · Apr 17, 2015

When I'm not carrying a revolver, I'm carrying a 1911. Wilson magazines are where it's at. Cry once. That said, Chip McCormick mags are also at the same level, and I have several of his 10-round extended ones.

Vegassteve · Apr 17, 2015

Wilsons. I use them in steel matches and for the carry gun. No issues. I think I have 1 or 2 chips also. No Issues. My colt factory run good as well. And whatever Rock Island uses have been fine also.

If you want to shoot some different 1911s let me know. I have 45 full and compact the wife has a 9.

The Big Guy · Apr 17, 2015

Vegassteve said:
Wilsons. I use them in steel matches and for the carry gun. No issues. I think I have 1 or 2 chips also. No Issues. My colt factory run good as well. And whatever Rock Island uses have been fine also.

If you want to shoot some different 1911s let me know. I have 45 full and compact the wife has a 9.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe we can go out shooting some evening or weekend and maybe you'll let me try one of your Wilson's in my 1911 to see how it works. You and Mac both like the Wilson's. Do you shoot a variety of ammo, flat points, hollow points, ball?

I've ordered one of the Tripp Cobra's to try as I read some good things about it and the head of the company.

TBG

Vegassteve · Apr 17, 2015

I run lead, plated round nose. Also SWC no issues.

DON`T TREAD ON ME · Apr 17, 2015

What mac and Steve said, Also I have had no issues with Colt, Springfield or Remington. The blue does come off the Remington mags, but they operate well. My favorite is the Colts, Funny because I do not have a Colt pistol. Here is my go to for Mags:

http://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines/1911-45-7rd-gov-t-sts.html#.VTEvlJO21fk

If your training includes throwing mags on the ground I recommend a few of these:

http://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines/remington-1911-45acp-7rd-blue-factory-mag.html#.VTExCJO21fk

DON`T TREAD ON ME · Apr 17, 2015

Vegassteve said:
Wilsons. I use them in steel matches and for the carry gun. No issues. I think I have 1 or 2 chips also. No Issues. My colt factory run good as well. And whatever Rock Island uses have been fine also.

If you want to shoot some different 1911s let me know. I have 45 full and compact the wife has a 9.

I have a new 9mm mag that I cannot use as I do not own a 1911 in 9mm we will have to get together again sometime soon.

The Big Guy · Apr 17, 2015

DON`T TREAD ON ME said:
What mac and Steve said, Also I have had no issues with Colt, Springfield or Remington. The blue does come off the Remington mags, but they operate well. My favorite is the Colts, Funny because I do not have a Colt pistol. Here is my go to for Mags:

http://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines/1911-45-7rd-gov-t-sts.html#.VTEvlJO21fk

If your training includes throwing mags on the ground I recommend a few of these:

http://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines/remington-1911-45acp-7rd-blue-factory-mag.html#.VTExCJO21fk

Thanks for the info. It's strange but I have read bad things about all those (Wilson, Chip, Colt, Springfield, Remington), but others like you, Mac, and Steve speak highly of them. I think a lot of it seems to depend on matching them up with certain firearms. I've noted people seem to have trouble getting mags to work well in some of the real high end 1911's which I find weird. I've thought about polishing the feed ramp on mine to see if that helps however it actually is quite smooth as it is.

As I have said, I ordered one of the Cobra's to try, and will try to get my hands on a variety of others to try. Just wondered what others found work for them. I'm shooting my roll your own truncated cone, 225 grain lead.

By the way, what do you guys use for defensive rounds?

TBG

Vegassteve · Apr 17, 2015

DON`T TREAD ON ME said:
I have a new 9mm mag that I cannot use as I do not own a 1911 in 9mm we will have to get together again sometime soon.

Maybe next week we could meet up for a few and I will buy it from you.

Vegassteve · Apr 17, 2015

The Big Guy said:
By the way, what do you guys use for defensive rounds?

TBG

I use 230 grain ball. I have in the past used some HP that winchester made in a white box.

I also buy from these guys http://www.xtremebullets.com/45-s/48048.htm and http://www.rmrbullets.com/ rockymountain reloading.

MAC702 · Apr 17, 2015

The Big Guy said:
...By the way, what do you guys use for defensive rounds?...

230-grain cast lead round nose (from Rocky Mountain Reloading) on top of 4.3 grains of Bullseye, the same load that I use in all my practice and competitions.

But as I come across them, my magazines have fed hollow points, including the original Speer Gold Dot, which used to be the biggest cavity available (they are much more rounded now), and SWC with no issues.

There was something that didn't work very well with the OEM magazine on my Kimber, but it was so long ago I don't remember what it was, and I've long since lost that magazine since I was never using it. It's had Wilsons in it ever since.

deepdiver · Apr 17, 2015

The Kimbers don't care what mag is used. Kimber, Wilson, McCormick, or cheap C-Mags I got for the range. Works fine. The Springfield LW Operator is finicky about locking back consistently on anything except Wilson Combat which work 100%. I know, right? Doesn't make sense but other folks at the 1911 forum have found the problem with others from Springfield too.

For SD I use Winchester Ranger 230 gr JHP. POA/POI is identical to 230 FMJ target ammo and it expands well.

DON`T TREAD ON ME · Apr 18, 2015

I tend to "Dutch Load" I have JHP's and ball ammo, as well as frangible thrown in quite often. sometimes I just carry FMJ's. FMJ's are probably the most versatile If your bad guy goes for light cover, while remaining a threat. I sometimes feel that carrying "specialty ammo" has me feeling like I know the parameters of my attack, and therefore should have been able to avoid it.

Rusty Young Man · Apr 19, 2015

DON`T TREAD ON ME said:
What mac and Steve said, Also I have had no issues with Colt, Springfield or Remington. The blue does come off the Remington mags, but they operate well. My favorite is the Colts, Funny because I do not have a Colt pistol. Here is my go to for Mags:

http://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines/1911-45-7rd-gov-t-sts.html#.VTEvlJO21fk

If your training includes throwing mags on the ground I recommend a few of these:

http://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines/remington-1911-45acp-7rd-blue-factory-mag.html#.VTExCJO21fk

I second these magazines.

The Colt magazine (AKA "Hybrid lip" or "Hybrid" magazine) is made by Checkmate Industries. You can get them from TopGunSupply for less than from Colt, and for a bit less than from Checkmate (they have a problem with not running enough of them at any given moment

). I'm in the process of phasing out my Checkmate WC feed lips for the hybrid lips (storing them for if and when I ever start running wadcutters).

You could try one just to see how it runs. Here's where I bought/buy my hybrids from:

7rd, SS, Hybrid lips (sometimes not out of stock)
http://www.topgunsupply.com/check-m...ess-steel-hybrid-full-size-1911-magazine.html

7rd, SS, Hybrid lips, Checkmate follower
http://www.topgunsupply.com/check-mate-.45acp-7rd-ss-hybrid-cmf-full-size-1911-magazine.html

8rd, SS, Hybrid lips
http://www.topgunsupply.com/check-mate-.45acp-8rd-ss-hybrid-full-size-1911-magazine.html

7rd, SS, GI lips
http://www.topgunsupply.com/check-mate-.45acp-7rd-ss-gi-full-size-1911-magazine.html

I should warn you: the "8-round" hybrid magazines I bought were in reality 7-rounder bodies with a different follower. While I've never had problems with the 8 rounds, I only load them with seven FMJ rounds for carry.

http://how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/conclusion.html

How I Did It article said:
My favorite discovery to come out of this whole experiment was the performance of USGI feed lips with ball ammo. The rounded profile of FMJ bullets works perfectly with the angles of the full-length feed lips to produce an unbelievably smooth feed. Chambering a round feels like you're dropping the slide on an empty chamber.

Even better, control over the cartridge is absolute. When taking photos, I discovered that it was impossible to push the slide forward slowly enough to misfeed the round. Momentum was never a part of feeding, so the entire process is controlled solely by geometry. To put it another way, the slide can be under-lubed, undersprung, or just plain dirty, but as long as it is physically capable of returning to battery, it will not jam. This is pretty much the Platonic ideal of controlled feed principles--which is only appropriate, seeing as how John Browning wrote the book on controlled feed in handguns.
SNIP...

Here's another conclusion (compares it to the Wilson 47D magazine too):
http://how-i-did-it.org/magazines/conclusion.html

I'd recommend reading the other articles on Mr. Kaukl's website, as it makes for some good, knowledgeable entertainment (he's a really funny guy).

The Truth · Apr 19, 2015

Granted, I shoot .460R out of my 1911 so it's a little different, but I have only tried stock Sig 1911 mags and Mec-Gar 11rd extended mags. The Mec-Gars are currently in the garbage can where they belong. Never had a FTF from the Sig mags - shot everything from lead hard cast flat nose 255 grainers to 185 grain Noslers, with 200 grain Lehigh Extreme Penetrators and 230 grain Gold Dots in between.

Everyone keeps telling me to buy a couple Wilsons, that they work without issue. I need to get on that...been looking for an extended mag that will work with .460R for quite some time. I was very disappointed with the Mec-Gar 11 rounders. Had to take the Dremel to them just to get the to fit right, and even with more modification to help with feeding issues I just couldn't get them to work. Stupid me, I bought 3 of them.

At Ease · Apr 20, 2015

1911?

Damn, you guys must be old. revolvers and 1911s......

The Big Guy · Apr 20, 2015

Got my new CobraMag today. I have not shot it yet but I have cycled rounds through it and so far so good. The flat points seem to cycle well in it as compared to the Mec-Gar magazines. Of couse the ball rounds work flawlessly as well. Don't have any HP to try but I gotta figure if the flat points feed so should the HP's.

TBG

deepdiver · Apr 20, 2015

At Ease said:
Damn, you guys must be old. revolvers and 1911s......

Just trying to keep up with the Marines...

http://www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/semper-fi-colt-m45a1-cqbp-marine-pistol-review/

DON`T TREAD ON ME · Apr 20, 2015

deepdiver said:
Just trying to keep up with the Marines...

http://www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/semper-fi-colt-m45a1-cqbp-marine-pistol-review/

The Jar heads are showing a little style... All except for that awful trigger. It was a tough sell for me to allow polymer on my 1911 but I cannot get enough of my STI polymer triggers. I bet the younger crowd would approve!

Rusty Young Man · Apr 20, 2015

The Big Guy said:
Got my new CobraMag today. I have not shot it yet but I have cycled rounds through it and so far so good. The flat points seem to cycle well in it as compared to the Mec-Gar magazines. Of couse the ball rounds work flawlessly as well. Don't have any HP to try but I gotta figure if the flat points feed so should the HP's.

TBG

Let us know how they perform.

deepdiver said:
Just trying to keep up with the Marines...

http://www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/semper-fi-colt-m45a1-cqbp-marine-pistol-review/

I like how oddly specific the request for a new firearm was:
"Ummm, we want something chambered in .45 ACP, with a capacity of about exactly 7 rounds in a single stack configuration, and that uses those spare 1911 magazines we have laying around. Let us know what you can find."

Recommendation on magazine.

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