I found Tripp Research Cobra seven round magazines to be 100% reliable.

 

Absolutely this.

 

My 7-rd general officers' magazines are Chip McCormick (CMC) "Shooting Star". From the point of using the CMCs, no further feed problems. My "Defender" was bought used; no record of how many rds loaded by the accompanying mag. So I ordered the CMCs immediately; once they arrived they've been the primary mags.

 

Buy a bunch of replacement magazine springs to ensure feed reliability. Those gun's slides cycle awfully fast and a stock magazine spring may struggle to get the next round up in time. The very first time you see a last round feed stoppage replace the magazine spring. Wolff has extra power springs. They help ensure feed reliability. You can buy them in a 3 pack directly on the Wolffsprings website. Get some recoil springs too. Those compact guns eat springs like candy. If I were going to carry that gun I would use 6 round magazines.

 

Sure seems silly to me to buy a short-gripped or bobtailed gun for concealment then use magazines that extend beyond the frame.

 

While I prefer mags with bumper pads as they are easier to handle and I don't pinch my palms when inserting mags with bumper pads like I do with flush mags, I'd probably choose a flush mag if I were using an Officer sized gun.

 

I run factory Colt 6 rounders as I prefer the flush fit for carry.

 

I have not had any problems with 7 round magazines. I use Metalform flush fit 7 round magazines for carry, and I have a number of 7 round ACT mags that have a bumper pad on the bottom that I use at the range.

 

I also have been using the CMC 7-round Officer mags with no issues. If you do not use the base pads, they fit flush to the frame. I'm waiting to see if they come out with the new Rolled Power Mag design in Officers size.

 

As popular as are officer height frames ...


... the RPMs for an officer or CCO frame, surely cannot be long coming.

 

Just for clarity

The wording of a few of the recent posts to this thread could give a reader the impression, perhaps unintended, that 7rd magazines cannot be also flush-fitting. So for those who might have gotten that impression, the CMC magazines to which my earlier post refers, are both: 7rd AND general officer model magazines, i.e. flush-fitting. Flush, or slightly recessed in a Colts' "Defender"* and protruding ~1/16", less than the thickness of the floor-plate, from the grip of its stand-in, an RIA general officers' model.


* With all its custom features, my usual form of reference to the "Defender" form-factor is "general officer model-size".

P.S. I see that while I was digging out pistols and magazines from the safe, then inserting the magazines, eye-balling the results, and composing the above: others had written posts of similar content ... faster and more concisely. :- j

 

I found Tripp Research Cobra seven round magazines to be 100% reliable.

I forgot to specify flush fitting.

Part of the reason for the question is I owned a full-sized 1911 that was more reliable with a flush 7 rounder than the flush 8 rounder of the same brand/type. I think the spring for the 8 rounder one was too strong. I tried a different brand 8 rounder, a Chip McCormick, which had a less strong spring. It was reliable.

It seems many believe a strong spring is the way to go in 1911 magazines. My experience above showed the opposite. My feeling is a stronger than regular spring is only good if the 1911/magazine combination isn't working due to a reason that points to the magazine spring not being strong enough.

Incidentally, I'm referring to officers framed 1911 with at least a 4" barrel. I should have been more specific in my original post.

 

I forgot to specify flush fitting.

Part of the reason for the question is I owned a full-sized 1911 that was more reliable with a flush 7 rounder than the flush 8 rounder of the same brand/type. I think the spring for the 8 rounder one was too strong. I tried a different brand 8 rounder, a Chip McCormick, which had a less strong spring. It was reliable.

It is probably the follower more than the spring. Chip McCormick's mags typically have a fairly powerful spring. The advantage as far as putting more rounds in the tube than the tube was designed for is their follower. The McCormick Devel follower rear leg is very short, and the follower itself is a spring and will flex as it reaches capacity.

Generally speaking, a strong magazine spring is pretty important, especially for Officer sized guns with their shorter slide that moves pretty fast. You have to have a strong magazine spring to keep up with the fast moving slide.

... the RPMs for an officer or CCO frame, surely cannot be long coming.

Expect the RPM officer models to not fit flush. The 8 round RPM is longer than the PowerMag and uses the flared base pad like Tripp and Wilson ETM uses in their longer tube mags (see the picture above).

 

I prefer six for a compact grip size 1911. Mostly for flush fit.

But sevens should be quite reliable (for reliability purposes) ... if it works again and again on the range, that's the best evidence.

It's my perception and best guess that selecting six over seven (for reasons of possible enhanced reliability) might be an overly theoretical extension of the merits (slim as they may also be) of chosing seven over eight for a full grip size 1911.

Good news is that you're good to go either way (after reasonable testing on the range).

 

For flush fitting 7 round magazines I still have to go with Tripp Research Magazines.
I use the Flush (7R-45-WO) 7 round in my Officer when I carry and the Base pad (7R-45-RO) 7 rounders for back-up.
All with absolute reliability in my Officer.