Weigh in, best 1911 mags.

[Douglas S Graham]

If your life depended on 'em, which 1911 mags to buy?? TIA.

[tdb59]

McCormick.




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[TenTea]

Tripp Research Cobra Mags

http://www.trippresearchinc.com/

[longhair51]

Originally Posted by TenTea

Tripp Research Cobra Mags

http://www.trippresearchinc.com/

I'll second the Tripp Research Cobra Mags. I'm using the 45 8 and 10 rounders.

[AFeod]

Originally Posted by tdb59

McCormick.




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+1

Never a hiccup...
Not yet any way

[Invictus77]

I have McCormick, Colt, Kimber, Pachmayr, and random mil-surp mags. Honestly I don't recall having a problem with any of them unless they got dropped hard on concrete and hit the feed lips with obvious damage.

I'm sure there is a "best" and I trust tdb's advice implicitly, but as long as you stay away from the Korean stuff, 1911s are pretty forgiving with most mags.

[SPEEDGUNNER]

The timing of this thread is perfect. I am looking for some hicap (10+) round 1911 mags for a Marlin Camp Carbine I just picked up.

Not to hijack the thread, but please comment on those as well.

[AFeod]

Originally Posted by SPEEDGUNNER

The timing of this thread is perfect. I am looking for some hicap (10+) round 1911 mags for a Marlin Camp Carbine I just picked up.

Not to hijack the thread, but please comment on those as well.

As I posted above, McCormicks they are the ten rounders.

The only down side I have come with is when I take them to the range I go through ammo faster...

Go figure

[fuel fire desire]

Depends on the individual gun for me. My Sig only likes kimbers, and hates wilsons. But my RIA loves McCormicks.

In general, for what my personal guns like best, I prefer Wilson’s overall.

[tdb59]

Wilson followers are the suck at the slide stop engagement shelf.


My preference for McCormick mags specifically comes from shooting in no alibi 3 gun matches in 105+* weather and real dusty conditions.

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[TerryN]

My only experience with McCormick mags came several years ago when I ordered three of their Shooting Star mags, with the 'Devel' split follower. They refused to allow my dead-nuts reliable (as in, works with any mag and any ammo) 1911 to function correctly. I replaced the original followers with Wilson followers, and all was right with the world again. Last McCormick mags I have bought. Many other people sing their praises, but such was not my personal experience.

[meltblown]

Originally Posted by Douglas S Graham

If your life depended on 'em, which 1911 mags to buy?? TIA.

They all seem to be the same when it comes to the decent ones.

[raubvogel]

My Sarco ones worked fine until the rear sight in my 1911 slid out. Since -- more than a year ago now -- then I have not shot it. I think I left them all loaded waiting for the day I do something about that.

[FUUN063]

I've used many kinds including the Chip McCormick Shooting Star mags (a nice mag). But, quite some time back, Gun Tests magazine did a rather in depth test of 1911 magazines and there was one clear leader. Metal Form brand.



Leland

[Gary104]

Tripp or Checkmate have always worked well for me.

[chino*74]

McCormick, Wilson, they both run without flaw in my series 80 Colt; Mc. Shooting stars also seem good. The only mag I had trouble w was the Colt mags.

[Hebrew Battle Rifle]

Originally Posted by raubvogel

My Sarco ones worked fine until the rear sight in my 1911 slid out. Since -- more than a year ago now -- then I have not shot it. I think I left them all loaded waiting for the day I do something about that.

I bought 44 of these when they were first introduced because I needed more mags and they were being sold for almost give away prices. I have yet to have a single malfunction in any of my 1911s with these magazines. I have 4 Colts and 2 Springfields and they all run perfectly. I feed them with factory 230 gr ball and my reloads. My reloads include LSWC, FMJ, LRN, and JHPs.

The only thing about the Sarco 1911 mags that I find less than stellar is that they are 7 rd instead of 8 rd. This is the only reason that I don't use them as every day carry mags.

Good luck getting any of the gun snobs to admit that the Sarco mags are good kit.

[fal762]

Mine will run most anything. I've got cheap no name mags and name brand mags. But for EDC I use Chip McCormick Shooting Star 10 round and Wilson 8 round mags.

[Pluribus]

Checkmate. They're OEM for Colt, Kimber and a few others. The ONLY 1911 mag that I own that I've yet experienced a failure in any 1911 I own. A must IMHO, for officer sized with aluminum frames pistols due to the fool proof anti-tip follower. Others can sometimes tip enough to gouge the feed ramp on feeding the last round or, sinfully dropping the slide over an empty mag causing the follower to tip forward enough to hit the feed ramp and ka-chunk the be-goobers out of it over time. Steel frames, no problem.

Mec-Gar is my second choice, also an OEM manufacturer and supplier for Colt. If you buy from Colt (uh-huh) the mags are marked either with a C or, a M on the base.

That's what I think, anyway.

[VALMET]

+1 for Wilson Combat. Although McCormick does mfg a fine magazine.

[TenTea]

Originally Posted by Pluribus

[/snip]

Mec-Gar is my second choice, also an OEM manufacturer and supplier for Colt. If you buy from Colt (uh-huh) the mags are marked either with a C or, a M on the base.

That's what I think, anyway.

*M* on Colt mags is Metalform, I think.

https://metalform.us/

[Pluribus]

Originally Posted by TenTea

*M* on Colt mags is Metalform, I think.

https://metalform.us/

You're right and I knew it. I was thinking M-G which, is an OEM just not for Colt (other 1911 gunz) and, typing about the Metalform which is also correct. The Checkmate, in the mags called Hybrid, has the anti-tip follower and is usually seen in the Officers size with a 7 rd cap instead of 6 and, the 8 rd instead of 7 rd cap standard/Government.

You can see the follower, sort of, in some of these pics if one enlarges the pic.

https://www.hoopergunworks.com/produ...5-6sc-s-h-usa/

Edit: I simply prefer those mags I mentioned especially for aluminum receivered pistols. The CMC, for example, feed and function fine enough for me however, they'll still tip and gouge an aluminum receiver in my experience. Steel, not so. I'm pretty sure I tip my head just right too but, CMC's still tend to gouge. To me good mags aren't just about feeding well. Y'allsMMV

[legion489]

Chip McCormick.

Colt "factory" mags are made by at least six makers, look at the five maker's mark and the one unmarked mag, all marked as "Colt".

[hueyville]

About to dress for doctors appointment. Factory SIG eight round magazine in pistol with pair of McCormick ten rounders in mag pouch on weak side. Ballistic briefcase which rides on back of wife's wheelchair has a suppressed SIG Tacops with ten round McCormick and a racking system with ten spare ten round McCormicks. Not going down for lack of ammo with my single stacks and given chance going for the suppressed pistol before my carry as most likely hand is just as close when pushing that chair.

[moonbat60]

Are you going to a doctor’s appointment in Baghdad or Kabul or Kandahar?

[hueyville]

Originally Posted by moonbat60

Are you going to a doctor’s appointment in Baghdad or Kabul or Kandahar?

Atlanta. Which considering their is a multi-victim shooting incident weekly of not several times per week and domestic, drunken and drug related shootings pretty much daily it's something to comsider. Also parking decks of hospitals and large medical complexes have become high crime areas because most doctors tell patients to bring all their current meds to their visit with them. So many have multiple doctors writing scripts some will not do anything unless you bring physical bottles from all docs with you. We always carry last month's empty bottles but many carry their just filled bottles of highly desirable pills on the street. When elderly person or couple is moving from car to elevators it's not uncommon for several street punks to demand the bag of med and either hand them pills or it goes bad.

Work as volunteer at local RCH (regional coordinating hospital) and the most dangerous place in the county is the parking lot of the emergency room. Many incidents that send people to seek emergency medical care follow them to the hospital. Also most panicking and desperately in withdrawal drug seekers end up at emergency room with faked or self inflicted wounds and the number of mentally ill that come through the hospital emergency room with weapons is staggering.

The office my group uses now used to be where they stored confiscated weapons from emergency room till taken to incinerator. When we were taking it over there was a box the size of a washing machine full of knives, machetes and even swords. Asked how long it took to fill the box and was told fill it twice a year or more. Would not open the big locked metal box of confiscated guns so no idea how many were in it. Suicides and robberies are common in the emergency room parking lot.

Most evenings and weekends a SORT team is geared up and sitting on other side of one way mirror all the time so when seeker or mental patient goes crazy when trying to check in their goal is to have them down, cuffed and removed in 90 seconds so most people never realize an event went down. Recent trip to one doctor a female in her 30's was being chased around the office as she puked and capped her pants while demanding early medication ref I lls and med on the spot. When they called 911 for mental health to come get the female she went crazy and tried to escape though in full withdrawal symptoms.

Have now been in a local pharmacy chain (buy our med from them and do lots of work at each of their locations) when seekers and people in withdraws have gone violent. Before they had me add a ballistic barrier behind pharmacists counter was in one morning when some guy came in with a bogus set of scripts and warnings he had tried passing at multiple pharmacies that morning had caused an alert to go to local pharmacies. I happened to be in their sore picking up wife's med when this per came in and only the young female pharmacy tech and pharmacist were in the building and he went crazy when they refused to fill them. I ended stepping behind the counter between him and them and was when he decided to leave noting I was armed. Medical facilities have become the wild, wild west.

[Democrat1]

Wilson did sell a 7-shot flush fit, stainless, GI follower, extra-power spring, made by CheckMate, hybrid lip, which they sold as their "608". A great magazine in both of my 1911s. You can still get it from CheckMate, but I believe you'll have to go find your own extra power spring.

Tripp also makes a magazine that works in everything, but it's expensive.

Flush-fit magazine springs get tired quickly if 8-shot capacity, even Wilson. If you have to have 8-shot capacity, go with extended magazines.

[CTW]

Back in my 1911 days I had a bunch of Mcormick shooting star mags and 10 rounders and they never failed me in 2 different 1911 pistols. Kimber, and RIA.

[Slaughter]

Metalform. https://metalform.us/

They're the OEM magazine for a few manufacturers. It's what I've bought.

Also, I've never had 100% good luck with feeding 8 or 10 round magazines so I tend to stay with the 7-rounders.

One other thing, whichever mag you get, if it's a 7-round and doesn't come with a magazine "bumper pad" (or whatever it's called) - install one. it'll keep you from getting a bite taken out of your non-shooting palm when doing a reload at speed and slamming it home (ask me how I know!).

I recommend against buying used - any brand. I got some "cheap" Colt branded mags and had to rework the feed lips on a few to make them feed.

[brunop]

+1 for Wilson 47D.

I have (or have had...) Colt, Kimber, Wilson, Shlomo Special, and Les Baer. They all run the Wilson without complaint in the desert, on the TR deck, and at New Years BBQ / Hold-My-Beer contests.

Nothing against McCormick. I've never shot 'em.

[Andy the Aussie]

Mine (about 25) are a combination of Wilson 47Ds and McCormicks. No complaints with either.

[Bawana jim]

I am an old fart that used to shoot in lots of matches, IPSC 4 matches a month on the valley cicuit. Started with Colt 7 round mags and found that the lips were bad, they split up the back and the follower jumped the slide stop. So I went to Packmayers stainles with rounded followers and pads on the bottom to take up shock. They didn't hold up.


Next as my gear progressed I went to McCormick shooting stars and while the body held up well the followers were prone to break under heavy use. Moving stage to stage you changed mags to have a fully loaded 1911 and slamming in a magazine would break a follower. Follower would flatten out and miss the slide stop jamming your gun in a most awful way.

Next I went to Wilson's and have had very good luck with them but I don't shoot competitive anymore because 1911s are out of the IPSC game. They all went to high caps. Wilson's have a polymer follower that feeds great and I never have seen one jump the slide stop.

I guess the others would work fine if you don't push them for performance.

[KIT]

The Wilson-Rogers Magazine. Hands Down

-KIT-

[OMCHamlin]

I must second the Metalform, specifically the stainless, 7 round version with the round top follower. Reliable and inexpensive. I use them in my Springfield, Colt and Rock River (NOT Rock Island!). Another one I have had pretty good luck with is the Novak Acti-Mag, a smooth running 8 rounder that actually works and locks open on the last round.

[hagar]

Best 1911 mags come in 10mm..

[moonbat60]

Act mags, a little bit flashy, but they work.

[lockjaw]

Another vote for McCormick Shooting Star mags. No brainer.

Not sure if they are “the best,” but they are the only 1911 magazine I have ever bought new for numerous guns, and never had an issue. Cannot say the same for numerous other 1911 mags that fell in my lap over the years.

[hueyville]

Originally Posted by hagar

Best 1911 mags come in 10mm..

If I had a spare $4,000 laying around for another single stack 1911 this Ed Brown long slide would already be on order. Sure for another grand or so they would build it on a 2011 double stack frame.



I had to slum when got all hot and bothered about my latest 10mm single stack (have one of the early Colt Delta Elites and other 1911s in 10mm) and buy a SIG P220 Pro Hunter. The factory installed red dot with 1/3 cowitnessed sights for $1,500 including spare magazines, holster and other required accessories forced me to step outside of the 1911 arena and go with this crazy looking pistol.



One of the guys on recent church security team did some training with carries the SIG P220 Pro Hunter and can choose which eyeball on a head shot at 100 yards. I just center up the forehead and let it eat.

[KoKodog]

back in the early 1980’s when I got my first 1911, Wilson mags were the most reliable but they had a plastic molded base that broke all the time, I had 2 of them and when Chip McCormick shooting stars mags hit the market I tried 2 of them, then no worries about broken bases as I kept buying CMC’s every other year

A few years ago I put them back in rotation when I could get steel bases from Wilson so no more plastic ……

recently I purchased 2 Chip McCormick 10 round RPM mags, have not got the chance to give them a good workout yet but they do appear to be high quality as the many other Chip McCormick mags that I have

[Heisser Mann]

Originally Posted by FUUN063

I've used many kinds including the Chip McCormick Shooting Star mags (a nice mag). But, quite some time back, Gun Tests magazine did a rather in depth test of 1911 magazines and there was one clear leader. Metal Form brand.



Leland

yep.