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Do I need Wilsons?

1010 Views 14 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  col132
I've always heard that Wilson magazines are the best, but if I'm only planning to shoot 230-grain FMJ, do I really need them?

My Springfield came with a coupon which lists 7-round mags for only $9, and since I've heard that they're pretty good, I think I'll stock up on those. However, reliability is my #1 concern, so I don't mind spending the extra bucks on Wilsons if they will indeed feed hardball better than the Springfield mags.

Does the type of ammo (FMJ, JHP, etc) matter when it comes to reliable feeding from magazines?
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My two cents - If your mags are reliable and you're happy with them, why spend the extra money? You need to find out what your gun likes. If it likes the factory mags, great.

My son uses Wilsons in his Charles Daly because that's what works. Same for my Chip McCormicks in my Kimber. Wilsons are very good mags, but that doesn't automatically mean they're the best for your particular pistol.

Dave
Originally posted by StuporDave:
Wilsons are very good mags, but that doesn't automatically mean they're the best for your particular pistol.

...but they usually are!
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I have not noticed a problem between the mag an ammo type in .45, although I have noticed that some guns refuse to feed hollowpoint, such as older 1911s made long before hollowpoints were around and an early AMT Hardballer I have. These are gun and ammo issues and not magazine and ammo issues.

I am real happy with Wilson mags. Something you may find is that cheap mags often don't translate into great products. If you are just going to be plinking, then whether or not the gun is reliable isn't critical. If you have any plans to use the gun for defense, I suggest you get the best mags that you can find that work well in you gun. Is the $15 you saved on a magazine going to mean a thing if your gun does not function in a crisis?
Hmmm...good points, fellas. Looks like I'll go ahead and get those Springfield mags, but I'll also invest in a couple of Wilsons for self-defense. Thanks.
Many swear by them. I think they are over rated. I don't use, and probably never will. My stock mags work fine, and I bought some shooting stars that work equally well. If you wanna spend more for the name, by all means. Some mags work well in certain 1911's, or so they say. I don't think a mag exists that won't feed in my 1911. I have used many.
The SA and CMC mags seem to work well in my SA. I did try a NIW GI mag that refused to feed a single round. Nothing I tried would get that thing to feed without a hangup. Glad it was only $6.
Just my .02 cents worth but.....

I would not use anything but Wilson's after 20 years using them. I have 10 of them, some 20 years old and some 3 weeks old and every one of them work. Every time, with every ammo type.

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ACK

"Make the First Shot Count"!
I too believe that they are over rated. I have 5 Mec-Gar 8 round mags that have never failed me. I also have 10 Stainless GI magazines with Mag-Pac 8 round conversions in them. They also work perfectly. I run ball and wad-cutter ammo. You can spend twice the price but you cannot improve on 100% no matter how much you spend.
As always, YMMV. I know what works in my guns.

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-Charley.
When the need is great enough, limitations are meaningless

[This message has been edited by charleym3 (edited 11-08-2001).]
Where is the most cost effective place to order Wilson Mags? Any good internet sites?

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"It's better to be confused and distraught, than it is to be mislead in the wrong direction"
The only place I've found is Brownells. http://www.brownells.com/
I use nothing but Wilson. Even though you plan on shooting nothing but ball, sure as heck, some guy will show up at the range with the latest "wonder bullet" and you'll want to try a mag full.
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