[Eight_is_enough]

Wolff 8-round replacement springs do not allow you to put the 8th round in (or only after a real struggle). They have the same # of turns, but the Wolff are about 1/8" wider than the factory springs. That seems to be causing the incompatibility.

Kimber does not list any mag springs in its Springs section.

Anyone know where to find replacement springs for the cheap-o Kimber 8-rounders?

 

[drail]

Struggling to get the 8th round in a flush fit magazine isn't just because of the spring - the follower and the spring both run out of space with 8 rounds sitting on it. If you really "need" 8 rounds look at the slightly extended magazines available. I have always been more concerned with reliability than capacity. In a flush fit magazine you will get much better reliability by only loading 7 rounds into it. Compromising reliability to get one more round is not a good choice.

 

[Wilsonedbrown]

I would try a couple wilson ETM mags or Tripp cobramags.. They have the extended body and are very easy to load.. Have you tried to set the springs you have? Sometimes if you leave them loaded for a week or so they will set and become easier to load.

 

[drail]

and less able to lift the last round fast enough.

 

[Eight_is_enough]

Struggling to get the 8th round in a flush fit magazine isn't just because of the spring - the follower and the spring both run out of space with 8 rounds sitting on it. If you really "need" 8 rounds look at the slightly extended magazines available. I have always been more concerned with reliability than capacity. In a flush fit magazine you will get much better reliability by only loading 7 rounds into it. Compromising reliability to get one more round is not a good choice.

I agree, but the followers worked fine and easily permitted an 8th round to be loaded in the mag, and then into the chamber, with the factory springs. Changing to the Wolff "8-round springs" started up the problem.

I'm guessing it is due to the Wolffs being 1/8" wider, i. e., the turns in the spring block the follower, whereas the narrower spring lets the follower go down further.

Someone makes those narrower springs. I just need to find out who they are.

 

[BadaBing11]

I put Tripp springs in my 8 round mags. They too limited capacity to 7 rounds.

With the help of Aaron Trip, I was able to get a follower that gave a little more space so I could load a Wilson 47D to 8 rounds. Yes, it is likely the heavier spring. Do you have a metal or plastic follower?

 

[Ragnarok]

I bought a couple Kimber(Checkmate) officer's sized mags to use in my off-breed officer's sized 1911 compact pistol. These work great in my cool little Philippine made mini 1911.

Anyhow..the first mag I bought was a stainless Kimber mag and it was really iffy getting more than six rounds loaded into it despite it's 7 shot capacity. Sometimes might take 7 rounds ok..but most times just 6 rounds could be loaded in that particular mag?...Couldn't see anything wrong with the follower or spring either.

So I bought another Kimber 'officer's' sized mag. This one the same except it was/is a blue steel mag. The Kimber blued mag loaded fine..no issues at all loading 7 rounds.

I took both mags apart and inspected the internals to see just why/what the issue might be with the stainless mag. Turned out to be just a very slight angle difference on the stainless mag's follower leg(the back vertical part of the follower that slides parallel against the back edge of the mag)....I 'adjusted' the stainless follower to match the blued follower and fixed the stainless mag's loading issue!

I guess the back edge of the follower would catch on the stacked-up spring coils towards the bottom of the mag while loading. The Kimber split follower's are tough as all git-out!..Hard to get the follower to bend...but just a slight tweek to it and it works great...no more issues getting 7 rounds in.

I wonder if the 8 round Kimber mag is having that sort of issue with the aftermarket spring?...Might be as simple a fix as just slightly torqueing the follower leg like my brand new mag's issue.

 

[Eight_is_enough]

Did you bend the back leg inward or outward? Logic says outward will help it avoid the spring.

 

[Ragnarok]

Outward just a hair...remember that I had a working follower as a guide...so I just 'sprung' the stainless follower to match the blue follower. Didn't need much..and the followers are like heat-treated spring steel and stooped tough to work with(I feared it might break!)

 

[Eight_is_enough]

Thanks, I'll try it.