1911 Magazines

[KFP]

What are your favorites?

Pros and cons of different designs?

Anything features that I should take into consideration?

Wilson Combat?
Chip McCormick?
Tripp Cobra Mags?
Other favorites?

I've run Wilsons and have been happy with them, but I'm just starting to wonder what others have to offer.

[longtooth]

Those are my three top choices.

[G.A. Heath]

Checkmate flush fit 7 round magazines with hybrid style feed lips and a dimpled follower. They work in everything I have tried them in, and they don't cost a fortune.

[KFP]

Thanks LT, you've taught me well!

G.A. - I haven't heard of those at all, I'll have to give them a look for sure. Thanks for the recommendation!

[cbunt1]

Can't vouch for the Cobra's personally, but have heard great things about them.

Wilsons and McCormicks are both excellent. Of the Wilsons I have, I can't tell any functional difference in them. In the McCormicks, I prefer the "Match Grade" mags for carry and the "Power Mag" (not the Power Mag +) for competition-type work...mainly because I find the flat GI-style floor-plate a bit more concealable--even if that's just in my head.

[carlson1]

Wilson 47D.

[Jbird5363]

I have had good luck with the mec-gar brand.

[USA1]

Is this for your new Kimber?

I wanted two things from a magazine for my Kimber.

1.Flush fit
2.Eight rounds

I ended with a couple of KimPro Tac-Mags.



They come with the extra bumper pads if that's what you like...I didn't.
....Plus, I like the idea of keeping everything Kimber.

I know Kimber mags don't have the best reputation, but these are much better than the stock 7 rounders that come with most Kimbers.

[longtooth]

Thanks LT, you've taught me well!

Fast learners are easy to teach, young man.

[KFP]

Hmm....lots of options and good suggestions. I may have to try out a few and see what I end up liking the best.

I'm not too concerned about the length that the bumpers would add, as I see a mag well in my gun's future. That is actually part of the reason that I went with the officers frame, I knew I'd add a little length with a mag well.

Thank you all for the great suggestions and keeping me thinking - I appreciate it!

[Zoomie]

Wilson's are excellent, Chip McCormick's are great as well.

Checkmate's are good if they have the welded baseplate, but the ones with the plastic baseplate are garbage.

[KFP]

Make sure you choose the feed-lip and follower style appropriate to the type of ammo you're intending to shoot.

Here's an example

I had no idea how complex my question was when I asked it! I glanced through the article so far, but it looks like a lot of interesting things to consider. Thanks Andy!

[karl]

I like my factory S&W mags but chose to go with a Wilson as my third to give myself some perspective since I'd heard about them. Two problems I've experienced personally:

-When loading up for carry after the range or some dry practice the Wilson doesn't like to catch on a loaded chamber very easily. I have to push it kinda hard to get it to "snap".
-With a full mag of Hornady-something JHP the number one round is very firmly pressed against the feed lips. It doesn't seem to affect performance after a couple range tests but I play it safe with one JHP in the chamber, 7 rounds of JHP in the magazine with one FMJ on top. It works fine this way so I don't bother.

[Excaliber]

I like my factory S&W mags but chose to go with a Wilson as my third to give myself some perspective since I'd heard about them. Two problems I've experienced personally:

-When loading up for carry after the range or some dry practice the Wilson doesn't like to catch on a loaded chamber very easily. I have to push it kinda hard to get it to "snap".
-With a full mag of Hornady-something JHP the number one round is very firmly pressed against the feed lips. It doesn't seem to affect performance after a couple range tests but I play it safe with one JHP in the chamber, 7 rounds of JHP in the magazine with one FMJ on top. It works fine this way so I don't bother.

You might want to satisfy your concerns with a few more range tests instead of the solution you've described.

If you have to fire that FMJ round in a confrontation, you run a substantial risk of full perforation (the round traveling through the bad guy and striking an unintended target behind him) or ricochet with a similar result. These rounds don't usually deform and dump all their energy inside the torso in a front to back shot, and they tend to hold together after striking a hard surface and bounce around like ping pong balls until they dissipate their energy.

There are some obvious moral and liability issues involved here.