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What magazine should I get?

7K views 51 replies 43 participants last post by  B.Toker 
#1 ·
I have my new 1911 45 caliber pistol and will be going to the range this weekend to start breaking it in. It came with only one 7 round magazine. I went to my local gun store and all they carried were name brands for around $29 a piece. A local gun show is this weekend and I was wondering if I should go and see if they have any discounted magazines. How much should I pay and what brands should I expect to see at a gun show?
 
#13 ·
Whatever you do, don't kid yourself by buying cheap gun show mags. More stoppages are caused by inferior mags than anything else. I use either Wilson or CMC. You can buy the CMC's from Midway fro a really reasonable price.
Or here :) > http://www.shootersplus.com/1911_magazines

BTW: WC has increased the price across the board on their magazines so if you are thinking of getting some, better hurry.

Zack
Shooters Plus
 
#7 ·
I just got (3) of the Tripp Cobra mags and I have to say I'm quite impressed with the quality. They just feel good. I got one 7rnd for flush carry and (2) 8rnd for backup. I like the use of the tube in lieu of wasting it for the bumper. I've had okay luck with 8rnd mags but it always seems to be an issue. It's a great solution to the problem, seems fairly obvious now...
 
#8 ·
Tripp Research, Les Baer, Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Custom, Metalform, and Chip McCormick make GREAT magazines. However, Wilson magazines are commonly referred to as the industry standard. Stick with them.
 
#10 ·
They say that the perfect magazines, on paper, are Tripp followers in CMC bodies with Ed Brown screw-on basepads and Wolff springs. I'm just too lazy to bother, though, so I guess if the new CMC follower is like Tripp's I'll have to check 'em out! Fingers crossed....
 
#11 ·
How much should I pay and what brands should I expect to see at a gun show?
It's been my experience at gun shows if you see a "name brand" magazine, you're going to pay a "name brand" price (say, $20-25). The reasons people pay that much money for a magazine, is because that's what it costs to get a truly functional, reliable magazine. Of course, most people have their favorites, but IMO, as long as it's a "name brand" magazine, the quality will be acceptable for range use. If you're into competition, or carry on the job, or self-defense, you should want top quality magazines.

For plinking at the range, just about any mag will be OK. It's possible you might find some $7-$10 mags at the gun show. They won't be "name brand", but for informal use, they just might work fine. And, if they don't, you can begin your 1911 gunsmithing skills education by "tweaking" a magazine that's not very expensive to ruin.
 
#12 ·
Buy nice or buy twice. I have some Wilson mags that have been in service for 20+ years. Carried daily on a Sam Browne belt for many of those years. I clean them every decade or so and have never replaced the spring. The extended base pads have been known to break (never had a standard base pad break) and I replaced one follower. The only thing I have done to the 20 or more I own.
 
#18 ·
Buy nice or buy twice. I have some Wilson mags that have been in service for 20+ years. Carried daily on a Sam Browne belt for many of those years.
I purchased Wilson magazines in the 80's and wore them on a duty belt and in plain clothes. I replaced the springs during the mid 90's as I thought it should be time. I never had any problems with them and suppose it's about time to change the springs again.
 
#15 ·
magazines

Magazines for the M1911 type automatic pistol


Wilson Combat 47D models
http://www.wilsoncombat.com/a_magazines.asp

Wilson Combat Elite Tactical magazine
http://wilsoncombat.com/a_magazines_ETM.asp

Nighthawk Custom
http://nighthawkcustom.com/detail.aspx?ID=21

Chip McCormick Power Mags
https://www.chipmccormickcorp.com/power-mags.html

Tripp Research Cobra Mag
http://www.trippresearch.com

Metalform Magazines
http://www.metalformmagazines.com/index.html

Kimber KimPro Tac-Mag Premium .45 ACP Magazine
http://www.kimberamerica.com/accessories

Wolff Magazines
www.gunsprings.com

Novak Magazines
www.novaksights.com

Mec-Gar Magazines
www.mec-gar.com

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Integrated Systems Management (ISMI) magazine springs
http://www.ismi-gunsprings.com

Wolff Gunsprings
www.gunsprings.com
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1911 Magazines
By Hilton Yam
www.10-8performance.com


The magazine is critical to the function of a 1911, and all too many shooters induce problems in otherwise functional guns by using faulty magazines.

For a basic magazine, I always recommend the Chip McCormick Power Mag 8 rd with the standard (.350") bumper. For 99% of your shooting tasks, this will get the job done. It has a durable tube that holds its shape reasonably well, a strong spring that resists a set when left loaded for extended periods, and good overall function. Its Devel style follower has some problems with some guns where it will jump the slide stop. This is typically a very rare occurrence when the gun is set up correctly. I have had hundreds of these pass through my hands, and they work well.

The Tripp Industries Cobra Mag, A8-MG, is another good candidate for an 8 round 1911 mag, and has all of the assets of the Power Mag. The added bonus is a superior follower design that is very stable and reliable (it will lock back guns that might not respond to other mags), and added tube length for a true 8 round spring column. The major issue I've had with these is that early production tubes did not to last very long and cracked at the rear of the feed lips. Tripp stood behind all of these mags, and all of my cracked tubes were replaced under warranty. My current batch of magazines has lasted for over a year without any issues with the tubes.

If you want a nearly bulletproof 7 round magazine, you can install the Tripp Super 7 spring/follower kit inside a CMC Power Mag tube with excellent results. I have had zero problems with this combination, and have received nothing but positive reports from those fielding this setup. This is an expensive setup, but worthwhile for the serious gun toter. For the casual shooter, the added benefits may not be realized.

The above 3 setups are the ONLY 1911 magazines that I currently recommend. Keep in mind that my recommendations are based upon the requirements of the magazines being kept constantly loaded for a duty cycle of 3-6 months and being able to withstand drops onto hard surfaces during training. Almost any magazine will work satisfactorily if you never leave them loaded and they are not dropped.

Lastly, 1911 magazines need to be considered an expendable asset, much like the GI aluminum M16 mag. I expect an average service cycle of 12-24 months, and I will not hesitate to replace them the moment one fails to feed or drop free. Don't get married to a set of mags, use them up and move on.
 
#17 ·
Hilton is giving advice for guys who go in harms way, train hard and use their equipment hard.

I understand where he is coming from but my gear doesn't see those extremes.

And when it has, as in training or competition, it has always held up.

Well, except for that retaining pin on an M4 that broke, locked the gun up and was pictured on the internet before I made it back home from a Rogers carbine class. And it was only an hour drive home.
 
#19 ·
I like Chip McCormic mags. I just picked up an 8rd power mag today for $20.

It is my firm belief that wilson mags are over priced to the tune of ~$10 or more. When you buy a wilson, you buy a $20 mag with a $10 name stamped into it.
 
#22 ·
Metalform makes the best mags for the money. I have been using them for almost 20 years with no problems. I prefer the eight round SS mag with the plastic follower. They used to be a great deal with dealer prices for 6 mags or more, then they got greedy. Now you need to buy about 50 mags to get a break.

The good news is that they can be had from Brownells for a reasonable price and that they are marketed by other vendors, such as Chip McCormick. Personally, I wouldn't bother with the CMC "Power Mag" but rather stick with his cheapest 8 round mags as I believe they are stock Metalforms. Metalform has been around for quite a while; they make Colt's mags.
 
#23 ·
Simply put -- the one magazine that works flawlessly with your pistol (buy a few of the better acknowledged designs and hit the range with a variety of loads and bullet designs) Once the desired performance is found, then...

...buy a dozen of said magazines along with a dozen chrome-silicon springs specified for that magazine. From that point forward, you'll have a magazine/spring combination and pistol that perform together without a fault. Expect to spend a reasonable price for this level of quality and performance -- avoid cheap magazines and the frustration they provide...good luck, badabing...


ColtM1911A1
 
#24 ·
Whatever you do, don't get the bargain magazines... they very rarely work 100%. I have tried several "name brand" magazines... and they all work fine, but I have decided that for CCW use and S/D, Wilson Combat 47Ds are the ones I carry.

Be careful of the fake COLT magazines (have seen a lot of them floating around gun shows)... do your research and know the trademarks and stampings.
 
#27 ·
I'm going to buck the trend here. Did you guys really think I wouldn't? :)

I don't understand the side of the "you get what you pay for mentality" that seems to think that the quality of parts is somehow directly proportionate to the price of said parts. In other words, the mroe you pay, the better it must be. :confused:

I've had some mags that worked great and some mags that worked not so great. Price had nothing to do with whether a mag worked or not.

Speaking of some cheap 1911 mags that have been outstanding. About 4-5 years ago, Midway blew out some surplus RONIN MFG. 7 rd mags for as little as $3 each (they had 10 packs and 50 packs if you guys remember). I'm kicking myself to this day that I didn't buy more of them as they have been some of the best 1911 mags I have ever had. They were supposedly made by Okay, but sold off as overrun/overstock under the RONIN name, much like NHMTG was set-up as the retail brand for Okay M16/AR15 mags.

I would highly suggest to the OP that you try out some different mags from your buddies first if you can, or buy one each of a few different kinds to see which ones work best in YOUR 1911. Once you find one you like that works, then buy a bunch of those. If you do that, price shouldn't even factor into your decision, unless you want to shop around for the best price on the mags you finally decide on, or they happen to be way more than you wanted to spend on a mag. :)
 
#29 ·
Magazines for the M1911 type pistol

Top Gun Supply has Chip McCormick mags on sale right now.

http://www.topgunsupply.com/SPECIALS-c-168.html

One of my USPSA shooting buddies recommended Ed Brown magazines.

http://www.edbrown.com/magazines.htm

(25 years ago, before the specialty market for magazines & accessories was very established, we'd just order a batch of GI spec magazines from Sherwood Distributors or Parallax or some company like that. I remember you used to be able to get 10 mags for $50. Out of 10 magazines, 6 or 7 would work right out of the box and the other ones you'd have to "tune" with a long nosed pliers and some other tools, to adjust the feed lips and so forth)
 
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